437 
THE WHITE WHALE 
on this to-morrow ; he’ll he taking altitudes on it. Halloa ! I almost 
forgot the little oval slate, smoothed ivory, where he figures up the 
latitude. So, so ; chisel, file, and sand-paper, now !” 
CHAPTER CVIII 
AHAB AND STARBUCK IN THE CABIN 
According to usage they were pumping the ship next morning; and 
lo! no inconsiderable oil came up with the water ; the casks below must 
have sprung a bad leak. Much concern was shown; and Starbuck 
went down into the cabin to report this unfavourable affair . 1 
How, from the south and west the Pequod was drawing nigh to 
Formosa and the Bashee Isles, between which lies one of the tropical 
outlets from the China waters into the Pacific. And so Starbuck found 
Ahab with a general chart of the Oriental archipelagoes spread before 
him; and another separate one representing the long eastern coasts 
of the Japanese islands — Hiphon, Mastmai, and Sikoke. With his 
snow-white new ivory leg braced against the screwed leg of his table, 
and with a long pruning-hook of a jack-knife in his hand, the wondrous 
old man, with his back to the gangway door, was wrinkling his brow, 
and tracing his old courses again. 
“Who’s there?” hearing the footstep at the door, but not turning 
round to it. “On deck! Begone!” 
“Captain Ahab mistakes; it is I. The oil in the hold is leaking, 
sir. We must up Burtons and break out.” 
“Up Burton and break out? How that we are nearing Japan; 
heave-to here for a week to tinker a parcel of old hoops ?” 
“Either do that, sir, or waste in one day more oil than we may make 
good in a year. What we come twenty thousand miles to get is worth 
saving, sir.” 
“So it is, so it is ; if we get it.” 
1 In Sperm- whalemen with any considerable quantity of oil on board, it 
is a regular semi-weekly duty to conduct a hose into the hold, and drench 
the casks with sea-water; which afterwards, at varying intervals is removed 
by the ship’s pumps. Hereby the casks are sought to be kept damply tight, 
while by the changed character of the withdrawn water, the mariners readily 
detect any serious leakage in the precious cargo. 
