456 
MOBY DICK; OR 
sail close by us, we, though all adroop before, catch somewhat of the 
rushing breeze, and joyfully feel our bagging sails fill out. So seemed 
it with the Pequod. For next day after encountering the gay Bache- 
lor, whales were seen and four were slain; and one of them by Ahab. 
It was far down the afternoon; and when all the spearings of the 
crimson fight were done: and floating in the lovely sunset sea and sky, 
sun and whale both stilly died together; then, such a sweetness and 
such plaintiveness, such inwreathing orisons curled up in that rosy air, 
that it almost seemed as if far over from the deep green convent valleys 
of the Manilla isles, the Spanish land-breeze, wantonly turned sailor, 
had gone to sea, freighted with these vesper hymns. 
Soothed again, but only soothed to deeper gloom, Ahab, who had 
stemed off from the whale, sat intently watching his final wanings from 
the now tranquil boat. For that strange spectacle observable in all 
sperm whales dying — the turning sunwards of the head, and so expiring 
— that strange spectacle, beheld of such a placid evening, somehow to 
Ahab conveyed a wondrousness unknown before. 
“He turns and turns him to it, — how slowly, but how steadfastly, 
his homage-rendering and invoking brow, with his last dying motions. 
He too worships fire; most faithful, broad, baronial vassal of the sun! 
4 — Oh that these too-favouring eyes should see these too-favouring 
sights. Look ! here, far waterlocked ; beyond all hum of human weal 
or woe; in these most candid and impartial seas; where to traditions 
no rocks furnish tablets ; where for long Chinese ages, the billows have 
still rolled on speechless and unspoken to, as stars that shine upon the 
Niger’s unknown source; here, too, life dies sunwards full of faith; 
but see! no sooner dead, than death whirls round the corpse, and it 
heads some other way. 
“Oh, thou dark Hindoo half of nature, who of drowned bones hast 
builded thy separate throne somewhere in the heart of these unver- 
dured seas ; thou art an infidel, thou queen,' and too truly speakest to 
me in the wide-slaughtering Typhoon, and the hushed burial of its 
after calm. Nor has this thy whale sunwards turned his dying head, 
and then gone round again, without a lesson to me. 
“Oh, trebly hooped and welded hip of power! Oh, high aspiring, 
rainbowed jet! — that one strivest, this one jettest all in vain! In 
vain, oh whale, dost thou seek intercedings with yon all-quickening 
