THE WHITE WHALE 461 
storms, the Typhoon. It will sometimes burst from out that cloud- 
less sky, like an exploding bomb upon a dazed and sleepy town. 
Towards evening of that day, the Pequod was tom of her canvas, and 
bare-poled was left to fight a Typhoon which had struck her directly 
ahead. When darkness came on, sky and sea roared and split with the 
thunder, and blazed with the lightning, that showed the disabled masts 
fluttering here and there with the rags which the first fury of the tem- 
pest had left for its after-sport. 
Holding by a shroud, Starbuck was standing on the quarter-deck; 
at every flash of the lightning glancing aloft, to see what additional 
disaster might have befallen the intricate hamper there; while Stubb 
and Flask were directing the men in the higher hoisting and firmer lash- 
ing of the boats. But all their pains seemed naught. Though lifted 
to the very top of the cranes, the windward quarter boat (Ahab’s) did 
not escape. A great rolling sea, dashing high up against the reeling 
ship’s high tottering side, stove in the boat’s bottom at the stern, and 
left it again, all dripping through like a sieve. 
“Bad work, bad work! Mr. Starbuck,” said Stubb, regarding the 
wreck, “but the sea will have its way. Stubb, for one, can’t fight it. 
You see, Mr. Starbuck, a wave has such a great long start before it 
leaps, all round the world it runs, and then comes the spring ! But as 
for me, all the start I have to meet it, is just across the deck here. But 
never mind ; it’s all in fun : so the old song says” ; — (sings). 
Oh! jolly is the gale, 
And a joker is the whale, 
A’ flourishin’ his tail, — 
Such a funny, sporty, gamy, jesty, joky, hoky-poky lad, is the Ocean, oh! 
The scud all a flyin’, 
That’s his flip only foamin’; 
When he stirs in the spicin’ — 
Such a funny, sporty, gamy, jesty, joky, hoky-poky lad, is the Ocean, oh ! 
Thunder splits the ships, 
But he only smacks his lips, 
A tastin’ of this flip, — 
Such a funny, sporty, gamy, jesty, joky, hoky-poky lad, is the Ocean, oh ! 
