474 
MOBY DICK; OR 
than one case occurred to ships in violent storms. The magnetic energy, 
as developed in the mariners’ needle, is, as all know, essentially one 
with the electricity beheld in heaven; hence it is not to be much mar- 
velled at, that such things should be. In instances where the light- 
ning has actually struck the vessel, so as to smite down some of the spars 
and rigging, the effect upon the needle has at times been still more 
fatal; all its loadstone virtue being annihilated, so that the before 
magnetic steel was of no more use than an old wife’s knitting needle. 
But in either case, the needle never again, of itself, recovers the orig- 
inal virtue thus marred or lost; and if the binnacle compasses be 
affected, the same fate reaches all the others that may be in the ship; 
even were the lowermost one inserted into the kelson. 
Deliberately standing before the binnacle, and eyeing the transpointed 
compasses, the old man, with the sharp of his extended hand, now took 
the precise bearing of the sun, and satisfied that the needles were ex- 
actly inverted, shouted out his orders for the ship’s course to be changed 
accordingly. The yards were hard up; and once more the Pequod 
thrust her undaunted bows into the opposing wind, for the supposed 
fair one had only been juggling her. 
Meanwhile, whatever were his own secret thoughts, Starbuck said 
nothing, but quietly he issued all requisite orders; while Stubb and 
Flask — who in some small degree seemed then to be sharing his feel- 
ings — likewise unmurmuringly acquiesced. As for the men, though 
some of them lowly rumbled, their fear of Ahab was greater than their 
fear of Fate. But as ever before, the pagan harpooneers remained 
almost wholly unimpressed ; or if impressed, it was only with a certain 
magnetism shot into their congenial hearts from inflexible Ahab’s. 
For a space the old man walked the deck in rolling reveries. But 
chancing to slip with his ivory heel, he saw the crushed copper sight- 
tubes of the quadrant he had the day before dashed to the deck. 
“Thou poor, proud heaven-gazer and sun’s pilot ! yesterday I wrecked 
thee, and to-day the compasses would feign have wrecked me. So, so. 
But Ahab is lord over the level loadstone yet. Mr. Starbuck — a lance 
without a pole; top-maul, and the smallest of the sail-maker’s needles. 
Quick!” 
Accessory, perhaps, to the impulse dictating the thing he was now 
