The Quadrant

           TheseasonfortheLineatlengthdrewnear;andeverydaywhenAhab,comingfromhiscabincasthiseyesaloft,thevigilanthelmsmanwouldostentatiouslyhandlehisspokes,andtheeagermarinersquicklyruntothebraces,andwouldstandtherewithalltheireyescentrallyfixedonthenaileddoubloon;impatientfortheordertopointtheship’sprowfortheequator.Ingoodtimetheordercame.Itwasharduponhighnoon;andAhab,seatedinthebowsofhishigh-hoistedboat,wasabouttakinghiswonteddailyobservationofthesuntodeterminehislatitude.

           Now,inthatJapanesesea,thedaysinsummerareasfreshetsofeffulgences.ThatunblinkinglyvividJapanesesunseemstheblazingfocusoftheglassyocean’simmeasurableburning-glass.Theskylookslacquered;cloudstherearenone;thehorizonfloats;andthisnakednessofunrelievedradianceisastheinsufferablesplendorsofGod’sthrone.WellthatAhab’squadrantwasfurnishedwithcoloredglasses,throughwhichtotakesightofthatsolarfire.So,swinginghisseatedformtotherolloftheship,andwithhisastrological-lookinginstrumentplacedtohiseye,heremainedinthatpostureforsomemomentstocatchthepreciseinstantwhenthesunshouldgainitsprecisemeridian.Meantimewhilehiswholeattentionwasabsorbed,theParseewaskneelingbeneathhimontheship’sdeck,andwithfacethrownuplikeAhab’s,waseyeingthesamesunwithhim;onlythelidsofhiseyeshalfhoodedtheirorbs,andhiswildfacewassubduedtoanearthlypassionlessness.

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