The Chase—First Day — Moby-Dick

Mid-watch Ahab snuffs sea air like a ship's dog, declares a whale near, and alters course on the sperm odour until daybreak shows a long sleek ahead. Daggoo rouses all hands. Ahab hoists to royal-mast, cries there she blows, a hump like a snow-hill, claims the doubloon as his alone for raising Moby Dick first, orders Starbuck stay aboard, and slides to deck as boats lower.

The whale glides with mild repose invested in swiftness. Fowl perch on a recent lance pole. Enticings on bright sides hide tornado calm. He arches a marble body like Natural Bridge, sounds, and reappears beneath with open scrolled jaw. Ahab whirls aside, takes Perth's harpoon, and Moby Dick bites Ahab's boat in two like a cat with a mouse while Fedallah gazes crossed-arm and the crew tumbles sternward.

Ahab vainly wrenches the jaw. Gunwales collapse. He falls flat-faced into the sea. The whale pitchpoles and circles the wreck vengefully. Ahab, half smothered, cries sail on the whale and the Pequod drives Moby Dick off. Dragged into Stubb's boat crushed, he asks if the harpoon is safe, counts five oars five men, and resumes chase double-banked until the boat cannot equal the whale and the ship bears down leeward with stunsails like albatross wings.

All day Ahab aloft or pacing passes his reversed wreck on the quarter-deck. Stubb's thistle-ass joke earns rebuke. Starbuck calls omen. Ahab rejects dictionaries and names himself alone among millions. At dusk he leaves the doubloon for whoever raises the whale on kill day, tenfold if he raises him, and slouches in the scuttle till dawn except to ask if spout is seen.