LEG AND ARM THE PEQUOD OF NANTUCKET MEETS THE SAMUEL ENDERBY OF LONDON
“Ship, ahoy! Have you seen the White Whale?” cried Ahab calling a ship showing English colours. Ahab was standing in one of our quarter-boats with his ivory leg plainly revealed. The Captain of the English ship was relaxing in his own boat’s bow. He was a dark, good-natured, fine-looking man of about sixty years of age. One arm of his jacket was empty.
“Have you seen the White Whale?” repeated Ahab. “Do you see this?” said the English captain, pulling out from the empty jacket sleeve a white arm made out of sperm whale bone which was shaped like a hammer. “Lower the quarter-boat! Let’s go over and see this captain,” shouted Ahab excitedly.
Ahab’s boat was lowered into the water and his men took him over the English ship. Since Ahab had just one leg, it was impossible for him to climb up the ladder to board the English ship. The English captain saw his problem and lowered a bog hook which was used to hold dead whales. Ahab sat on this hook and was pulled on board.
