the giant; and the last end of a butterfly shames us all.  Some women have lived nobler lives, and died nobler deaths, than men.  Threatened with the stake, mitred Cranmer recanted; but through her fortitude, the lorn widow of Edessa stayed the tide of Valens’ persecutions.  ’Tis no great valor to perish sword in hand, and bravado on lip; cased all in panoply complete.  For even the alligator dies in his mail, and the swordfish never surrenders.  To expire, mild-eyed, in one’s bed, transcends the death of Epaminondas.

Chapter X
They Arrange Their Canopies And Lounges, And Try To Make Things
Comfortable

Our little craft was soon in good order.  From the spare rigging brought along, we made shrouds to the mast, and converted the boat-hook into a handy boom for the jib.  Going large before the wind, we set this sail wing-and-wing with the main-sail.  The latter, in accordance with the customary rig of whale-boats, was worked with a sprit and sheet.  It could be furled or set in an instant.  The bags of bread we stowed away in the covered space about the loggerhead, a useless appurtenance now, and therefore removed.  At night, Jarl used it for a pillow; saying, that when the boat rolled it gave easy play to his head.  The precious breaker we lashed firmly amidships; thereby much improving our sailing.

Now, previous to leaving the ship, we had seen to it well, that our craft was supplied with all those equipments, with which, by the regulations of the fishery, a whale-boat is constantly provided:  night and day, afloat or suspended.  Hanging along our gunwales inside, were six harpoons, three lances, and a blubber-spade; all keen as razors, and sheathed with leather.  Besides these, we had three waifs, a couple of two-gallon water-kegs, several bailers, the boat-hatchet for cutting the whale-line, two auxiliary knives for the like purpose, and several minor articles, also employed in hunting the leviathan.  The line and line-tub, however, were on ship-board.

And here it may be mentioned, that to prevent the strain upon the boat when suspended to the ship’s side, the heavy whale-line, over two hundred fathoms in length, and something more than an inch in diameter, when not in use is kept on ship-board, coiled away like an endless snake in its tub.  But this tub is always in readiness to be launched into the boat.  Now, having no use for the line belonging to our craft, we had purposely left it behind.

But well had we marked that by far the most important item of a whale-boat’s furniture was snugly secured in its place.  This was the water-tight keg, at both ends firmly headed, containing a small compass, tinder-box and flint, candles, and a score or two of biscuit.  This keg is an invariable precaution against what so frequently occurs in pursuing the sperm whale—­prolonged absence from the ship, losing sight of her, or never seeing her more, till years after you reach home again.  In this same keg of ours seemed coopered up life and death, at least so seemed it to honest Jarl.  No sooner had we got clear from the Arcturion, than dropping his oar for an instant, he clutched at it in the dark.