Part 1, Scene 10 Summary

The Ark appears in the only lighted part of the stage. Noah repeatedly blows the steamboat whistle. His keg of liquor is nearly empty. Shem and Ham are topside smoking their pipes and talking. Shem sees a fish, which is the news of the week. The rain has stopped but the waters have not receded. Noah blows the whistle again, and Shem and Ham worry that he will wake up the animals. Mrs. Noah comes on deck to tell the sons to stop Noah, who is drunk, from pulling the whistle cord. She then confronts Noah and stops the whistle. Noah appears on deck, his hat rakishly tilted on his head. He tells Shem to send out another dove and Ham to check the sounding line. Noah says he is not drunk, just congenial.

Shem appears with the dove, and Noah...