Chapters 64-66 Summary

Finally, the crews of the boats are busy in their duty of hauling the whale back to the whaling ship. It is dark before they reach the ship and Ahab commands the whale be secured for the night, and then disappears into his quarters. Ishmael senses a form of dissatisfaction in Ahab when he looks at the whale corpse. Although Starbuck is first mate, he relinquishes command of the whale to Stubb. Stubb has the whale tied head and tail parallel with the length of the ship, then commands Daggoo cut him a steak from the tail of the whale, a dish that he particularly likes.

Later as Stubb eats his cooked whale steak, he calls for the cook and complains the steak is too tender and too well done. Meanwhile, a school of sharks has begun eating noisily on the...