Chapter 99 Summary

The Spanish doubloon that Ahab nailed to the main mast of the Pequod for the crew member who first spots the White Whale is still nailed in its spot. Stubb watches as first Ahab and then Starbuck study the coin. They then walk away with an expression of sadness. Stubb himself looks at the coin to see what the others saw in it. Using a Massachusetts calendar, Stubb attempts to translate the meaning of the coin based on astrology. In the middle of his studies, Flask comes on the deck. Stubb spys as Flask looks at the coin and sees it in terms of the number of cigars it will buy. Queequeg comes next and appears to have no idea what to make of the coin. Next, the insane Pip only babbles nonsense at the sight of the coin.

Chapter 99 Analysis

In his...