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"I am going to put him down for the three hundreth," said Peleg, "do ye hear that, Bildad! The three hundreth lay, I say."

"Seven hundred and seventy-seventh," again said Bildad, without lifting his eyes; and then went on mumbling -- "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."* *The quotation is from the Bible (KJV), Matthew 6:21.

"Why, blast your eyes, Bildad," cried Peleg, "thou dost not want to swindle this young man! he must have more than that."

It was an exceedingly long lay that, indeed; and though from the magnitude of the figure it might at first deceive a landsman, yet the slightest consideration will show that though seven hundred and seventy-seven is a pretty large number, yet, when you come to make a teenth of it, you will then...

Well, old Bildad, you are determined that I, for one, shall not lay up many lays here below, where moth and dust do corrupt.

Lay, indeed, thought I, and such a lay! the seven hundred and seventy-seventh!

"Thou knowest best," was the sepulchral reply, "the seven hundred and seventy-seventh wouldn't be too much, would it? -- 'where moth and rust do corrupt, but lay---'"

"Well, Captain Bildad," interrupted Peleg, "what d'ye say, what lay shall we give this young man?"

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth---"* *The quotation is from the Bible (King James Version), Matthew 6:19-20.

Now while Peleg was vainly trying to mend a pen with his jack-knife, old Bildad, to my no small surprise, considering that we was such an interested party in these proceedings; Bildad never heeded us, but went on mumbling to himself out of his book.

And I did not know but what the stingy old Bildad might have a mighty deal to say about shipping hands, especially as I now found him on board the Pequod, quite at home there in the cabin, and reading his Bible as if at his own fireside.

But one thing, nevertheless, that made me a little distrustful about receiving a generous share of the profits was this: Ashore, I had heard something of both Captain Peleg and his unnaccountable old crony Bildad; how that they being the principal proprietors of the Pequod, therefore the other...

Upon the whole, I thought that the 275th lay would be about the fair thing, but would not have been surprised had I been offered the 200th, considering I was of a broad-shouldered make.

But I am one of those that never take on about princely fortunes, and am quite content if the world is ready to board and lodge me, while I am putting up at this grim sign of the Thunder Cloud.

It might be thought that this was a poor way to accumulate a princely fortune -- and so it was, a very poor way indeed.

And though the 275th lay was what they call a rather long lay, yet it was better than nothing; and if we had a lucky voyage, might pretty nearly pay for the clothing I would wear out on it, not to speak of my three years' beef and board, for which I would not have to pay one stiver.

I was also aware that being a green hand at whaling, my own lay would not be very large; but considering that I was used to the sea, could steer a ship, splice a rope, and all that, I made no doubt that from all I had heard I should be offered at least the 275th lay -- that is, the 275th part of...

I was already aware that in the whaling business they paid no wages; but all hands, including the captain, received certain shares of the profits called lays, and that these lays were proportioned to the degree of importance pertaining to the respective duties of the ship's company.

I began to think it was high time to settle with myself at what terms I would be willing to engage for the voyage.

Peleg now threw open a chest, and drawing forth the ship's articles, placed pen and ink before him, and seated himself at a little table.