Moby Dick

[Old Thunder]

Chowder for breakfast, and chowder for dinner, and chowder for supper, till you began to look for fish-bones coming through your clothes.

 

[Blue Frackle]

Cabbage.

 

[Old Thunder]

The area before the house was paved with clam-shells.

 

[Old Thunder]

Mrs. Hussey wore a polished necklace of codfish vertebræ; and Hosea Hussey had his account books bound in superior old shark-skin.

 

[Old Thunder]

There was a fishy flavor to the milk, too, which I could not at all account for, till one morning happening to take a stroll along the beach among some fisherman's boats, I saw Hosea's brindled cow feeding on fish remnants, and marching along the sand with each foot in a cod's decapitated head, looking very slip-shod, I assure ye.

 

[Old Thunder]

Supper concluded, we received a lamp, and directions from Mrs. Hussey concerning the nearest way to bed; but, as Queequeg was about to precede me up the stairs, the lady reached forth her arm, and demanded his harpoon; she allowed no harpoon in her chambers.

 

[Old Thunder]

"Why not?" said I; "every true whaleman sleeps with his harpoon--but why not!"

 

[Old Thunder]

"Because it's dangerous," says she.

 

[Old Thunder]

"Ever since young Stiggs coming from that unfort'nt v'y'ge of his, when he was gone four years and a half, with only three barrels of ile, was found dead in my first floor back, with his harpoon in his side; ever since then I allow no boarders to take sich dangerous weapons in their rooms at night. So, Mr. Queequeg" (for she had learned his name), "I will just take this here iron, and keep it for you till morning. But the chowder; clam or cod to-morrow for breakfast, men?"

 

[Old Thunder]

"Both," says I; "and let's have a couple of smoked herring by way of variety."