then over goes the show. And to think
of the jolly-boat making off, as if two sailormen like you and me
couldn't have provided for _that_!"

He groaned again, and then seated himself, and appeared wholly
deprived of energy and spirit.

However, now that I was below, under shelter, out of the noise of the
weather, and therefore able to collect my thoughts, I began to feel
very hungry and thirsty; in fact, neither Sweers nor I had tasted food
since breakfast at eight o'clock that morning. A lamp hung aslant from
the cabin ceiling. It was a small lamp of brass, glazed. I unhooked
it, and brought it to the light, but it was without a wick, and there
was no oil in it, and to save time I stuck the lighted candle in the
lamp, and leaving the other lamp burning to enable Sweers to rummage
also, I passed through the door that was in the forepart of the cabin;
and here I found three berths, one of which was furnished as a pantry,
whilst the other two were sleeping-places, with bunks in them, and I
observed also a sheaf or two of harpoons, together with spades and
implements used in dealing with the whale after the monster has been
killed and towed alongside.

The atmosphere was horribly close and fishy in this place, reeking of
oil, yet cold as ice, as though the ship lay drowned a thousand
fathoms deep. I called to Sweers to bring his lamp, for my candle gave
so poor a light I could scarce see by it; and in the berth that looked
to have been used as a pantry we found half a barrel of pork, a bag of
ship's biscuit, and a quantity of Indian meal, beans, and rice, a
canister of coffee, and a few jars of pickles. But we could find
nothing to drink.

I was now exceedingly thirsty; so I took a pannikin--a number of
vessels of the sort were on the shelf in the pantry--and carried it
with the lamp on deck. I had taken notice during the day of four or
five buckets in a row abaft the mainmast, and, approaching them, I
held the light close, and found each bucket full. I tasted the water;
it was rain and without the least flavour of salt: and, after drinking
heartily, I filled the pannikin afresh and carried it down to Sweers.

There was a spiritlessness in this man that surprised me. I had not
thought to find the faculties of Salamon Sweers so quickly benumbed by
what was indeed a wild and dangerous confrontment, yet not so
formidable and hopeless as to weaken the nerves of a seaman. I yearned
for a bottle of rum, for any sort of str