{"id":"01KFNR89PQJ6Q8V1N4SDVD450D","cid":"bafkreibu4fg7mbvy2jj36w4atlmzhn5qkjr7d7eptqpf2np2rjpjjsdomu","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":15148,"extracted_at":"2026-01-23T15:41:04.764Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 37","source_file":"01KFNR0Z394A878Y5AQ63MQEM2","start_line":15092,"text":"density of the crowd of reposing whales, more immediately surrounding\r\nthe embayed axis of the herd, no possible chance of escape was at\r\npresent afforded us. We must watch for a breach in the living wall that\r\nhemmed us in; the wall that had only admitted us in order to shut us\r\nup. Keeping at the centre of the lake, we were occasionally visited by\r\nsmall tame cows and calves; the women and children of this routed host.\r\n\r\nNow, inclusive of the occasional wide intervals between the revolving\r\nouter circles, and inclusive of the spaces between the various pods in\r\nany one of those circles, the entire area at this juncture, embraced by\r\nthe whole multitude, must have contained at least two or three square\r\nmiles. At any rate—though indeed such a test at such a time might be\r\ndeceptive—spoutings might be discovered from our low boat that seemed\r\nplaying up almost from the rim of the horizon. I mention this\r\ncircumstance, because, as if the cows and calves had been purposely\r\nlocked up in this innermost fold; and as if the wide extent of the herd\r\nhad hitherto prevented them from learning the precise cause of its\r\nstopping; or, possibly, being so young, unsophisticated, and every way\r\ninnocent and inexperienced; however it may have been, these smaller\r\nwhales—now and then visiting our becalmed boat from the margin of the\r\nlake—evinced a wondrous fearlessness and confidence, or else a still\r\nbecharmed panic which it was impossible not to marvel at. Like\r\nhousehold dogs they came snuffling round us, right up to our gunwales,\r\nand touching them; till it almost seemed that some spell had suddenly\r\ndomesticated them. Queequeg patted their foreheads; Starbuck scratched\r\ntheir backs with his lance; but fearful of the consequences, for the\r\ntime refrained from darting it.\r\n\r\nBut far beneath this wondrous world upon the surface, another and still\r\nstranger world met our eyes as we gazed over the side. For, suspended\r\nin those watery vaults, floated the forms of the nursing mothers of the\r\nwhales, and those that by their enormous girth seemed shortly to become\r\nmothers. The lake, as I have hinted, was to a considerable depth\r\nexceedingly transparent; and as human infants while suckling will\r\ncalmly and fixedly gaze away from the breast, as if leading two\r\ndifferent lives at the time; and while yet drawing mortal nourishment,\r\nbe still spiritually feasting upon some unearthly reminiscence;—even so\r\ndid the young of these whales seem looking up towards us, but not at\r\nus, as if we were but a bit of Gulfweed in their new-born sight.\r\nFloating on their sides, the mothers also seemed quietly eyeing us. One\r\nof these little infants, that from certain queer tokens seemed hardly a\r\nday old, might have measured some fourteen feet in length, and some six\r\nfeet in girth. He was a little frisky; though as yet his body seemed\r\nscarce yet recovered from that irksome position it had so lately\r\noccupied in the maternal reticule; where, tail to head, and all ready\r\nfor the final spring, the unborn whale lies bent like a Tartar’s bow.\r\nThe delicate side-fins, and the palms of his flukes, still freshly\r\nretained the plaited crumpled appearance of a baby’s ears newly arrived\r\nfrom foreign parts.\r\n\r\n“Line! line!” cried Queequeg, looking over the gunwale; “him fast! him\r\nfast!—Who line him! Who struck?—Two whale; one big, one little!”\r\n\r\n“What ails ye, man?” cried Starbuck.\r\n\r\n“Look-e here,” said Queequeg, pointing down.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 37"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KFNR84AAHSNQ4BFJ0ASPHB53","peer_label":"76","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KFNR84AAHSNQ4BFJ0ASPHB53","peer_label":"76","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"partOf"},{"peer":"01KFNR81RMVAX2BBMMBW51V97D","peer_label":"Moby Dick; Or, The Whale","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"partOf"},{"peer":"01KFNR0H0Q791Y1SMZWEQ09FGV","peer_label":"Moby Dick","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KFNR89KYBN7T18CQSDQAQJG6","peer_label":"Chunk 38","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"},{"peer":"01KFNR89P2KQ8YWFMNKYY4QNME","peer_label":"Chunk 36","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-23T15:41:05.299Z","ts":"2026-01-23T15:41:17.605Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}