Reflective, Meditative, Philosophical

The narrator describes his experience of standing watch at the mast-head during a whale hunt and reflects on the history and nature of lookout duties.

In this chapter, the narrator begins his rotation at the mast-head, a duty shared among the seamen. He expounds on the tradition of mast-head duties, tracing its origins back to ancient cultures like the Egyptians and recounting the steadfast vigilance of figures like Saint Stylites. Comparing old and modern sentinels, he notes the lifelessness of current statues compared to the earnest watchfulness required at sea. He also discusses the old practice of land-based lookouts used by whalemen before the practice became obsolete. The narrator describes the peacefulness and reverie he experiences while at the mast-head in calm weather but notes the lack of creature comforts in such a setting, especially in comparison to the more sheltered 'crow's-nests' used in Greenland whaling ships. He candidly admits his distractibility while on watch, warning against employing overly meditative youths in the whaling industry as they might miss sightings of whales. The chapter concludes with a poetic reflection on the dreamlike state induced by the vastness of the sea and the peril of losing oneself in such a trance.