"As for the men, though some of them lowly rumbled, their fear of Ahab was greater than their fear of Fate. "
Musing: Such a line! In this chapter, the needle of the compass on board the Pequod has been turned by the storm. This is a bad omen for sailors and perhaps an indication that nature itself is trying to turn the ship away from doom. Ahab takes control by making his own needle for the compass. The rest of the crew remains silent as the ship glides toward its fate.