"Forced into familiarity, then, with such prodigies as these; and knowing that after repeated, intrepid assaults, the White Whale had escaped alive; it cannot be much matter of surprise that some whalemen should go still further in their superstitions; declaring Moby Dick not only ubiquitous, but immortal (for immortality is but ubiquity in time)."
Musing: I find the word "ubiquitous" interesting in this chapter. The whale is everywhere and immortal, like God or a god. And then the gut punching idea that "immortality is but ubiquity in time." I'd never thought of that before, but it makes perfect sense to me. I guess, as the people say, writers must surely seek immortality in some way or another when they write.