Moby Dick

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With a blow from the top-maul Ahab knocked off the steel head of the
lance, and then handing to the mate the long iron rod remaining, bade
him hold it upright, without its touching the deck. Then, with the maul,
after repeatedly smiting the upper end of this iron rod, he placed the
blunted needle endwise on the top of it, and less strongly hammered
that, several times, the mate still holding the rod as before. Then
going through some small strange motions with it--whether indispensable
to the magnetizing of the steel, or merely intended to augment the awe
of the crew, is uncertain--he called for linen thread; and moving to the
binnacle, slipped out the two reversed needles there, and horizontally
suspended the sail-needle by its middle, over one of the compass-cards.
At first, the steel went round and round, quivering and vibrating at
either end; but at last it settled to its place, when Ahab, who had
been intently watching for this result, stepped frankly back from the
binnacle, and pointing his stretched arm towards it, exclaimed,--"Look
ye, for yourselves, if Ahab be not lord of the level loadstone! The sun
is East, and that compass swears it!"