This detail exemplifies the larger theme of the futility of human efforts to dominate nature.
The entire novel revolves around that theme - whether Ahab as a human is capable of dominating Moby Dic, which is a whale and thus a representative of nature. Nature seems to be winning constantly and humans are ultimately unable to conquer it because nature is unconquerable. <span />
<span>"Sneaking around" would be a better synonym as it means to pry into others affairs or in a fashion not overt but with an eye to gathering information which can be used against the person being searched later on.</span>
the harvest and wine. The Roman equivalent would be Baccus
