Not P but Moby-Dick (66)

[O G]

It wouldn't be much of a covering.  Unless this thing is a weirdly thin
whale.  Really the only way the lancer could have covered the whale would
be if he closed one eye and raised the pointer up to the other one.  If he
kept both eyes open surely he would have seen around it.  That wouldn't
cover it.  The whale would be uncovered.  Unless it happens to be a weirdly
wide spear.

To be covering something the covering item has to be at least fifty percent
covering that which is being covered.  You can't fractionally cover
something.  That should recover it.



>From Chapter 84:

Handling the long lance lightly, glancing twice or thrice along its length
to see if it be exactly straight, Stubb whistlingly gathers up the coil of
the warp in one hand, so as to secure its free end in his grasp, leaving
the rest unobstructed. Then holding the lance full before his waistband?s
middle, he levels it at the whale; when, covering him with it, he steadily
depresses the butt-end in his hand, thereby elevating the point till the
weapon stands fairly balanced upon his palm, fifteen feet in the air. He
minds you somewhat of a juggler, balancing a long staff on his chin.

What does "holding the lance full before his waistband?s middle" mean
exactly?

And what is "covering him with it"?