It was the private property of three confederate white seamen of that ship, one of whom, it seems, communicated it to Tashtego with Romish injunctions of secresy, but the following night Tashtego rambled in his sleep, and revealed so much of it in that way, that when he was wakened he could not well withhold the rest.
Crepitus. A crackling or crunching sound heard when the ends of a fractured piece of bone rub against each other. Mentioned in: Gangrene, Nasal Trauma.
Cavitation is a common term used by chiropractors and the cracking sound you may hear when having a chiropractic adjustment. It is a result of a a force causing a temporary vacuum within the joint, which then collapses and causes a clicking noise. Gas bubbles within any joint fluid can also cause this snapping noise.