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Revenge: Chapters 1-3
So, I hope your reading has been non-stressful! I mentioned many observations and tips, as well as assignments in the form of questions in the last post (for chapters 1-3). So far, no one has responded to these things! So, these are things you should note in your annotations. For example, what is a "Nantucket sleigh ride"? What is "ambergris"? Look back through my comments for each chapter and be sure you understand what these things are, and what questions I asked.
What happened in the chapter entitled "Knockdown"? Can you imagine being in a ship and turning over at a 90 degree angle? I'm curious as to how you feel about Pollard and Chase. Who's the stronger leader? With whom would you rather sail?
Consider how important those whale boats were; they were always in danger of being damaged or obliterated from contact with the whale. After the knockdown, they were short a boat, and the one they picked up in the Azores wasn't in great condition.
Did you pick up on the fact that the harpoon didn't kill the whale? Did you understand how dangerous and cruel the whole process was? The actual cutting up of the whale was disgusting--the entire ship became slippery and smelly. It penetrated your clothes, hair, etc.
I also asked you to check out the diary of Laura Jernegan. What did you find out? It's a great site. Everyone post something you found that you thought was interesting. Or have a discussion about it from person to person!
In the next three chapters, the Essex gets further and further away from Nantucket as they scour the seas for the elusive whale. Keep referring to the map on pages 26-27.
Notes for Chapters 4-6:
Chapter 4 - "Into the Pacific"
The Essex has made it to the tip of South American (which is VERY close to Antarctica!) without much success. Off the coast of Chile, however, they DO kill several whales. This chapter sets up a twist of "fate," as Philbrick has mentioned all the way through the book. What is that? What do Pollard and Captain Russell from the Aurora discuss? And what does this lead to for the Essex?
Chapter 5 - "The Attack"
This chapter opens with the Essex near the Galapagos Islands. CHECK THIS ON YOUR MAP! Look how far they've come, and remember, this is way before the Panama Canal was dug. I won't say much about this chapter, as it's the BIG HIT (or two). But notice that such a thing had never been known to happen before. What was the black steward, William Bond, to be commended for AFTER the sinking? Note what they got from the sinking ship. Why did Chase think the whale attacked?
Chapter 6 - "The Plan"
Pay close attention to this chapter. It lays out their path to rescue...or not.
- How did they outfit the whaleboats? What special precautions did they take?
- How did they protect the hardtack? (Also note the drawing of the boats--so small!)
- Note your map to see their choices for travel. What was Pollard's choice? Chase's?
- Whose choice was the fatal one?
- What was the problem with the Nantucketer's suspicions?
- How many men were under Pollard's command? How was each ship commanded, though? See p. 64. What does "autonomous" mean?
Don't forget to check out the Laura Jernegan site. There are many things to click into there, so enjoy and REPORT!
You have two weeks to read and comment. I would like for you guys to look at each other's comments and interact. Also, be sure to comment on THIS POST, not any of the earlier ones! I will not be reading older posts' comments. Remember that this is a grade that will show up in August.
So, I was in Savannah last year and found this cast iron whale. I immediately thought of this book and had to buy it. You'll see it on my desk in the fall. What do you think? :) Oh, that's my cat, Zoe, staring at the whale. :)
Happy Reading! See you on July 1. :)
Mrs. C
The Nantucket sleigh ride was the term people used when someone harpooned a whale and the whale swims away pulling the whaleboat behind them. The people in the whaleboat have to hold on until the whale tires out and stops swimming. Ambergris is something found in a whale that is used for perfume.
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing that could happen to a ship happened to the Essex. They were knocked over 90 degrees with part of the ship underwater! I wouldn't even be able to imagine how terrifying that would be if that happened to me. I think Chase is a stronger leader because he's got a voice that people will listen to and spoke with authority. Pollard had the wiser solution, but was unable to convey that strongly enough to get the others to listen to his plan.
The whale boats are hands down the most important part of a whale ship. How else will you hunt when the whales because the primary ship is too big to get close enough to the whale. After the knockdown, I thought for sure that they would have to go home because they only had two whale boats now in addition to the damage to the Essex. That would have been the best thing to do after all the bad omens. I did understand the whaling process of harpooning the whale and then bringing it back to the main ship to then cut the whale up. It's sounds like a terrible job to have to cut up the whale and boil the blubber, but someone had to do it back then similar to many terrible jobs today like being a garbage man. I would make sure to try and not let whale parts get on my clothes because you can't wash clothes, but I wouldn't have bought new clothes because my pay is so small anyway.
On the diary of Laura Jernagen, I thought it was really cool how I could learn about the crew and what the ship was like. I wish more people made websites like this it makes stories more interesting if you can visualize what the story is talking about.
Great post! I completely agree with you. And Laura's diary is pretty amazing. I can't believe they took children on these voyages! Probably wouldn't be allowed today. :)
DeleteA Nantucket sleigh ride is harpooning a whale and being pulled through the water similar to a horse pulling a sleigh through the snow just at a lot faster speed. it was a whale being harpooned to slow the whale down to make an easier catch.
ReplyDeleteAmbergris comes from the whales intestines and is ash-colored. It is a fatty substance used to make perfume and worth more than its weight in gold.
In the chapter the Knockdown, the Essex vessel sets sail, the men are divided into shifts, they slept in 3 different areas, and had to be on the lookout for whales. on the first day, the captain talked to the men. It was a ritual for the captain to talk to the crew. The crew got seasick because of the bad weather and rough conditions. I would be sick if the boat was turned at a 90 degree angle. I liked Chase because he could speak better to the crew even though Pollard was the captain.
After stopping in the Azores they were still short of whale boats. The boats were critical for catching the whales.
The harpoon didn't kill the whale. It helped to slow the whale down as it got more tired to make an easier catch. The process of cutting up the whale was disgusting. After cutting up the whale, the blood and oil made the ship became very smelly and slippery. It made your clothes and body reek. I couldn't imagine having to cut up the whale because of the smell and blood.
Laura Jernagan was a 6 year old girl from Edgartown, MA who went on a three year whaling voyage with her family. The picture of a copy of her journal is an interesting artifact and part of history.
Good job! The idea of the ship during whale processing really turns my stomach! Can you imagine?
DeleteThanks! :)
The journey of the Essex started off quite badly when they ship was knocked over 90 degrees and the boat was practically under the water. They lost one of the whale boats that was needed for the hunt. Luckily later on they stumbled upon an island with a wrecked whale ship. So they gathered up supplies and took a whale boat from that wrecked ship. Then the Essex was again on the move. Soon they caught their first sight of a whale. After a long and vigorous fight, not only did they loose another whale boat but they could not harpoon a whale. After a couple day's of disappointment they caught sight of an other whale. Then when they sent out the whale boats they raced out to see who could harpoon "sleigh-ride" the whale. The boats were racing at 5 to 6 knots and the whale was swimming at 3 to 4 knots - they knew they could catch this one. When they finally harpooned a whale and brought it onto the Essex, people described the smell as being that "of death and all the smells of the world combined." Then they opened up the whale with a large quantity of tools to obtain the whales oil after that they hauled the whale corpse back into the sea. Later that night many of the crew members had to buy new clothes from the ships lost-and-found because the horrible smell ruined the clothes they were wearing. Then the Essex set off to find more whales.
ReplyDeleteA good summary. I like the quotation you added about "smells." I don't think I could have stood it!
DeleteAccording to the book on page 33 the Nantucket sleigh ride is when a harpoon is hurled-successfully-and the whale line goes whizzing out until it finally wraps tight around the loggerhead, launching the boat and the crew through the water. According to page 37 ambergris is a fatty substance used to make perfume and is worth more than its weight in gold.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter Knockdown the Essex had been rolled almost ninety degrees onto her side or knocked over on her beam ends in the language of the sea. If I was on the ship when that was happening I would be thinking I'm about to die. I also haven't really put any thought into who would be a stronger leader; either Chase or Pollard because I haven't seen anything that would mark them as a leader.
The harpoon doesn’t kill because it’s just a way of the whaleboat crew attaching themselves to its prey. Then after the whale tiers itself out, the men begin to haul themselves into stabbing distance of the whale. Then they use what’s called a killing lance which is eleven to twelve feet long and pierce one of the whale’s vital organs. This makes the whale go into its flurry. The whale starts to beat the water with its tail, then snap at the air with its jaws, then regurgitate large chunks of fish and squid, and then the creature begins to swim in an ever tightening circle.
Good job, Justin. I like the part about the whale line "whizzing"! I'm fascinated by whaling, the whole idea and absurdity of it!
DeleteA nantucket sleigh ride is when somebody harpoons a wale (throws a spear at it), and the wale swims while pulling the boat. Eventually, the whale is supposed to tire out, which means that it would be an easier task to cut the whales up and get what the men need from the whale's body. This is extremely dangerous for the men. Just the flip of a tail from a sperm whale can send a person miles from the ship.
ReplyDeleteChapter 2, "The knockdown", is pretty self explanatory. The ship literally gets knocked down at a ninety degree angle. I can't imagine how tough it would be to half to be in the middle of the ocean with a part of my ship being in the water like that. I think Chase is suited better for the situation because he is more of a vocal leader than Pollard. I would rather sail with Chase because he would be easier to communicate with. Pollard wasn't as aggressive as Chase, and Chase seemed more willing to help people get out of the situation.
Laura Jenerigan was a six year old girl who went on a whaling voyage with her family. She writes a diary about her experiences while she is on the ship. This really helped me understand what life was like on the ship. This gave me a clear mental image of what the ship was like. This is a great website and I feel as if it helps me better understand the book.
Matthew--great! I'm glad the Laura website was helpful. I thought it was fascinating!
DeleteA Nantucket sleigh ride is harpooning a whale and the boat being pulled through the water by the whale. Eventually it gets tired of swimming and you catch it and kill it.
ReplyDeleteAmbergris is a fatty substance in the whale that is used to make perfume
In the Chapter titled Knockdown four days into the voyage they were in a huge storm. A big gust of wind pushed their boat over and were on their side at a 90 degree angle. I have been on huge crew ships before and couldn’t even imagine how scared they must have been. I bet they really thought that was the end because I’ve never heard of a ship turned on its side, some parts underwater, and one part damaged survive with all the crew members. Their lives flashed before their eyes.
I think Pollard is the stronger leader because he has experience from his father unlike Chase whose dad was a farmer. Chase is much bigger so he is physically stronger than Pollard. Like somebody else said in their comment Chase communicates better with the crew. Even though I think Pollard is better Chase does have more authority. When Pollard wanted to return to Nantucket, Chase wanted to keep going and so they went with Chase’s idea. I think I would rather sail with Chase.
The whale boats were extremely important to the success of the voyage without the boats they couldn’t catch the whales and without the whales there’s no money. Like they said in the book the boats get enough damage from the whales so being short another boat and having one damaged already was a big downfall. Without the boats the whales would never get tired and they could never be able to kill.
Yes the whole process of killing the whale is very disgusting and how they take out all the guts and then pull out a twenty foot long strip, dripping in blood and oil that’s carried to the blubber room for cutting. Worst of all it stinks up the whole boat. I can’t imagine having to deal with a scent that strong and disgusting.
Laura Jernagen was a six year old girl who went on a whaling voyage with her family. This really helped me understand what life was like on the ship. The picture of a copy of her journal is an interesting artifact
Good job. I like your comments on both Pollard and Chase. Good analysis. Thanks!
DeleteOn the story of a girl on a whale ship, men depended on whale hunting to support their families because the soil was not good for farming. Whale hunting was the only way for the town to get oil. The father who was a ship’s captain decided to bring his family with him to go whale hunting because most family were separated for three to four years at the time. The Jernergans had to adapt to a new live on a ship. It was interesting to me how Laura was able to write with such a high vocabulary level at her young age. Although Laura didn’t spend much time on the ship deck, it was definitely a completely new experience for her. I can’t imagine living on a ship for three to four years. Towards the end of the story, the family divided and changed direction. The wife and children went east to New England then by sea and then by land. The father was a captain who stayed north for the last season of artic whaling.
ReplyDeleteNice! I know--children had a much more intensive education, in a sense, back then. I'm glad you noticed her high vocabulary. :)
DeleteI never heard about the Nantucket island and that the whale oil was used for lighting during the 19th century until I started to read this book. The people of that time were superstitious and believed in omens. The first one was the appearance of the comet, which was interpreted as a sign that something unusual was about to happen. The second omen was grasshoppers that appeared in the turnip fields.
ReplyDeleteGoing on a whale hunting requires lots of planning and time. The story describe how the outfit the vessel. They have to pack ground-tier casks to store the whale oil, stowed cask filled with fresh water, firewood, packed bundles of staves, meat (salt beef and pork), bread, whaling equipment, clothing, maps, sails, navigation instruments, medicine, rum, gin, lumber, 3 whaleboats, and 2 spare boats.
Chase seems to be the strongest because he is a dictator, gets the work done, and he is very ambitious. He started as a common sailor at the age of 18. Then he was a boatsteerer on his previous voyage and now he is a first mate of the age of 22. On the other hand, Captain Pollard was 28 years old and seems to use common sense and was concerned about the crew when they lost the whaleboat during the storm. This is his first time as a captain. Before, he spent 7 months aboard the Essex as a 2nd mate and then as 1st mate.
In the ritual of the whaling voyage, Nantucketers were selected first followed by the Cape codders and then blacks. The way that they slept makes you think that they have separate classes/races. African American slept in the forecastle, where the oil was stored and the most unpleasant area of the ship.
The cure for seasickness was to swallow a piece of pork fat tied to a string, which was then pulled back up again. This sounds gross, but I am sure it worked before it was forcing you to vomit, which will alleviate the nauseas.
Chapter 2 was entitled “knockdown” because a squall hit the Essex. The Essex was rolled almost 90 degrees onto her side (knocked over on her “beam-ends”). The 2 whaleboats on the ship’s port side disappeared and the ship was severely damaged (sails were torn, cookhouse was destroyed, 2 whaleboats were lost, and the spare boat was crushed by the waves). They ended with only 2 workable boats.
They were able to recover form the squall, but they needed to get whaleboats and they could not get any at the Azores Island. However, they were able to get a whaleboat when they went to Maio Island.
The work of hunting a whale requires teamwork and it is intensive and risky. I cannot imagine what would happened if I needed to do it. I will probably die!
The Nantucket sleigh ride is a term used by the whalemen to describe the events that happened after the harpooning of a whale. It is basically when the whale tries to flee and thus drags the boat along with it. The speed of the "sleigh ride" would vary depending on the species of the whale. The sperm whale was the whale that caused the longest drag events, reaching speeds of 23 mph (37 km/h). The length of the drag for the sailors would last as long as the whale could swim before it became exhausted. Once the whale expended its energy, the sailors would kill it and harvest its oil.
The cutting process of the whale takes time and you definitely need to have good stomach to support the smell. Teenagers of the 19th Century did this type of work because they needed money to help their family. It would be very hard for me to do this kind of job.
Ambergris is an opaque and ash-colored substance. It is a fatty substance used to make perfume and was worth more than its weight in gold. Seems too be very valuable.
I am looking forward to reading the next chapter to find out of they will be able to catch any more whales.
EXCELLENT! Arghhh. I had forgotten from the pork fat tied to a string remedy. Yuk!!!
DeleteGood job!
During these chapter the Essex starts to catch more whales and gets closer to Antarctica and things seem like they are starting to the crew and the ships way but then, they spot a huge whale the biggest whale they have ever seen and when the crew spots this whale they are very confused because instead of trying to get away the whale stayed close to the ship and acted as if the boat was just looking at him .Soon the whale which was eighty-five feet long and an estimated eighty tons turned around and headed right towards the Essex and rammed into the ship causing all the crew members to fall on the ground , this impact caused the ship to turn 90 degrees and for half the ship to go underwater. After this happened crew members got the whaling boats and everybody tried to get of the Essex before it all went down. They were three boats and they all had 7 people except for one who was in bad condition so it only had 6 people before they left the boat to sink all the survivors that made it on the whaling went back onto the Essex and grabbed any supplies that they good find for example food and drinks and they also had to grab parts to build a sail so the boats would move faster rather than the men rowing. Only 2 boats needed to build a sail because one already had the supplies that they needed to build the sail. The reason they wanted sails was because it would get them to land as fast as possible. After leaving the Essex who was starting to fully sink the plan for the 3 boats was to go to the nearest island which was Marquesas but this island had a reputation for cannibalism so they decided to stay away from them so instead decided to go to Tuamotu archipelago they to had a history of cannibalism but the crew felt that it was more save their than in Maquesas so they left the ship behind and started their way to the island I’m very interested to find out what will happen to these little boats on their journey to find land
ReplyDeleteAfter the preface, it gives us details about the ship. It shows the names of the crew on the Essex and a sail/deck plan view of the whaleship.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter one 'Nantucket', it tells about the community in the town and what the people do in their daily lives. According to page 3, their lives were governed by a force of terrifying unpredictability-- the sea. The children of Nantucket saw the waterfront as their playground. Instead of riggers, stevedores, and provisioners, the sailors in Nantucket were expected to do everything. Chapter one also tells about the history of the Essex. According to page two, Daniel Russell, her previous captain, had been successful enough over the course of four voyages to be given command of a new and larger ship, the Aurora. Now Russells former first mate, George Pollard took over command of the essex and Owen Chase moved up to first mate. Chapter one also tells about Thomas Nickerson, the Essex's new cabin boy. He says his friends Barzillai Ray, Owen Coffin, and Charles Ransdell was also sailing the Essex with him.Thomas also says that he while enjoying his first moments on the Essex, exploring her in every way, he will soon have more exciting future moments on the Essex that he will treasure forever. Although he realizes that he only receives a $150 lay for two years' work, (according to page 4), the cabin boy had been provided with a room and board for two years and now had the experience to begin a career as a whaleman. Towards the last few pages of chapter one, the crew of the Essex prepare the ship for the voyage.
In chapter two 'Knockout', it tells about a huge storm that happened four days into the voyage. A huge gust of wind turns the ship to its side at a 90 degree angle. If I were on that ship, I for sure would have thought it was the end of the line for me. I was so surprised that all the crew members survived after some of the ship was damaged and underwater when the ship went on its side. During the storm, the ship was severely damaged: two whaleboats and a spare boat disappeared, the sails were torn, and the cook house was destroyed. After the storm passed, only two workable boats were left. During the events in chapter two, the sailors get seasickness. In my opinion, the process of healing seasickness is very, very gross and I don't think I could ever do it without throwing up everywhere. The process is to swallow a piece of pork fat, but the fat was tied to a string so that they could pull the pork back up again. Disgusting!
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In chapter 3 'First Blood', they leave the Azores with fresh vegetables but no spare whaleboats. According to page 25, they head south toward the Cape Verdes Islands. Two weeks later they spot Boavista Island. Pollard suggested to go to Maio island to obtain some hogs. When they approach the island, they find a whaleship that had been washed up on shore. With this latest addition, according to page 28, the Essex would now have a total of four whaleboats. This would leave her with only one to spare. Later, Pollard took a whaleboat into shore to procure some hogs. He traded one and a half barrels of beans for thirty hogs, whose squeals, grunts, and filth turned the deck of the ship into a barnyard. According to page 29, Nickerson describes that he was disturbed by the condition on the hogs. he called them "almost skeletons," and noted that the bones threatened to pierce through their skin as they walked about the ship. I mentioned the hogs in this post because it seems weird to me how Pollard would buy all these hogs when they are in such a bad condition and expect the crew to cook and eat them. If I were on that ship, I would be concerned about my health after I eat them. I'm already having to face the fact that I'm seasick and have to swallow a piece of pork fat on a string... Later on page 29, the lookout spots the first whale of the voyage. After more than three whaleless months at sea, the crew begins to prepare the whaleboats under the captain and the mates orders. During these few pages, the book talks about the steps the crew goes through in order to catch the whale. After one of the whaleboats (Chase's crew) got close enough to a whale, the harpooner was too late. A second whale had come up from behind them, giving their boat a tremendous whack with its tail and pitching the five sailors into the sky. To their amazement, no one was injured. Pollard abandoned the hunt to rescue Chase's crew. Several days after the hunt, the lookout once again spotted whales. According to page 33, the boats were dispatched, a harpoon was hurled (successfully) and the whale line went whizzing out until it finally wrapped tight around the loggerhead, launching the boat and crew on the voyage's first "Nantucket sleigh ride".
ReplyDelete(Continue to next post)
A Nantucket sleigh ride is a term that the whalemen used to describe the events that happened after a harpooning of a whale. The harpoon did not kill the whale, it was simply the means by which a whaleboat crew attached itself onto the prey. The boat, crammed with half a dozen men, rope, and freshly sharpened harpoons and lances is dragged along by the whale, miles and miles away from the whaleship. After letting the creature tire itself out, the men would kill it and harvest it for its oil.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Chase would be a better leader than Pollard for many reasons. As someone else had said in their comment, he started as a common sailor at the age of 18. Now he is first mate at the age of 22. Even though he is young and his dad is a farmer (instead of a sailor like most), Chase is a better leader than Pollard.
Pollard is 28 years old and this is his first time being a captain. In my opinion, I'd want to sail with Chase because if he can be put into first mate from before being a common sailor at 18 and then boatsteerer from his last voyage (not long before the Essex), he seems like he can be a good captain.
My opinion about the process of killing the whale is not good at all. I would not be able to cut it all up and handle the stitch of the dead whale all while on a boat. I would rather die...
Ambergris is a fatty substance that is used to make perfume. According to page 37, this ash colored fat comes from the whales intestines and is worth more than its weight in gold.
Laura Jernegan was a six year old girl who was from Edgartown, Massachusetts. In 1868, she set out on a three year whaling voyage with her family. She writes in a journal about her times on the ship. By reading the details about Laura's experience on the ship, I feel like this website helped me understand the book a little better now. I liked how the website provided pictures of the artifacts that were on the ships, a look at the inside of the ships, and the interesting facts about the crew on ships. Overall, this is a great website and also a great source of information about whaleships.
Finally, I can't wait to find out more in these next chapters!!
Ps. Cute cast iron whale! I bet Zoe likes it. ;)
I was surprised to discover how short a distance the Essex had traveled before the first accident, the Knockdown, occurred. It confused me that they decided to keep going on the journey and not return to Nantucket. The Essex had experienced bad omens prior to sailing such as a comet and then there was the Knockdown. The comet and knockdown should have made the captain and first mate cautious. If Pollard had been more persuasive to influence Chase then perhaps the ship would have returned to safety. Man versus man conflict proved to be the biggest reason that the Essex was destroyed and left most of the crew dead.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning, their journey was not off to a good start. The ship was practically wrecked and almost sunken to the bottom of the ocean. Later on, they luckily found an island that had a wrecked whale ship on it. Once they retrieved the ship, they continued onto their voyage. Not long after, they spotted a whale. They fought long and hard, and it was very tiring. The downside is that they lost a whale ship and they didn't even catch the whale. After a couple of days, they finally caught sight of another whale. When they saw the whale, they sent out the whale boats to go and catch it. The good thing is that the boats were racing at 5-6 knots and the whale was swimming at 3-4 knots, so it was obvious that they could catch this whale. When they bought it back to the Essex the people on the ship complained that the whale smelled like "of death and all the smells of the world combined." Then they started to split open the whale and obtain all of the oil from its body. After they did that, they tossed the body into the ocean and continued onto their journey to catch more whales.
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