Like a tourist, Melville met local dignitaries, dined out and took in the sights of the village he had previously only imagined. Captain George Pollard Jr. Pollard lived out his remaining years on land, as the village night watchman. Melville had written about Pollard briefly in Moby-Dick , and only with regard to the whale sinking his ship. Pollard had told the full story to fellow captains over a dinner shortly after his rescue from the Essex ordeal, and to a missionary named George Bennet. To Bennet, the tale was like a confession.
The 14 Year Old Boy Who Survived "In The Heart Of The Sea"
All rights reserved. But times were changing: Whale populations in the North Atlantic had declined, forcing whaling ships to head to more distant waters, first plundering the rich pickings off the South American coast, then striking out into the Pacific. The economic stakes were high: Each expedition could yield hundreds of barrels of precious whale oil. There was also valuable ambergris, a substance from the sperm whale used in making perfumes and medicines. Expeditions could last for years while being highly profitable.
The Essex. It is believed that Melville based Moby Dick on several real-life events, one of which was the sinking of the whaling ship Essex by a sperm whale. On November 20, , the Essex was attacked by a sperm whale and sank 2, miles off South America. Eight sailors were rescued five months later on April 5,