第四十五章 The Affidavit.
This opening section of Chapter 45 outlines the chapter’s core purpose: to corroborate the central narrative of the volume (especially the story of the White Whale) with verified, practical evidence drawn from the narrator’s experience as a whaleman, in order to eliminate doubt from readers unfamiliar with sperm whale habits and the realities of the whaling industry.
Purpose of Narrative Corroboration
The narrator states he will not present corroborating evidence in a rigid, methodical format, but will share separate, reliably attested anecdotes from his whaling career, with the conclusion about the truth of the narrative’s core claims intended to emerge naturally from these examples.
Recaptured Marked Whale Incidents
The first set of personal verified anecdotes details three instances where a harpooned whale that escaped was later recaptured and killed by the same whaler, with both original marked harpoons recovered from its body. One case involved a gap of more than three years between strikes: during this interval, the whaler traveled to Africa and explored the interior for nearly two years, while the whale circumnavigated the globe. The narrator was present for both strikes in this case and confirmed a unique mole under the whale’s eye from the first encounter. He notes he has also heard many other credible, verified reports of similar incidents.
Famous Renowned Sperm Whales
The second set of anecdotes describes several individual sperm whales that gained widespread, ocean-wide fame among whalers due to their extremely dangerous reputations, rather than just unusual physical traits (which would typically lead to their quick killing and rendering into oil). Examples include Timor Tom of the Oriental straits, New Zealand Jack of Tattoo Land, Morquan the King of Japan, and Don Miguel of Chile, who were as well known to whalemen as famous historical figures like Marius or Sylla. Some of these whales, including New Zealand Jack and Don Miguel, were systematically hunted and killed by determined whaling captains after attacking multiple whaling boats.
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