Whalemen Boarders’ Appearance and Time Ashore Clues
The narrator finally observes the boarders who arrived the previous night. They are predominantly whalemen, including chief mates, second and third mates, sea carpenters, coopers, blacksmiths, harpooneers, and ship keepers—a “brown and brawny company” with bushy beards, unshaven and shaggy, wearing monkey jackets as morning gowns. The narrator describes how one can determine how long each man has been ashore by examining his complexion: a sun-toasted pear hue indicates only three days landed; lighter skin suggests weeks ashore; a bleached tropical tan shows extended time on land. None, however, can match Queequeg’s multi-zoned complexion, described as resembling the Andes’ western slope with contrasting climates zone by zone.
Breakfast Gathering and Whalemen’s Unexpected Silence
The landlord announces breakfast with a cry of “Grub, ho!” The narrator digresses into another philosophical passage about world travelers, citing Ledyard and Mungo Park as examples of men who, despite extensive travel, possessed little social polish in polite company. The narrator suggests such solitary travel may not be the best path to social refinement. Yet despite expecting good stories about whaling, the narrator finds nearly every man maintaining profound silence and appearing embarrassed. These sea-dogs who had fearlessly boarded great whales without hesitation now sat sheepishly at the breakfast table, looking at each other like timorous creatures from the Green Mountains—a curious sight of bashful bears among the whalemen.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page offers a compressed quick-read summary for educational purposes.