The Guernsey-Man’s Complaint
The French chief mate, a Guernsey-man, speaks English and explains his predicament: his nose is slung in a bag because the stench is unbearable. He complains that his captain won’t listen to reason, insisting on working the whales despite their worthlessness. The captain, a former Cologne manufacturer on his first voyage, refuses to believe the mate’s warnings.
The Plan to Diddle
Stubb schemes with the Guernsey-man to circumvent the ignorant captain. They agree to work together through an “interpreter”—the Guernsey-man will translate Stubb’s words to the captain while both conspirators enjoy a private joke at the captain’s expense. Stubb keeps his suspicions about ambergris to himself, waiting for opportunity.
The Captain’s Round-House
The captain appears as a small, dark man with large whiskers and a red velvet vest. Meanwhile, his ship’s crew works reluctantly, holding cloth to their noses and puffing tobacco smoke to mask the stench. The ship’s surgeon, driven mad by the situation, hides in the captain’s round-house (cabinet) but continues to yell protests through the cracked door.
The Interpreter Scheme
The Guernsey-man ostentatiously plays interpreter between Stubb and the captain. He translates Stubb’s sarcastic remarks into French, beginning with a supposed observation that the captain looks “babyish.” The deception proceeds smoothly as the Guernsey-man invents alarming stories about fever-plagued crews on other ships that towed blasted whales.
The Polite Deception
Stubb instructs the Guernsey-man to tell the captain that the dried-up whale is far more deadly than the blasted one, conjuring them to cut loose immediately. The terrified captain rushes forward and orders the crew to desist from hoisting the whales and to cast loose the cables. Stubb then tells the Guernsey-man to reveal that he has “diddled” the captain—and perhaps someone else.
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