Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

The Forty-barrel-bulls

Forty-barrel-bull schools are larger than harem schools and are compared to mobs of young collegians full of fight, fun, and wickedness. When about three-fourths grown, they break up and seek harems of their own.

Dissolution of the Schools

Male schools soon relinquish their turbulence and break apart as the bulls mature, each going separately in quest of settlements—meaning harems.

Reaction to Injury

A striking difference exists between male and female schools. If a Forty-barrel-bull is struck, all his comrades abandon him. However, if a member of a harem school is injured, her companions swim around with every token of concern, sometimes lingering so long that they themselves become prey.

第八十九章 Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish.

The chapter introduces the waif and waif-poles, which necessitate an account of the laws and regulations of the whale fishery, of which the waif is the grand symbol and badge. When several ships cruise together, a whale may be struck by one vessel, escape, and be killed by another, creating disputes that require established laws to resolve.

The Allusion to the Waif

The waif serves as the central symbol of whaling law. When ships hunt in company, a whale struck by one vessel may escape and be captured by another, creating complex contingencies. After a whale is captured, storms may dislodge the body, which then drifts away to be retaken by a second whaler. Without universal laws, violent disputes would arise between fishermen over contested catches.

Laws of the Whale Fishery

Without established rules governing whale possession, contentious disputes would frequently emerge among fishermen. The text explains that some universally accepted law—written or unwritten—is necessary to prevent violent conflicts over captured whales, establishing the need for a comprehensive legal framework in the fishery.