Whaling Advocacy and the Legitimacy of Supporting Surmise
The chapter opens by asserting the author’s commitment to presenting only substantiated facts in defense of whaling’s dignity. However, it argues that an advocate who suppresses reasonable surmise that might strengthen his cause would be blameworthy. This passage introduces the chapter’s dual approach: maintaining factual credibility while allowing for educated speculation about the mysterious connections between whaling and royal tradition.
Coronation Anointing Rituals and Exclusion of Common Oil Types
The text describes the coronation rituals of kings and queens, noting particularly the solemn anointing of a monarch’s head with oil—a process the author compares to seasoning salad. A detailed catalog of excluded oils follows: olive oil, macassar oil, castor oil, bear’s oil, train oil, and cod-liver oil are all dismissed as possibilities for this sacred purpose. The chapter muses on the inherent dignity of the regal process, contrasting it with the common disdain for men who visibly anoint their hair with scented oils, suggesting such men likely have “a quoggy spot” in their character.
Identification of Coronation Oil as Unrefined Sperm Oil and Appeal to British Whalemen
The climax of the chapter identifies the coronation oil as “sperm oil in its unmanufactured, unpolluted state, the sweetest of all oils.” The author directly addresses British whalemen with triumphant irony, declaring that they supply the very substance used to crown British monarchs. This fanciful claim serves to elevate the whaling industry by connecting it to the highest levels of royal ceremony, transforming what might be seen as a humble or crude occupation into one essential to the sacred institution of monarchy.
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