Original Text(~250 words)
CHAPTER 98. Stowing Down and Clearing Up. Already has it been related how the great leviathan is afar off descried from the mast-head; how he is chased over the watery moors, and slaughtered in the valleys of the deep; how he is then towed alongside and beheaded; and how (on the principle which entitled the headsman of old to the garments in which the beheaded was killed) his great padded surtout becomes the property of his executioner; how, in due time, he is condemned to the pots, and, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, his spermaceti, oil, and bone pass unscathed through the fire;—but now it remains to conclude the last chapter of this part of the description by rehearsing—singing, if I may—the romantic proceeding of decanting off his oil into the casks and striking them down into the hold, where once again leviathan returns to his native profundities, sliding along beneath the surface as before; but, alas! never more to rise and blow. While still warm, the oil, like hot punch, is received into the six-barrel casks; and while, perhaps, the ship is pitching and rolling this way and that in the midnight sea, the enormous casks are slewed round and headed over, end for end, and sometimes perilously scoot across the slippery deck, like so many land slides, till at last man-handled and stayed in their course; and all round the hoops, rap, rap, go as many hammers as can play upon them, for now, _ex officio_, every sailor...
Continue reading the full chapter
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Summary
The Pequod meets a French whaling ship called the Bouton de Rose (Rosebud), which is towing two dead whales alongside - one dried up and worthless, the other starting to rot and stinking terribly. The French crew, being inexperienced whalers, don't realize these whales are basically worthless. Stubb sees an opportunity for some fun and profit. He gets the Pequod's interpreter to trick the French captain by telling him the whales are diseased and dangerous, convincing him to cut them loose immediately. The French captain, already sick from the smell and eager to believe anything that lets him get rid of the stinking carcasses, quickly agrees and sails away. As soon as they're gone, Stubb gleefully harpoons the rotting whale and digs into it with his knife. He's after ambergris - an incredibly valuable substance that forms in sick sperm whales' intestines and is used to make expensive perfumes. Stubb finds several handfuls of the soft, waxy treasure, worth a fortune. The chapter shows Stubb's cunning and the sometimes comical interactions between ships of different nations. It also highlights how valuable every part of a whale could be - even a rotting carcass might contain hidden treasure. The episode provides comic relief while demonstrating the opportunistic nature of whaling. Stubb's trick on the naive French sailors shows how experience and knowledge translate directly into profit in this dangerous business.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Ambergris
A waxy substance from sperm whale intestines, worth its weight in gold for making perfumes. Forms when whales are sick, found in their guts. Whalers would dig through rotting whale carcasses hoping to find this treasure.
Modern Usage:
Like finding a winning lottery ticket in a dumpster - trash to most people, fortune to those who know what to look for
Bouton de Rose
French for 'Rosebud' - the name of the French whaling ship. The fancy name contrasts with their inexperience and the stinking whales they're towing. Shows how appearances can be deceiving.
Modern Usage:
Like a fancy restaurant name that serves terrible food - the packaging doesn't match the product
Cutting in
The process of stripping blubber and valuable parts from a whale. Required skill and knowledge to know which parts were worth taking. Missing the valuable parts meant losing profit.
Modern Usage:
Like knowing which parts of a car to salvage at a junkyard - expertise turns into money
Greenhorn
An inexperienced person, especially in whaling. The French crew are greenhorns who don't know worthless whales from valuable ones. Their ignorance makes them easy marks for experienced whalers.
Modern Usage:
The new hire who doesn't know the office politics yet and gets stuck with all the worst shifts
Gam
When two whaling ships meet at sea and crews visit each other. Could be friendly exchanges or opportunities for tricks and trades. Information and deception both traveled through gams.
Modern Usage:
Like truckers meeting at rest stops - sharing road conditions, gossip, and sometimes pulling fast ones on newcomers
Confidence game
A scam where the con artist gains the victim's trust before cheating them. Stubb plays a confidence game on the French captain, using his authority and 'helpful' advice to steal valuable ambergris.
Modern Usage:
Those phone scams where someone pretends to help you fix your computer while actually stealing your information
Characters in This Chapter
Stubb
Opportunistic second mate
Sees a chance to trick the French sailors and takes it without hesitation. Uses his experience and a fake story about disease to scare them into abandoning valuable ambergris. Shows his cunning and greed.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who always finds loopholes to get the best assignments
The French Captain
Naive victim
Commands the Bouton de Rose but knows nothing about whaling. Already sick from the smell of rotting whales, he's eager to believe Stubb's lies. His inexperience costs him a fortune in ambergris.
Modern Equivalent:
The new manager who gets talked into bad decisions by smooth-talking employees
The Guernsey-man
Interpreter and accomplice
Translates between Stubb and the French captain, but also helps Stubb's deception by adding his own embellishments to the lies. Shows how intermediaries can manipulate both sides.
Modern Equivalent:
The bilingual employee who 'translates' but really controls what both sides hear
The French Mate
Suspicious subordinate
The only French sailor who seems to suspect something's wrong with Stubb's story. Represents the voice of caution that gets overruled by authority. His doubts go unheeded.
Modern Equivalent:
The assistant who knows the boss is being scammed but can't speak up
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to recognize when someone's eagerness to get rid of something signals they don't know its true value.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone quickly agrees to your first offer or seems relieved to hand something over—pause and ask yourself what you might be missing.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"By this time their destined victim appeared from his cabin. He was a small and dark, but rather delicate looking man for a sea-captain, with large whiskers and moustache, however; and wore a red cotton velvet vest with watch-seals at his side."
Context: Describing the French captain who's about to be conned by Stubb
The captain's delicate appearance and fancy vest mark him as out of place in the rough whaling business. His focus on appearance over function shows why he's such an easy target. Real expertise can't be faked with fancy clothes.
In Today's Words:
He looked like a boutique owner trying to run a construction site - all style, no substance
"What now? I know not; but there is something suspicious going on here. I thought so before, and now I am sure of it."
Context: The mate voices his suspicions about Stubb's sudden helpfulness
The mate's instincts are right - something is suspicious. But without authority or full understanding of what's happening, he can't stop the con. Shows how gut feelings often detect deception even when we can't prove it.
In Today's Words:
This whole thing smells fishy and I don't mean the whales
"Now in order to hold direct communication with the people on deck, he had to pull round the bows to the starboard side, and thus come close to the blasted whale; and so talk over it."
Context: Stubb positioning himself near the rotting whale to talk to the French
Stubb endures the terrible smell because he knows there's profit in it. His willingness to suffer temporary discomfort for gain shows the calculating nature of his character. He sees opportunity where others see only disgust.
In Today's Words:
He'd wade through a sewer if there was a dollar at the other end
"I wonder now if our old man has thought of that. It's worth trying. Yes, I'm for it;"
Context: Stubb deciding to try his trick on the French ship
Shows Stubb's opportunistic thinking - he doesn't need permission or orders to chase profit. His initiative is both admirable and unethical. He embodies the entrepreneurial spirit taken to its selfish extreme.
In Today's Words:
Nobody said I couldn't do it, so why not try and see what I can get away with?
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Profitable Ignorance
When knowledge gaps exist, someone profits—either by exploiting the ignorance or eliminating it.
Thematic Threads
Deception
In This Chapter
Stubb orchestrates an elaborate con, using language barriers and false expertise to steal valuable ambergris
Development
Evolved from earlier hints of whaling deceptions to full-blown international fraud
In Your Life:
When someone insists they're 'helping' you get rid of something quickly, they might know its true value.
Class
In This Chapter
Experienced American whalers exploit inexperienced French sailors, showing how expertise creates class divisions at sea
Development
Continues the theme of knowledge-as-power from earlier technical chapters
In Your Life:
In any field, those who know the hidden values and unwritten rules have massive advantages over newcomers.
Hidden Value
In This Chapter
The rotting whale contains ambergris worth more than months of honest whaling
Development
Builds on earlier chapters about whale oil to show even waste has worth to those who know
In Your Life:
What others discard as worthless might be valuable if you know where and how to look.
Communication
In This Chapter
Language barriers become tools of exploitation as the interpreter helps Stubb's deception
Development
Introduced here as a new dimension of power—controlling information flow between groups
In Your Life:
Whoever controls translation between groups—departments, cultures, generations—holds enormous power.
Modern Adaptation
When the Side Hustle Smells Funny
Following Ishmael's story...
Ishmael's covering a story about food waste at the local farmers market when he spots two young entrepreneurs from the suburbs trying to offload cases of 'expired' specialty cheese. They're disgusted by the smell and desperate to dump it before the health inspector comes. Ishmael recognizes the smell immediately—it's aged cave cheese, worth hundreds per pound to the right buyers. He offers to 'help dispose of it safely' for them, even shows them fake health department warnings on his phone about 'dangerous bacteria.' They're so relieved they help him load it into his car. Within hours, he's sold half to a high-end restaurant contact for enough to cover two months' rent. The suburban kids text him thanks for keeping them out of trouble.
The Road
The road Stubb walked in 1851, Ishmael walks today. The pattern is identical: spotting valuable knowledge gaps and deciding whether to educate or capitalize.
The Map
This chapter provides a navigation tool for recognizing when others' inexperience creates opportunity. Ishmael can use it to spot information asymmetries in any transaction—and decide whether to exploit or educate.
Amplification
Before reading this, Ishmael might have missed these opportunities or felt guilty about using superior knowledge. Now he can NAME the profitable ignorance loop, PREDICT when it appears, and NAVIGATE the ethical choices it presents.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What trick did Stubb play on the French captain, and why did it work so easily?
analysis • surface - 2
Why would Stubb go to all this trouble for a rotting whale when the French sailors were happy to get rid of it?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people making money from what others don't know - in your workplace, community, or online?
application • medium - 4
If you discovered valuable information that others missed, how would you decide whether to share it or profit from it?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how knowledge and experience create power between people?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Spot the Knowledge Gap
Think of three situations where someone tried to take advantage of what you didn't know. Write down what they knew, what you didn't know, and how they used that gap. Then identify one area of your life where you might be the French captain right now - what knowledge could protect you?
Consider:
- •Consider both obvious scams and subtle everyday situations
- •Think about times when the person seemed helpful or friendly
- •Notice patterns in where your knowledge gaps tend to be
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had valuable knowledge others didn't. How did you handle it? Looking back, would you make the same choice today?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 99
Moving forward, we'll examine key events and character development in this chapter, and understand thematic elements and literary techniques. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.