#300: The Pequod Meets the Virgin

Host Dennis Leap and special guest Mr. Grant Turgeon discuss Chapter 81 of Herman Melville’s American classic Moby Dick. The whale ship called the Virgin is actually a German whaler known as the Jungfrau in the German language. The Jungfrau is anxious to gam (or meet up) with the Pequod because they have no oil. They are not a successful whaler. The captain of the Virgin brings a lamp feeder on board to borrow some oil from the Pequod. All of the ship's lamps are dry of oil, making it difficult to manage the ship at night. Ahab is immediately impatient with the visiting captain because of the language barrier. Also, this captain knows nothing about Moby Dick. Ahab supplies the oil reluctantly. As the German captain returns to his ship with oil, eight whales are seen in the distance and the ships race to capture the whales. Ahab’s men easily beat the Germans to the one whale in the pod that is captured.