View a FREE sample

Chapter 1 - The Town-Ho's Story

• The narrator proposes to tell a story from his seagoing experience to a chorus of Peruvians listeners.

• The Town-Ho, a sperm whaler out of Nantucket, springs a leak in the Pacific.

• The captain is at first unworried about the leak because he has good pumps and a strong crew.
• Radney, the mate, dislikes Steelkilt, who is strong and handsome.

• Radney orders Steelkilt to sweep the decks just as Steelkilt is coming off a long, hard shift at the pumps.

• Steelkilt refuses the order.
• Steelkilt points out that three boys are aboard who haven't worked all day.

• Enraged, Radney demands that Steelkilt obey orders and threatens him with a hammer.

• Steelkilt hits Radney on the jaw.

• Steelkilt's associates back him up as he demands that he not be punished.
• The captain orders Steelkilt and the others into the hold.

• After days in the hold...

(read more Chapter Abstracts)

This section contains 1,351 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample