Queequeg views the squid they past a while ago as a good omen.  He believes that it indicates that there is a sperm whale nearby.  Soon enough, they spot a whale and Stubb and Tashtego kill it successfully.  Then, Ishmaes describes a quick account of harpooning a whale.  He says that it is a very difficult process.  This is because the harpooner has to row strenuously before shooting the whale and is then breathing to heavily to aim properly. 

Ishmael describes what a whale line is in the next part.  It is made of hemp, and it is a rope connected to the harpoon at one end, but dangles free at the other end.  This is so it can be tied to the other boats' lines.  This rope is laid out throughout the ship and 'whizzes' out when a whale darts with it stuck in him, making it very dangerous for the harpooners.  When you think about it, whaling seems to be a very dangerous job.

Brit is a yellow substance upon which the right whale feeds. Ishmael talks about the whales and what they eat for a while, then moves on to comparing the land and the sea.  In the sea, there are hidden horrors and continuous danger, but while on land, all is visible and therefore manageable. He applies his idea to the human soul, which he believes contains a small island of “peace and joy” surrounded by an ocean of horrors.  I thought his little assessment of the land and sea to the body was really weird because i have never thought about it that way before. 

Ishmael then tries to find some acceptable descriptions of the whales.  the only pictures he can com up with in his mind are pictures from French engravings that show the sperm and right whales in action.  He wonders why the French have been best able to capture whales and whaling in art and he realizes its because France is not a whaling nation.  He remembers pictures of crafted whales, and whales carved in ivory, wood, and metal.  He says that some people can even see whales in the stars.  I think it would be pretty crazy to be able to see a certain something no matter what  you looked at.

 

Ishmael says that most historical pictures of whales are inaccurate to a whaler who sees whales every day.  He says the only solution to this problem is that if someone wants to know what a whale looks like then to come to encounter one.  He says that only portion of the whale are visible at once, seems how most of the whale is under water, but dead whales are completely visible.  He compares a dead whale to a wrecked ship.  I thought that was pretty funny.