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.