Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea: The True Story that Inspired Moby Dick (affiliate link) London: Harper Perennial, 2000; reprint ed. 2007. 302 pages.
This extensively researched and well-written book tells the grim true story of the whaling ship Essex, which was struck twice by a sperm whale and sunk, ultimately inspiring Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick. It is a fascinating account that is both educational and deeply disturbing.
At the time the Essex was preparing to set sail, Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world. Yet first-time captain George Pollard Jr. had difficulty obtaining the 21-man crew he required (7). Pollard had been married just two months before setting out on his first command (29). Pollard’s first mate, Owen Chase, was ambitious and eager to become a captain himself (30). It was his first sailing as first mate.
After only a few days out at sea, the Essex was struck by a squall (39). The crew had not lowered the ship’s sails, as was customary. As a result, the Essex suffered extensive damage, including the loss of two of its whaling boats. This experience discourage the crew. Pollard determined to return to Nantucket to resupply, but Chase and Matthew Joy, the ship’s second mate, argued that he should keep sailing and resupply when he could. Only four days into his command, Pollard was being pressured to change his mind.
The Essex then developed a leak. The hull was aging and weakened, thus making it more vulnerable.
Finally, off the western coast of South America, the Essex began to capture some whales. One day, the whaleboat Chase was commanding was struck by a whale and damaged, forcing him to return to the ship for repairs. While hammering nails to repair the boat, the crew noticed an 85-foot male sperm whale watching the ship from 35 yards away (80). Suddenly, it rushed toward the ship and struck it fiercely. The whale seemed dazed by the blow and was lying near the ship. Chase grabbed a harpoon and was about to throw it at the whale, but he noticed it was close to the rudder. He feared the whale might damage the rudder if it was wounded. Chase refrained. That decision haunted him for the rest of his life.
The whale regained its wits and charged the ship again. It struck the ship so hard that those aboard were thrown off their feet. The author mused whether the whale had been attracted by the sound of Chase’s hammering, as it may have confused the noise with challenges from another male sperm whale (87). He also wondered whether the whale was defending the female whales the crew had been attacking. This event provided ample fodder for Melville when he wrote Moby Dick.
The ship capsized. The three whaling boats now took on 20 men. The crew collected all the food they could salvage before the ship sank. If the men ate ¼ of their daily rations, they could last 60 days (97). Again, Pollard calculated that their best chance was to aim for the Society Islands (96). They were not far from Tahiti. But Chase and Joy argued for another option. Ironically, they feared that Pollard’s plan would take them to an island inhabited by cannibals. Once again, Pollard succumbed to his mates’ opinion. Tragically, had he demanded they follow his orders, they might well have avoided much tragedy.
The survivors’ journey in small, vulnerable boats makes for compelling reading. They faced the sobering issue of whether to keep their boats together. Should one boat capsize, the others would be unable to rescue the drowning men for fear of overloading their own boats or exhausting their meager food supply.
The boats eventually came upon a small, deserted island called Henderson Island. They were close to an inhabited island, but they didn’t know it. They found little food or water. Nevertheless, three of the crew asked to remain behind on the island in hopes of being rescued.
Back at sea, crew members began to die from thirst, hunger, and exposure. Joy died first and was buried at sea. Eventually, crewmembers determined that it might be better to cannibalize those who died in order to gain much-needed sustenance (164). The three boats were eventually separated, and the remaining sailors on each one had to decide what they were willing to do to survive. This section of the book is the most hopeless and gruesome.
At last, Chase’s boat was spotted by a passing ship, and its three survivors were rescued. Pollard’s was also found. The passing ship discovered Pollard and Ramsall gnawing on the bones of their former crewmates, almost mad with starvation. The three men left on the island were also rescued, bringing the total to 8 of the 20 crewmembers who were ultimately saved. The small whaling boats had travelled 4,520 nautical miles in the vast ocean (xiii).
This story is a tragedy. Had Pollard been more decisive, the shipwrecked sailors might have been rescued much sooner and without loss of life. On several occasions, Pollard’s instincts were sound, but he allowed himself to be overruled. Chase proved to be a stronger leader than Pollard. But at crucial moments, he pushed the wrong solution to their problem.
Several chilling issues surfaced after the rescue. One was that the Black sailors had all died and been eaten first. The author points out that they were perhaps more vulnerable from the start. But the optics of the white sailors from Nantucket eating their Black colleagues first raises some uncomfortable questions. The survivors admitted to cannibalism, even to casting lots and killing one unlucky sailor. Yet only they knew if anyone had been killed against his will so the others could survive.
Incredibly, Pollard was given a new ship to captain only three months after his return to Nantucket (205). Two of his former crew signed on to go with him. Disaster struck again, and his new ship suffered a wreck and had to be abandoned as well (209). After the second shipwreck, he became a night watchmen in Nantucket where he lived the remainder of his days on land with his wife. They had no children.
Chase became a captain and made several more trips. The life of a whaler was difficult. They would routinely spend two or more years at sea followed by only a few months at home. Chase married four times and ultimately retired on Nantucket (216). Herman Melville met Chase’s son (215). Melville also traveled to Nantucket to interview Pollard (219). Moby Dick, which tells a classic tale of man against nature, has become a literary classic. Yet in many ways, the true story of the Essex is a much greater tragedy.
I found this story captivating. The sailors’ epic journey is fundamentally a story of survival against all odds. It raises questions as to what we would do, or not do, under such punishing circumstances. It demonstrates the depths to which humanity can sink when deprived of food and water. It also provides a classic study of the importance of solid leadership and the dire consequences people suffer when it is lacking.
I recommend this book. It is not for the faint of heart, but it will take you into a world you hopefully have never before experienced.
Rating: 3
