Daily Vignette for 20 November -- Loss of the Essex

[wcg]

On November 20th 1820, the whaleship Essex was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale in the south Pacific. The incident inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick.

Essex was an 87 foot long, three masted whaler out of Nantuckett. She embarked in 1819 on a planned 2.5 year voyage to the south Pacific whaling grounds under the command of 27 year old

Comments

[necturus]

I read somewhere that the survivors elected to try for South America instead of a closer destination because they feared falling into the hands of cannibals.

One of Owen Chase's descendants, the Reverend Peter Chase, recently retired as rector of the church where my parents were married sixty years ago and where I currently sing in the choir.

[wcg]

feared falling into the hands of cannibals

There's some sad irony.