I am not a great writer
But this tale has haunted me, it consumes me.
I fear if I don't write it, then I should never write again
A global demand that pushed man to venture further. Further Into the heart of the sea. They know not it's depths, nor the creatures that live there. "Monsters "
A work of fiction, inspired by truth.
What happened to the Essex?What story do you expect to hear,
That of the whale?
My soul is in torment, and in need of confession. That is the agony about me, but I will tell you of the Essex. It is the story of two men a Captain "George pollard" and his first mate, Owen Chase.
You know, sometimes your kind heart and good nature are just unbearable, but blood is not gonna fill a ship with oil. We were determined to conquer the world for a heist of 2,000 barrels of whale oil.
We sailed the oceans, believing to be back as quickly as the summer night. Leaving our families and city for the mighty whale, that wondrous monster of a mighty length. Beyond conception his unmeasured strength. A dreadful monster with a martial rage.
Oh father, ensure us a prosperous voyage, that we may return safely and with a full ship.
The Essex was one of the last ships to go out, I was 14 'fourteen" my first time to sea, scared, but more scared to show it. I was in a hurry to be called a man. Yeah, I have always admired the whale pin, but to get one of them I must thrust the killing lance into the largest beast that ever breathed on this earth. My dream was to have 12 "twelve" of those.
"Very shortly, we will be off-island for some time, and I'll be very much at home "Owen chase"
We hauled short the anchor and made sail, setting our fore staysail and out fore and main topsails. Heave away on the windlass.
Sometimes the fewer questions one asks, the better. We were 2 days behind time. We needed to make up the time if we're to catch the Easterlies. A few minutes after setting off the stunsails, a squall on the starboard bow hit us hard with ocean waters, it was our first nightmare. We could have shortened our sail but we have already gotten a good baptism and then knew that our work has begun. It's bad seamanship to return to port without a single barrel of oil.
We continued to sail, shortly we heard that call, a call that all whalemen pray for. "BLOWS" ten fathoms of rope left, there he floats dead. our first catch (forty seven-barrel of whales oil).
A man gets to know himself down here, That is where the treasure is hidden in the whales head.
Heading further out, with a sliver of hope that things could change for the better. But making the pacific didn't improve our lot. After nearly a year at sea, the sight of whales was too damn scarce. We have gone far enough for a fool to go. But how far? A thousand leagues along the equator. "The offshore grounds" whales more than you've ever dreamd. Hundreds, fields of flukes far as the eyes can see. If it weren't for that demon "a whale" white as alabaster, a Hundred feet long. We could have filled 3,000 barrels of oil in the space of 3days. But we saw something to remember him by.
We would have been home before six months but we headed to the edge of sanity "Greed"
14 months at sea, there we saw white waters and our terror and crisis began. Behold was the white whale many men lost their lives on his attack, leaving only a few crews on board. We catered as much food and freshwater as one's hand could carry before the "Essex" started listening (sinking) to the ocean.
East it was, back to the direction we'd come. Though only the sun & compass told us so. All the directions looked the same. A journey of 3,00 miles.
34 days stranded, Washed off the sea. We kept fire burning hoping that a passing ship would see the smokes of our fire and rescue. No one came and if say we die. We split up and continued sailing one mile not close to Easter Island.
Why waste water on a dead man?
No right-minded sailor discards what might yet save him. We committed an abomination to survive, it was a decision. Preparing the body, we separated his limbs from the body, cutting all the flesh from the bone. We sewed up the body, decently as we could and Ate his heart first.
90 days stranded, we were rescued off the island of MÃís Afuera, chile, reaching home took another 3 months. There were no cheers only silence.
The Essex was stove by a white whale 1,200 leagues west of Ecuador.
What you have read, what I've told you, is about the courage to go where one does not want to go.
Reference
Herman Melville - Moby dick "1850.
Nathaniel philbrick - 'In the heart of the sea: The tragedy of the whaleship Essex'
© Nnadozie chuwuebuka E.A
Comments
Post a Comment