Blubbery Booty

[Nelson Cooke]

In my extensive piratic reading (granted often drunk) I haven't ever come across any instances of pirates raiding a whaling ship, yet the two must have crossed watery paths all the time, and a hold full of sperm beat the piss, so to speak, out of cloth and breadfruit our ancestors were known to abscond with.

So what's the deal? Has history omitted this because whale blubbery is less sexy than gold and jewels? Did the pyrats not want to mess with the hardened whaling bastards? What?

[blackjohn]

Good question. I wonder what percentage of ships were whalers during the Golden Age? If low (and I suspect it was) that might be the explanation. Otherwise... maybe it has something to do with geography? Maybe whale migratory patterns don't take them close to places pirates frequented?

[JoshuaRed]

Yeah, whaling wasn't that common among the colonies during the early 18th. I think the earliest record of a whale being caught in New England was off Nantucket or Cape Cod around 1713...or is it 1703? Something like that. Whales were caught during the 18th, but it wasn't big business until later in the century and into the 19th. It was bigger in Europe though...so maybe their paths did cross!

At any rate you're right, it would be a damn valuable haul. I could be wrong, but I think the primary source of ambergris was to merely find deposits of it washed ashore. I know Dampier talks at length about that. I'll have to dig out his books so I can find the specific chapter, but he talks about exploring Ambergris Cay or some island off Belize and finding some mammoth chunk of it that would pay for the whole voyage. Apparently he tried in vain to convince his crew of the value, and finally talked a few of them into helping him lug this monster piece on board, but I don't know what became of it.

Time for me to do some diggin! :)

[Deadeye]

Being an avid Cetacean enthusiast, I can offer this, the most commonly hunted Whales of the day were sperm whales and larger baleen whales like humpbacks and Blues.

Sperm whales tend to spend most of their lives in Very deep water where they can dive for giant squid, their favorite meal, not the coastal inlets and warmer caribbean waters that the most famous pirates frequented.

Humpbacks and blues also tend to stay in colder, deeper water, except when it is time to Calf, when humpbacks will seek warmer climates.

just an amatuer's research, if anyone finds anything different, let me know

[Nelson Cooke]

I'm thinking if I'm going to go after a boatload of sperm, it's not going to be a thousand miles to sea in giantsquidland. The Nantucket whalers were famous for having "second wives" on the islands.

I will use this as an excuse to draw one of those wives. For historical research-type reasons:

[Patrick Hand]

corect me if I'm wrong..... but I thought ambergrass (whoever its spelled_) was from sick sperm whales...................

[JoshuaRed]

Wow was it really? I guess it makes sense, a sick whale coughs up a mammoth sized lunger, it floats ashore and people make candles out of it. :) Supposedly it smelled very sweet, almost like perfume and was very clean, almost soapy, to the touch.

[Blackbead]

Now, wait a minute there, Mr. Nelson! If I be not mistaken then this here forum be interested in historical authenticity, correct? Well, then you needs to be makin' some corrections like to yer drawing there. I doubt very seriously if any of them second wives ever wore coconut halves as part of their tribal dancin' costumes! Now, get back there and do some erasin' and be quick about it . . .

REAL quick!

Just kiddin' mate! An excellent job by the way! That there lovely can dance for me anytime!

As far as pirates meeting whalers I agree with the hypothesis that they probably didn't cross paths all that often 'cause they had different "habitats" like, don't yer see. Also, if a whaler was taken by a pirate there'd be little left to tell the tale and many alternate endings that the folks back home would put on the story - i.e. read "In the Heart of the Ocean" sometime.

And I don't recall the candles but I do know that ambergris formed the basis for some of the most expensive perfumes made back then. Wasn't there some story about a 70-80 pound chunk of the stuff found floating by some body and that was the largest piece ever found and was worth som incredible amount of money?? Perhaps I'll have to hit Altavista up for some info on that . . .

Blackbead

[Sir Eric]

http://www.ambergris.co.nz/about.htm

Ambergris is an excretion from the Sperm Whale. It is found floating on the oceans or collected from the shores of many countries around the world. Ambergris is formed in the intestines of the sperm whale in response, it is thought, to irritation caused to the stomach lining of the whale from the sharp,indigestible, parrot-like beaks of squid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris

Ambergris occurs as a biliary concretion in the intestines of the Sperm Whale, and can be found floating upon the sea, on the sea-coast, or in the sand near the sea-coast. Because lumps of ambergris with embedded beaks of giant squid have been found, scientists have theorized that the whale's intestine produces the substance as a means of facilitating the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have inadvertently eaten. Ambergris can be found in the Atlantic Ocean; on the coasts of Brazil and Madagascar; also on the coast of Africa, of the East Indies, China, Japan and the Molucca islands. However, most commercially collected ambergris came from the Bahama Islands, Providence, etc. It is also sometimes found in the abdomen of whales.

[The Doctor]

I've read of pyrates taking whaling ships.... Now, where's that damned book at?! I know I've seen it!... Yes! "The Pirates Lafitte" makes mention of the taking of whalers. At least, that's my best recollection. I am a tad drunk, you see...What were we talking about?! Women!! Yes, I love 'em, the whole lot...

[Captain_MacNamara]

I saw the topic title and thought immediately of my ex-girlfriend...

[Pirate Petee]

I've read of pyrates taking whaling ships.... Now, where's that damned book at?! I know I've seen it!... Yes! "The Pirates Lafitte" makes mention of the taking of whalers. At least, that's my best recollection. I am a tad drunk, you see...What were we talking about?! Women!! Yes, I love 'em, the whole lot...

[JoshuaRed]

One ' these nights we all need to get piss drunk-3 sheets to the wind and meet in the chat room for a pirate party!