The Pequod sets sail on Christmas Day from Nantucket port with crew of harpooners and sailors. While sailing along the Pacific Ocean the Pequod has nine gams with other whaling ships. A gam is "a social meeting of two (or more) Whale-ships, generally on a cruising-ground; when, after exchanging hails, they exchange visits by boats' crews: the two captains remaining, for the time, on board of one ship, and the chief mates on the other" (198). All Americans enjoy a good gam, except for Ahab who only allows a gam with a ship who has seen the white whale. If their reply is no, then Ahab would rather move on as quickly as possible. One problem that seems to reoccur in each of the gams is a communication problem. This is symbolic in that difficulty involved in anyone attempting a conversation with Ahab.

The first whaling ship the Pequod encounters on the ocean is the Albatross. This ship was "bleached like the skeleton of a stranded walrus. All down her sides, this spectral appearance was traced with long channels of

However, the Town-Ho is a gam that Ahab allows because they have had an encounter with Moby Dick, which is referred to in Chapter fifty-four as "the Town-Ho's story. In summary, the Town-Ho's story is about an encounter they had with Moby Dick. Their ship sprung a leak and in an attempt to keep it afloat, the crew was being pushed to extreme limits, when suddenly Moby Dick appeared. The Town-Ho was caught off guard, but still pursed after the white whale. Unfortunately, the chase results in a major disaster. Some of the Town-Ho's crew becomes victims of Moby Dick. Ishmael describes a chilling scene, "Moby Dick rose again, with some tatters of Radney's red woolen shirt, caught in the teeth that had destroyed him" (212). Most of the crew survives, but abandons the ship, which leaves the captain no choice but to replace his crew with Polynesians from a nearby island. As earlier stated, Ahab only allows this gam to take place because the Town-Ho had an encounter with Moby Dick.

Next, the Pequod crosses paths with a fellow Nantucket ship, the Jeroboam. However, "it turned out that the Jeroboam had a malignant epidemic on board, and that the Mayhew, her captain, was fearful of infecting the Pequod's company" (250). This did not halt all communication. The Jeroboam and the Pequod attempt their awkward, quarantined gam. Ahab remembers that he has a letter he is suppose to the deliver to the deceased Macey and attempts to pass it on, but is stop by Gabriel. Gabriel, who thinks he is the Shaker God, tells Ahab, "Nay, keep it thyself, ... thou art soon going that way" (254). This is a direct foreshadowing of Ahab's death that will later approach.

senior officer, and the interpreter interprets everything wrong. Stubb considers this captain "no more fit to command a whale ship than a St. Jago monkey"(316). Entertainingly the interpreter interprets this to the Rose-Bud's captain as, "cut loose from these fish"(316).

The Pequod continues sailing on their voyage. Shortly after, they cross yet another whaling ship, this one is a German ship, called the Jungfrau. The Jungfrau has had no success in hunting whales and begs

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1439
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)