Page 98 (1/2)

“The 1848 voyage was the captain’s last whaling expedition,” she said “He retired froe”

“Wasn’t that unusual?” Paul asked “From e’ve heard, your ancestor was an extremely successful whaler”

“He was probably the best of his day And you’re right about it being odd that he stopped going to sea at the peak of his career He had brought in a full hold of spere and could have had any command he wanted He said he wanted to spend more time with Hepsa, whom he had married before he left on that final expedition”

“I don’t bla to stay home,” Paul said “Your ancestor was a beautiful woman”

Rachael blushed at the indirect compliment

“Thank you The captain went to work for the Rotch faration model still used byindustry” She paused in thought, then said, “According to the Dobbs faed his views”

“The face in the captain’s portrait didn’t belong to a man ould scare easily,” Paul said

“No disagreement, Mr Trout The captain had been a harpooner before he worked his way up Anyone who stands in a frail wooden boat and antagonizes a seventy-foot-long sperm whale is not fainthearted”

Gamay leaned forward

“Could the Caleb Nye incident have had anything to do with the captain’s decision?” she asked

Rachael shook her head

“Caleb’s experience would have been a wonderful story for the captain to tell other ship captains when they got together,” she said

“I believe you told St Julien that the logbook for the 1848 voyage was destroyed,” Gamay said

“Unfortunately, yes,” Rachael said with a sigh “Caleb’s whaling library went up in flaround Hehis beloved library There’s now housing for the elderly on the site of the old Nye mansion in Fairhaven”

“Isn’t it curious that the captain would have given his log to a former crewman?” Gamay said