In this chapter, Ishmael is in Lima, Peru and is talking to two of his friends, Don Pero and Don Sebastian. The story he tells takes place before the events of the book and the story goes like this: The Town-Ho was a sperm whaling ship from Nantucket and it had started to take in more water than usual. The captain assumed a sword fish had stuck the bottom of the ship and it wasn 't huge issue. After a few days at sea, with the crew taking up multiple shifts of pumping the water out of the hull, the captain concluded to get the ship repaired at one of the nearby islands. After this, Ismael brings up why the captain decided to do this. It was because of Radney, "the mate, a Vineyard," and "the bitterly provoked Vengeance of Steelkit, a Lakeman and …show more content…
Don Pero asks him, "Pardon: who and what are they?"(224). Ishmael goes on to say how that they are the people who travel the multiple canals in America and how the Canaller would make a "fine dramatic hero" (225). The story then continued and the canallers attempted to break up the fight, pulling Steelkit away from Radney. Radney’s men also attempted to pull him away. Steelkit and his men then run to the forecastle deck and make a barricade. The captain calls them pirates and is given his guns by the steward. Steelkit hops the barricade and says that if the captain were to kill him the rest of the crew would mutiny. The captain then orders them to get back to work and the Lakeman tells him that he and his crew wont row, but they 'll do other work, and they won’t be flogged. The captain then sends them back into the forecastle and says he’ll keep them there until they become sick. The captain then called to the steward to bring a brass padlock and with it he locked the unruly mates away. At night, crew members were sent to keep watch until dawn came. in the morning the captain approached the door and called out to the prisoners asking if they wanted to work. but they refused. this happed for the next 3 days, twice a