Chapter 91 - The Pequod Meets The Rose-Bud Practice Quiz — Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 91 - The Pequod Meets The Rose-Bud
What is the name of the French whaling ship the Pequod encounters in Chapter 91?
The Bouton de Rose, meaning "Rose-Bud" in French.
What two dead whales does the Rose-Bud have lashed alongside?
A "blasted whale" (one that died naturally at sea) and a dried-up whale that died of disease or indigestion.
What first alerts the Pequod's crew to the nearby dead whales?
A peculiar and unpleasant smell detected by the many noses on deck, before anyone spotted the ship visually.
What was the Rose-Bud captain's profession before becoming a sea captain?
He was a Cologne (cologne/perfume) manufacturer.
Who is the Guernsey-man and what role does he play?
He is the chief mate of the Rose-Bud who speaks English and serves as both interpreter and co-conspirator with Stubb against his own captain.
What does Stubb suspect is hidden inside the diseased whale?
Ambergris, a waxy substance worth a gold guinea an ounce, used in perfumery.
How does Stubb describe the French captain to his face during the deception?
He calls him "babyish," says he is no more fit to command a whale-ship than a monkey, and calls him a baboon.
What does the Guernsey-man actually tell the French captain as his "translation"?
That another ship's captain and crew died of fever caught from a blasted whale, and that both whales are deadly dangerous.
Does the Guernsey-man know about the ambergris in the whale?
No. Stubb perceived that the Guernsey-man had not the slightest suspicion concerning the ambergris and held his peace on that topic.
What does Stubb do after the French captain orders the whales released?
He volunteers to tow the lighter (diseased) whale away, ostensibly as a favor, but actually to harvest the ambergris.
How does Melville describe the appearance of ambergris?
Like "ripe Windsor soap, or rich mottled old cheese," very unctuous and savory, with a hue between yellow and ash color.
How much ambergris does Stubb recover from the whale?
About six handfuls, though more was lost in the sea.
Why does Stubb stop harvesting the ambergris?
Captain Ahab orders him to desist and come aboard, threatening that the ship would leave him behind.
Does Stubb ask the Rose-Bud about Moby Dick?
Yes. He asks the Guernsey-man about the White Whale, but no one aboard has ever heard of Moby Dick.
How does Ahab react when told the Rose-Bud has no information about Moby Dick?
He simply retires from the rail, showing no further interest in the encounter.
What is a "blasted whale" in whaling terminology?
A whale that has died unmolested on the sea and floated up as an unappropriated corpse, yielding only inferior quality oil.
What is the primary irony of the ship's name "Rose-Bud"?
The ship named after a fragrant flower is surrounded by one of the worst stenches imaginable from rotting whale carcasses.
What is ironic about the French captain's former profession?
As a former cologne manufacturer, he fails to recognize ambergris, the very raw material used in perfume production.
What does Stubb say when the French captain invites him to drink Bordeaux?
He declines, saying "it's against my principles to drink with the man I've diddled."
How does the Rose-Bud's figurehead appear?
The stem-piece is carved as a huge drooping stalk, painted green with copper spike thorns, terminating in a symmetrical bright red bulb.
What is the epigraph quote at the beginning of Chapter 91 about?
It is from Sir Thomas Browne, about the futility of searching for ambergris in a whale due to the "insufferable fetor" (stench).
What were the French sailors doing to cope with the stench?
Some dipped oakum in coal-tar and held it to their noses; others smoked pipes vigorously; and some ran to the mast-head for fresh air.
Who is the tormented surgeon aboard the Rose-Bud?
The ship's surgeon who had locked himself in the captain's round-house (cabin) to avoid the stench, yelling protests from behind the door.