- description
- # CHAPTER 71. The Jeroboam’s Story.
## Overview
This entity is a chapter from the novel "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale." Titled "CHAPTER 71. The Jeroboam’s Story.," it spans lines 12333 to 12571 of the source file.
## Context
This chapter is part of the novel "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale," which was extracted from the file "[moby_dick.txt](arke:01KG89J198KE6FY8WPVJQQRCZ6)". The novel is included in the "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. This chapter follows "[CHAPTER 70. The Sphynx.](arke:01KG8AM8GRMW10GH07XBFXF1QF)" and precedes "[CHAPTER 72. The Monkey-Rope.](arke:01KG8AM8GRP8ZDM4P83Q4ACX29)". It is also part of a larger section titled "[BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER III. (_Mealy-mouthed Porpoise_)](arke:01KG8AK83BA227D6NY5BT040FM)".
## Contents
This chapter details an encounter between the Pequod and the Jeroboam, a Nantucket whaling ship. The Jeroboam is carrying a contagious epidemic, and its captain, Mayhew, refuses to come aboard the Pequod, communicating instead from his boat. A significant portion of the chapter focuses on Gabriel, a crew member of the Jeroboam who believes himself to be the archangel Gabriel. He claims to have divine control over the epidemic and warns Ahab against pursuing the White Whale, identifying it as a divine entity. The narrative recounts a tragic incident where Macey, the chief mate of the Jeroboam, was killed by Moby Dick while attempting to harpoon it. Gabriel uses this event to further assert his authority and influence over the Jeroboam's crew. The chapter concludes with Ahab's intense focus on obtaining a letter addressed to Macey, which Gabriel intercepts and returns to the Pequod, further escalating the tension.
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- 2026-01-30T20:51:05.033Z
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- description_title
- CHAPTER 71. The Jeroboam’s Story.
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- 12571
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:29.272Z
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- 12333
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- title
- CHAPTER 71. The Jeroboam’s Story.