Nantucket -- As the whales became extinct in the Atlantic, Nantucket whalers pushed on into the Pacific. Voyages got longer and longer, some up to 4 years in length. Ships had to get larger to make such expeditions economical. Eventually ship keels were deeper than the port could handle; so Nantucket Camels were invented which met the ships in deep water with two pontoons which were half submerged. The pontoons were 135' long and 29' wide and hugged each side of the ship's hull and were tightened around it. The water was then pumped out of the pontoon which made the entire super-vessel rise high enough to be tugged into shore. By 1843, over half of the whaling ships entered or left harbor carried by camels.Melville perhaps should have stayed a harpooner. His writing earning him bout $10,000 in his lifetime, not much of a living. The whale from about 20 sperm whales would be worth about that amount.
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