Chapters 76-80 Summary

Returning to his detailed description of the whale, Ishmael describes the head of the sperm whale that can be equated to a boneless, but super hard mass, which the whale can use like a battering ram. It is this part of the head that contains the largest and the most pure quantity of sperm whale oil. For this reason, Ishmael refers to it as the Heidelburgh Tun. Next, Ishmael talks about the process of removing the oil from the head of the whale using buckets as collection tools.

While collecting the oil one day, Tashtego accidentally falls into the oil-filled head of the whale. During efforts to rescue the man, the hooks hanging the head from the ship break and the head, with Tashtego still in it, begins to sink. Queequeg rescues the man by jumping overboard and "delivering" the man...