Contemplative, Descriptive, With A Blend Of Gritty Realism And A Touch Of Romanticization Of The Sailors' Labor And Life At Sea.

The chapter provides a vivid description of the process of securing the harvested whale oil in barrels and cleaning the ship afterward, illustrating the cyclical nature of whaling and life aboard the whaling ship.

Chapter 98 describes the final stages of handling a captured whale, focusing on the stowing of whale oil into barrels and the subsequent cleaning of the ship. It covers how the freshly obtained oil, compared to hot punch, is barreled while the ship may be in turbulent seas. Once all the oil is secured, the ship's crew engages in a thorough cleaning operation, transforming the once filthy and chaotic deck into a space as neat as that of a well-kept merchant vessel. The chapter ends philosophically, contemplating the repetitive and arduous nature of whaling and life. It compares the lifecycle of the sailors' work to a spiritual rebirth and mentions Pythagoras's belief in metempsychosis, suggesting a parallel with the sailors' endless cycle of hunting, processing, and cleaning.