Not P but Moby-Dick (52)

[David Morris]

Text: scraped from the whale a “transparent substance, somewhat resembling
[…] isinglass”

Definition 2. A name given to *mica*, from its resembling in appearance
some kinds of isinglass.

Me: How could anyone think that they had scraped *mica* from a whale? Or
that it was *something* resembling *mica* because mica is *“somewhat
resembling […]* *insinglass*?

On Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 9:42 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> OK. All five previous translations I have at hand took the second one, so I
> thought I'd ask just to be sure. Thanks, Mark.
>
>
> On Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 6:01 AM Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > definition 1....
> >
> > On Sat, Dec 9, 2023 at 11:12 PM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> From Chapter 68:
> >>
> >> True, from the unmarred dead body of the whale, you may scrape off with
> >> your hand an infinitely thin, transparent substance, somewhat resembling
> >> the thinnest shreds of isinglass, only it is almost as flexible and soft
> >> as
> >> satin; that is, previous to being dried, when it not only contracts and
> >> thickens, but becomes rather hard and brittle.
> >>
> >> What does "isinglass" refer to here?
> >>
> >> 1. A firm whitish semitransparent substance (being a comparatively pure
> >> form of gelatin) obtained from the sounds or air-bladders of some
> >> freshwater fishes, esp. the sturgeon; used in cookery for making
> jellies,
> >> etc., also for clarifying liquors, in the manufacture of glue, and for
> >> other purposes. Also extended to similar substances made from hides,
> >> hoofs,
> >> etc.
> >>
> >> 2. A name given to mica, from its resembling in appearance some kinds of
> >> isinglass.
> >> --
> >> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> >>
> >
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>