Not P but Moby-Dick (52)

[Mike Jing]

By the way, both the Norton Critical Edition and Melville Electronic
Library took it to be mica.


On Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 9:41 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
>>>
>>