Not P but Moby-Dick (42)

Mike Jing gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com
Tue Nov 14 09:33:06 UTC 2023


Yes, but what does "must go for it" mean here?


On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 5:24 AM Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:

> Individuals invested in the ships that brought back goods. Investors had
> shares or parts of
> the total money needed to carry out the endeavor....
>
> So, Melville puts this ownership into 'part(s) of the hull" etc....
>
> On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 1:26 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> From Chapter 54:
>>
>> “ ‘Aye, aye, my merry lads, it’s a lively leak this; hold a cannikin, one
>> of ye, and let’s have a taste. By the Lord, it’s worth bottling! I tell ye
>> what, men, old Rad’s investment must go for it! he had best cut away his
>> part of the hull and tow it home. The fact is, boys, that sword-fish only
>> began the job; he’s come back again with a gang of ship-carpenters,
>> saw-fish, and file-fish, and what not; and the whole posse of ’em are now
>> hard at work cutting and slashing at the bottom; making improvements, I
>> suppose. If old Rad were here now, I’d tell him to jump overboard and
>> scatter ’em. They’re playing the devil with his estate, I can tell him.
>>
>> What does "old Rad’s investment must go for it" mean here?
>> --
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>>
>


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