Not P but Moby-Dick (52)

[Mike Jing]

I'm actually having second thoughts about this one, since apparently you
can indeed have very thin and transparent flakes or sheets of mica. It's
not clear what the other isinglass substance normally looks like.


On Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 12:24 PM Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:

> turns out mica can be minute scales with a layered structure...
>
> a shiny silicate mineral with a layered structure, found as minute scales
> in granite and other rocks, or as crystals. It is used as a thermal or
> electrical insulator.
>
> On Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 12:21 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ⬇️ They translated it to THIS? ⬇️
>>
>> “you may scrape off with your hand [from the body of a dead whale] an
>> infinitely thin, transparent substance, somewhat resembling the thinnest
>> shreds of [MICA]”
>>
>> Mica??? From the body of a dead whale???
>>
>> On Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 12:14 PM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> 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
>>> >>>
>>> >>
>>> --
>>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>>
>>