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the Town-Ho

English translation: the name of a whaling ship

04:06 Dec 15, 2012
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: the Town-Ho
It was not very long after speaking the Goney that another homeward-bound whaleman, ---------------the Town-Ho, ---------------was encountered. She was manned almost wholly by Polynesians. In the short gam that ensued she gave us strong news of Moby Dick. To some the general interest in the White Whale was now wildly heightened by a circumstance of the Town-Ho's story, which seemed obscurely to involve with the whale a certain wondrous, inverted visitation of one of those so called judgments of God which at times are said to overtake some men.

Thank you!
Michael Kislov
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:25
Selected answer:the name of a whaling ship
Explanation:
This is the name of a whaling ship, which was manned almost wholly by Polynesians.

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Note added at 6 mins (2012-12-15 04:13:33 GMT)
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Check this link: http://www.melville.org/diCurcio/54.htm

"Right after "speaking" (not gamming) the whaleship Goney, the Pequod encountered a homeward-bound Nantucket whaleship named the Town-Ho."

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Note added at 16 mins (2012-12-15 04:23:54 GMT)
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From the link I gave, it seems to be taken from a Nantucket Indian expression:
"However, it is probable that the source is the Nantucket Indian cry, "townor!" , meaning "I have seen the whale twice"; (see Away Off Shore by Nathaniel Philbrick, Mill Hill Press, Nantucket 1994).]"
Selected response from:

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 06:25
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +7the name of a whaling ship
Martin Riordan
3 +1name of a ship
Darius Saczuk
4town on the horizon!
John Alphonse (X)


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the town-ho
name of a ship


Explanation:
p

Darius Saczuk
United States
Local time: 05:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Alphonse (X)
7 mins
  -> Thank you, John. :-)
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
the town-ho
the name of a whaling ship


Explanation:
This is the name of a whaling ship, which was manned almost wholly by Polynesians.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2012-12-15 04:13:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Check this link: http://www.melville.org/diCurcio/54.htm

"Right after "speaking" (not gamming) the whaleship Goney, the Pequod encountered a homeward-bound Nantucket whaleship named the Town-Ho."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 mins (2012-12-15 04:23:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

From the link I gave, it seems to be taken from a Nantucket Indian expression:
"However, it is probable that the source is the Nantucket Indian cry, "townor!" , meaning "I have seen the whale twice"; (see Away Off Shore by Nathaniel Philbrick, Mill Hill Press, Nantucket 1994).]"

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 06:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 42
Notes to answerer
Asker: I know that. What does the name mean?

Asker: & John: ;-)

Asker: John, that was my first thought)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Alphonse (X): seems close who was first responder
8 mins
  -> Thanks! A bit of a dead heat, I would say.
agree  Jack Doughty
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jack!
agree  Tony M
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Tony!
agree  Thayenga: Enjoy your weekend. :)
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Thayenga! And you too...
agree  Charles Davis: Your source nails it; Melville says it is "the ancient whaling cry upon first sighting a whale from the mast-head", so that's what he meant, but research shows that "townor" actually means "I have seen the whale twice".
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Charles!
agree  B D Finch
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, BD!
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
8 hrs
  -> Thanks, gallagy2!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the town-ho
town on the horizon!


Explanation:
when a seaman/lookout sees land from the ship they yell out "land ho" and similarly "town ho" when they see a village from the craft at sea

John Alphonse (X)
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36
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