Thus begins chapter 4 which I like to call: A Shitton of Barrels and Some of the Barrels are Evil.

Here, an oil gauger tests the quality of the oil by tasting it. To learn more about the specifics of whale industry, and why it developed such a hungry industry around it, check out : my blog post here! :

↓ Transcript
Panel 1 [close up shot of Hanshaw’s hands prying open a barrel lid with a head tool]

Panel 2 [Circular panel of a darkened view shot from inside the barrel, showing the faces of Terrence Hanshaw and Peter Roxbury peering down into the barrel.]

Panel 3 [Roxbury skims his finger along the surface of the oil. The two men are in a warehouse, surrounded by casks]

Panel 4 [He touches his finger to the tip of his tongue]

Panel 5 [Roxbury speaks to Hanshaw over the barrel, with Hanshaw holding the lid and looking as though he’s going to put it back on.]

ROXBURY:
Sweet as anything.

HANSHAW:
The winter-strained oil will be fetching a fine price.