Melville goes to great lengths in chapters 24 and 25 to describe the achievements of whaling. Some of his claims include whaling ships being greater heroes of expedition than Cook or Krusenstern, being the first commerce to round cape horn, the settling of Australia, and the transport of the first missionaries to the polynesian islands.

Are there merits to the praise of whaling ships given by Melville or is this him taking a bit of poetic license to further the story?