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the Russian Admiral Krusenstern's famous Discovery Expedition in the beginning of the present century Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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Adam Krusenstern’s “Discovery Expedition” was the first Russian circumnavigation of the planet.

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Langsdorff's Voyages Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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Voyages and Travels in Various Parts of the World During the Years 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, and 1807 by Grigory Langsdorff

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Was not Saul of Tarsus converted from unbelief by a similar fright? Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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Before he became Paul the Apostle, Saul of Tarsus was a dude who liked to persecute Christians. But then, while he was riding down the road to Damascus, Jesus blinded him with a flash of light from heaven and told him to quit bothering Christians. Paul remained blind for three days and then converted to Christianity because he was so impressed with/scared of Jesus. See Acts 9:3-9

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Sandwich Islands Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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Old name for Hawai

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Secondly: The ship Union, also of Nantucket, was in the year 1807 totally lost off the Azores by a similar onset, but the authentic particulars of this catastrophe I have never chanced to encounter, though from the whale hunters I have now and then heard casual allusions to it. Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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Ohhhh, you’ve heard casual allusions to it? Good evidence, thanks for bringing it up.

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At this day Captain Pollard is a resident of Nantucket. I have seen Owen Chace, who was chief mate of the Essex at the time of the tragedy; I have read his plain and faithful narrative; I have conversed with his son; and all this within a few miles of the scene of the catastrophe. Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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Pollard and Chase (not Chace) were as real as the Essex.

And so was Chase’s book, which had the very understated title, Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex. Published in 1821, it was one of the main inspirations and sources for Moby Dick

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In the year 1820 the ship Essex, Captain Pollard, of Nantucket, was cruising in the Pacific Ocean. One day she saw spouts, lowered her boats, and gave chase to a shoal of sperm whales. Ere long, several of the whales were wounded; when, suddenly, a very large whale escaping from the boats, issued from the shoal, and bore directly down upon the ship. Dashing his forehead against her hull, he so stove her in, that in less than "ten minutes" she settled down and fell over. Not a surviving plank of her has been seen since. After the severest exposure, part of the crew reached the land in their boats. Herman Melville – Moby-Dick (Chap. 45: The Affidavit)

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The Essex was a real whale ship that was really destroyed by a whale. Part of the crew really did survive for several months in lifeboats until they were rescued by other whaleships. What Melville leaves out is the part where they survivors resorted to cannibalizing their (dead?) shipmates.