CHAPTER 1 Loomings

CallmeIshmael.Someyearsago—nevermindhowlongprecisely—havinglittleornomoneyinmypurse,andnothingparticulartointerestmeonshore,IthoughtIwouldsailaboutalittleandseethewaterypartoftheworld.ItisawayIhaveofdrivingoffthespleenandregulatingthecirculation.WheneverIfindmyselfgrowinggrimaboutthemouth;wheneveritisadamp,drizzlyNovemberinmysoul;wheneverIfindmyselfinvoluntarilypausingbeforecoffinwarehouses,andbringinguptherearofeveryfuneralImeet;andespeciallywhenevermyhyposgetsuchanupperhandofme,thatitrequiresastrongmoralprincipletopreventmefromdeliberatelysteppingintothestreet,andmethodicallyknockingpeople'shatsoff—then,IaccountithightimetogettoseaassoonasIcan.Thisismysubstituteforpistolandball.WithaphilosophicalflourishCatothrowshimselfuponhissword;Iquietlytaketotheship.Thereisnothingsurprisinginthis.Iftheybutknewit,almostallmenintheirdegree,sometimeorother,cherishverynearlythesamefeelingstowardstheoceanwithme.

TherenowisyourinsularcityoftheManhattoes,beltedroundbywharvesasIndianislesbycoralreefs—commercesurroundsitwithhersurf.Rightandleft,thestreetstakeyouwaterward.Itsextremedowntownisthebattery,wherethatnoblemoleiswashedbywaves,andcooledbybreezes,whichafewhourspreviouswereoutofsightofland.Lookatthecrowdsofwater-gazersthere.

CircumambulatethecityofadreamySabbathafternoon.GofromCorlearsHooktoCoentiesSlip,andfromthence,byWhitehall,northward.Whatdoyousee?—Postedlikesilentsentinelsallaroundthetown,standthousandsuponthousandsofmortalmenfixedinoceanreveries.Someleaningagainstthespiles;someseateduponthepier-heads;somelookingoverthebulwarksofshipsfromChina;somehighaloftintherigging,asifstrivingtogetastillbetterseawardpeep.Butthesearealllandsmen;ofweekdayspentupinlathandplaster—tiedtocounters,nailedtobenches,clinchedtodesks.Howthenisthis?Arethegreenfieldsgone?Whatdotheyhere?

Butlook!herecomemorecrowds,pacingstraightforthewater,andseeminglyboundforadive.Strange!Nothingwillcontentthembuttheextremestlimitoftheland;loiteringundertheshadyleeofyonderwarehouseswillnotsuffice.No.Theymustgetjustasnighthewaterastheypossiblycanwithoutfallingin.Andtheretheystand—milesofthem—leagues.Inlandersall,theycomefromlanesandalleys,streetsandavenues—north,east,south,andwest.Yetheretheyallunite.Tellme,doesthemagneticvirtueoftheneedlesofthecompassesofallthoseshipsattractthemthither?

Oncemore.Sayyouareinthecountry;insomehighlandoflakes.Takealmostanypathyouplease,andtentooneitcarriesyoudowninadale,andleavesyoutherebyapoolinthestream.Thereismagicinit.Letthemostabsent-mindedofmenbeplungedinhisdeepestreveries—standthatmanonhislegs,sethisfeeta-going,andhewillinfalliblyleadyoutowater,ifwatertherebeinallthatregion.ShouldyoueverbeathirstinthegreatAmericandesert,trythisexperiment,ifyourcaravanhappentobesuppliedwithametaphysicalprofessor.Yes,aseveryoneknows,meditationandwaterareweddedforever.

Buthereisanartist.Hedesirestopaintyouthedreamiest,shadiest,quietest,mostenchantingbitofromanticlandscapeinallthevalleyoftheSaco.Whatisthechiefelementheemploys?Therestandhistrees,eachwithahollowtrunk,asifahermitandacrucifixwerewithin;andheresleepshismeadow,andtheresleephiscattle;andupfromyondercottagegoesasleepysmoke.Deepintodistantwoodlandswindsamazyway,reachingtooverlappingspursofmountainsbathedintheirhill-sideblue.Butthoughthepictureliesthustranced,andthoughthispine-treeshakesdownitssighslikeleavesuponthisshepherd'shead,yetallwerevain,unlesstheshepherd'seyewerefixeduponthemagicstreambeforehim.GovisitthePrairiesinJune,whenforscoresonscoresofmilesyouwadeknee-deepamongTiger-lilies—whatistheonecharmwanting?—Water—thereisnotadropofwaterthere!WereNiagarabutacataractofsand,wouldyoutravelyourthousandmilestoseeit?WhydidthepoorpoetofTennessee,uponsuddenlyreceivingtwohandfulsofsilver,deliberatewhethertobuyhimacoat,whichhesadlyneeded,orinvesthismoneyinapedestriantriptoRockawayBeach?Whyisalmosteveryrobusthealthyboywitharobusthealthysoulinhim,atsometimeorothercrazytogotosea?Whyuponyourfirstvoyageasapassenger,didyouyourselffeelsuchamysticalvibration,whenfirsttoldthatyouandyourshipwerenowoutofsightofland?WhydidtheoldPersiansholdtheseaholy?WhydidtheGreeksgiveitaseparatedeity,andownbrotherofJove?Surelyallthisisnotwithoutmeaning.AndstilldeeperthemeaningofthatstoryofNarcissus,whobecausehecouldnotgraspthetormenting,mildimagehesawinthefountain,plungedintoitandwasdrowned.Butthatsameimage,weourselvesseeinallriversandoceans.Itistheimageoftheungraspablephantomoflife;andthisisthekeytoitall.

Now,whenIsaythatIaminthehabitofgoingtoseawheneverIbegintogrowhazyabouttheeyes,andbegintobeoverconsciousofmylungs,IdonotmeantohaveitinferredthatIevergotoseaasapassenger.Fortogoasapassengeryoumustneedshaveapurse,andapurseisbutaragunlessyouhavesomethinginit.Besides,passengersgetsea-sick—growquarrelsome—don'tsleepofnights—donotenjoythemselvesmuch,asageneralthing;—no,Inevergoasapassenger;nor,thoughIamsomethingofasalt,doIevergotoseaasaCommodore,oraCaptain,oraCook.Iabandonthegloryanddistinctionofsuchofficestothosewholikethem.Formypart,Iabominateallhonorablerespectabletoils,trials,andtribulationsofeverykindwhatsoever.ItisquiteasmuchasIcandototakecareofmyself,withouttakingcareofships,barques,brigs,schooners,andwhatnot.Andasforgoingascook,—thoughIconfessthereisconsiderablegloryinthat,acookbeingasortofofficeronship-board—yet,somehow,Ineverfanciedbroilingfowls;—thoughoncebroiled,judiciouslybuttered,andjudgmaticallysaltedandpeppered,thereisnoonewhowillspeakmorerespectfully,nottosayreverentially,ofabroiledfowlthanIwill.ItisoutoftheidolatrousdotingsoftheoldEgyptiansuponbroiledibisandroastedriverhorse,thatyouseethemummiesofthosecreaturesintheirhugebake-housesthepyramids.

No,whenIgotosea,Igoasasimplesailor,rightbeforethemast,plumbdownintotheforecastle,alofttheretotheroyalmast-head.True,theyratherordermeaboutsome,andmakemejumpfromspartospar,likeagrasshopperinaMaymeadow.Andatfirst,thissortofthingisunpleasantenough.Ittouchesone'ssenseofhonor,particularlyifyoucomeofanoldestablishedfamilyintheland,theVanRensselaers,orRandolphs,orHardicanutes.Andmorethanall,ifjustprevioustoputtingyourhandintothetar-pot,youhavebeenlordingitasacountryschoolmaster,makingthetallestboysstandinaweofyou.Thetransitionisakeenone,Iassureyou,fromaschoolmastertoasailor,andrequiresastrongdecoctionofSenecaandtheStoicstoenableyoutogrinandbearit.Buteventhiswearsoffintime.

Whatofit,ifsomeoldhunksofasea-captainordersmetogetabroomandsweepdownthedecks?Whatdoesthatindignityamountto,weighed,Imean,inthescalesoftheNewTestament?DoyouthinkthearchangelGabrielthinksanythingthelessofme,becauseIpromptlyandrespectfullyobeythatoldhunksinthatparticularinstance?Whoain'taslave?Tellmethat.Well,then,howevertheoldseacaptainsmayordermeabout—howevertheymaythumpandpunchmeabout,Ihavethesatisfactionofknowingthatitisallright;thateverybodyelseisonewayorotherservedinmuchthesameway—eitherinaphysicalormetaphysicalpointofview,thatis;andsotheuniversalthumpispassedround,andallhandsshouldrubeachother'sshoulder-blades,andbecontent.

Again,Ialwaysgotoseaasasailor,becausetheymakeapointofpayingmeformytrouble,whereastheyneverpaypassengersasinglepennythatIeverheardof.Onthecontrary,passengersthemselvesmustpay.Andthereisallthedifferenceintheworldbetweenpayingandbeingpaid.Theactofpayingisperhapsthemostuncomfortableinflictionthatthetwoorchardthievesentaileduponus.Butbeingpaid,—whatwillcomparewithit?Theurbaneactivitywithwhichamanreceivesmoneyisreallymarvellous,consideringthatwesoearnestlybelievemoneytobetherootofallearthlyills,andthatonnoaccountcanamoniedmanenterheaven.Ah!howcheerfullyweconsignourselvestoperdition!

Finally,Ialwaysgotoseaasasailor,becauseofthewholesomeexerciseandpureairoftheforecastledeck.Forasinthisworld,headwindsarefarmoreprevalentthanwindsfromastern(thatis,ifyouneverviolatethePythagoreanmaxim),soforthemostparttheCommodoreonthequarter-deckgetshisatmosphereatsecondhandfromthesailorsontheforecastle.Hethinkshebreathesitfirst;butnotso.Inmuchthesamewaydothecommonaltyleadtheirleadersinmanyotherthings,atthesametimethattheleaderslittlesuspectit.Butwhereforeitwasthatafterhavingrepeatedlysmelttheseaasamerchantsailor,Ishouldnowtakeitintomyheadtogoonawhalingvoyage;thistheinvisiblepoliceofficeroftheFates,whohastheconstantsurveillanceofme,andsecretlydogsme,andinfluencesmeinsomeunaccountableway—hecanbetteranswerthananyoneelse.And,doubtless,mygoingonthiswhalingvoyage,formedpartofthegrandprogrammeofProvidencethatwasdrawnupalongtimeago.Itcameinasasortofbriefinterludeandsolobetweenmoreextensiveperformances.Itakeitthatthispartofthebillmusthaverunsomethinglikethis:

"GrandContestedElectionforthePresidencyoftheUnitedStates."WHALINGVOYAGEBYONEISHMAEL."BLOODYBATTLEINAFFGHANISTAN."

ThoughIcannottellwhyitwasexactlythatthosestagemanagers,theFates,putmedownforthisshabbypartofawhalingvoyage,whenothersweresetdownformagnificentpartsinhightragedies,andshortandeasypartsingenteelcomedies,andjollypartsinfarces—thoughIcannottellwhythiswasexactly;yet,nowthatIrecallallthecircumstances,IthinkIcanseealittleintothespringsandmotiveswhichbeingcunninglypresentedtomeundervariousdisguises,inducedmetosetaboutperformingthepartIdid,besidescajolingmeintothedelusionthatitwasachoiceresultingfrommyownunbiasedfreewillanddiscriminatingjudgment.

Chiefamongthesemotiveswastheoverwhelmingideaofthegreatwhalehimself.Suchaportentousandmysteriousmonsterrousedallmycuriosity.Thenthewildanddistantseaswhereherolledhisislandbulk;theundeliverable,namelessperilsofthewhale;these,withalltheattendingmarvelsofathousandPatagoniansightsandsounds,helpedtoswaymetomywish.Withothermen,perhaps,suchthingswouldnothavebeeninducements;butasforme,Iamtormentedwithaneverlastingitchforthingsremote.Ilovetosailforbiddenseas,andlandonbarbarouscoasts.Notignoringwhatisgood,Iamquicktoperceiveahorror,andcouldstillbesocialwithit—wouldtheyletme—sinceitisbutwelltobeonfriendlytermswithalltheinmatesoftheplaceonelodgesin.

Byreasonofthesethings,then,thewhalingvoyagewaswelcome;thegreatflood-gatesofthewonderworldswungopen,andinthewildconceitsthatswayedmetomypurpose,twoandtwotherefloatedintomyinmostsoul,endlessprocessionsofthewhale,and,midmostofthemall,onegrandhoodedphantom,likeasnowhillintheair.