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CHAPTER2
Innoaffairsofmereprejudice,proorcon,dowededuceinferences
withentirecertainty,evenfromthemostsimpledata.Itmight
besupposedthatacatastrophesuchasIhavejustrelatedwouldhave
effectuallycooledmyincipientpassionforthesea.Onthecontrary,
Ineverexperiencedamoreardentlongingforthewildadventures
incidenttothelifeofanavigatorthanwithinaweekafterour
miraculousdeliverance.Thisshortperiodprovedamplylongenough
toerasefrommymemorytheshadows,andbringoutinvividlightall
thepleasurablyexcitingpointsofcolor,allthepicturesqueness,ofthe
lateperilousaccident.MyconversationswithAugustusgrewdaily
morefrequentandmoreintenselyfullofinterest.Hehadamanner
ofrelatinghisstoriesoftheocean(morethanonehalfofwhichInow
suspecttohavebeensheerfabrications)welladaptedtohaveweight
withoneofmyenthusiastictemperamentandsomewhatgloomy
althoughglowingimagination.Itisstrange,too,thathemoststrongly
enlistedmyfeelingsinbehalfofthelifeofaseaman,whenhedepicted
hismoreterriblemomentsofsufferinganddespair.Forthebrightside
ofthepaintingIhadalimitedsympathy.Myvisionswereofshipwreck
andfamine;ofdeathorcaptivityamongbarbarianhordes;ofalifetime
draggedoutinsorrowandtears,uponsomegrayanddesolaterock,
inanoceanunapproachableandunknown.Suchvisionsordesires—for
theyamountedtodesires—arecommon,Ihavesincebeenassured,
tothewholenumerousraceofthemelancholyamongmen—atthetime
ofwhichIspeakIregardedthemonlyaspropheticglimpses
ofadestinywhichIfeltmyselfinameasureboundtofulfil.Augustus
thoroughlyenteredintomystateofmind.Itisprobable,indeed,that
ourintimatecommunionhadresultedinapartialinterchange
ofcharacter.
AbouteighteenmonthsaftertheperiodoftheAriel’sdisaster,the
firmofLloydandVredenburgh(ahouseconnectedinsomemanner
withtheMessieursEnderby,Ibelieve,ofLiverpool)wereengaged
inrepairingandfittingoutthebrigGrampusforawhalingvoyage.She
wasanoldhulk,andscarcelyseaworthywhenallwasdonetoherthat
couldbedone.Ihardlyknowwhyshewaschoseninpreference
toothergoodvesselsbelongingtothesameowners—butsoitwas.Mr.
Barnardwasappointedtocommandher,andAugustuswasgoingwith
him.Whilethebrigwasgettingready,hefrequentlyurgedupon
metheexcellencyoftheopportunitynowofferedforindulging
