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CHAPTER1
MynameisArthurGordonPym.Myfatherwasarespectabletrader
insea-storesatNantucket,whereIwasborn.Mymaternalgrandfather
wasanattorneyingoodpractice.Hewasfortunateineverything,and
hadspeculatedverysuccessfullyinstocksoftheEdgartonNewBank,
asitwasformerlycalled.Bytheseandothermeanshehadmanaged
tolaybyatolerablesumofmoney.Hewasmoreattachedtomyself,
Ibelieve,thantoanyotherpersonintheworld,andIexpected
toinheritthemostofhispropertyathisdeath.Hesentme,atsixyears
ofage,totheschoolofoldMr.Ricketts,agentlemanwithonlyone
armandofeccentricmanners—heiswellknowntoalmostevery
personwhohasvisitedNewBedford.IstayedathisschooluntilIwas
sixteen,whenIlefthimforMr.E.Ronald’sacademyonthehill.Here
IbecameintimatewiththesonofMr.Barnard,asea-captain,who
generallysailedintheemployofLloydandVredenburgh—Mr.
BarnardisalsoverywellknowninNewBedford,andhasmany
relations,Iamcertain,inEdgarton.HissonwasnamedAugustus,and
hewasnearlytwoyearsolderthanmyself.Hehadbeenonawhaling
voyagewithhisfatherintheJohnDonaldson,andwasalwaystalking
tomeofhisadventuresintheSouthPacificOcean.Iusedfrequently
togohomewithhim,andremainallday,andsometimesallnight.
Weoccupiedthesamebed,andhewouldbesuretokeepmeawake
untilalmostlight,tellingmestoriesofthenativesoftheIsland
ofTinian,andotherplaceshehadvisitedinhistravels.AtlastIcould
nothelpbeinginterestedinwhathesaid,andbydegreesIfeltthe
greatestdesiretogotosea.IownedasailboatcalledtheAriel,and
worthaboutseventy-fivedollars.Shehadahalf-deckorcuddy,and
wasriggedsloop-fashion—Iforgethertonnage,butshewouldholdten
personswithoutmuchcrowding.Inthisboatwewereinthehabit
ofgoingonsomeofthemaddestfreaksintheworld;and,whenInow
thinkofthem,itappearstomeathousandwondersthatIamaliveto-
day.
Iwillrelateoneoftheseadventuresbywayofintroduction
toalongerandmoremomentousnarrative.Onenighttherewasaparty
atMr.Barnard’s,andbothAugustusandmyselfwerenotalittle
intoxicatedtowardthecloseofit.Asusual,insuchcases,Itookpart
ofhisbedinpreferencetogoinghome.Hewenttosleep,asIthought,
veryquietly(itbeingnearonewhenthepartybrokeup),andwithout
sayingawordonhisfavoritetopic.Itmighthavebeenhalfanhour