MOREthanthreeyearshaveelapsedsincetheoccurrenceoftheeventsrecordedinthisvolume。Theinterval，withtheexceptionofthelastfewmonths，hasbeenchieflyspentbytheauthortossingaboutonthewideocean。Sailorsaretheonlyclassofmenwhonow-a-daysseeanythinglikestirringadventure；andmanythingswhichtofire-sidepeopleappearstrangeandromantic，tothemseemascommonplaceasajacketoutatelbows。Yet，notwithstandingthefamiliarityofsailorswithallsortsofcuriousadventure，theincidentsrecordedinthefollowingpageshaveoftenserved，when“spunasayarn，“notonlytorelievethewearinessofmanyanight-watchatsea，buttoexcitethewarmestsympathiesoftheauthor’sshipmates。Hehasbeen，therefore，ledtothinkthathisstorycouldscarcelyfailtointerestthosewhoarelessfamiliarthanthesailorwithalifeofadventure。
　　Inhisaccountofthesingularandinterestingpeopleamongwhomhewasthrown，itwillbeobservedthathechieflytreatsoftheirmoreobviouspeculiarities；and，indescribingtheircustoms，refrainsinmostcasesfromenteringintoexplanationsconcerningtheiroriginandpurposes。Aswritersoftravelsamongbarbarouscommunitiesaregenerallyverydiffuseonthesesubjects，hedeemsitrighttoadverttowhatmaybeconsideredaculpableomission。Noonecanbemoresensiblethantheauthorofhisdeficienciesinthisandmanyotherrespects；butwhentheverypeculiarcircumstancesinwhichhewasplacedareunderstood，hefeelsassuredthatalltheseomissionswillbeexcused。
　　Inverymanypublishednarrativesnolittledegreeofattentionisbestowedupondates；butastheauthorlostallknowledgeofthedaysoftheweek，duringtheoccurrenceofthesceneshereinrelated，hehopesthatthereaderwillcharitablypassoverhisshortcomingsinthisparticular。
　　InthePolynesianwordsusedinthisvolume-exceptinthosecaseswherethespellinghasbeenpreviouslydeterminedbyothers-thatformoforthographyhasbeenemployedwhichmightbesupposedmosteasilytoconveytheirsoundtoastranger。InseveralworksdescriptiveoftheislandsinthePacific，manyofthemostbeautifulcombinationsofvocalsoundshavebeenaltogetherlosttotheearofthereaderbyanover-attentiontotheordinaryrulesofspelling。
　　Therearesomethingsrelatedinthenarrativewhichwillbesuretoappearstrange，orperhapsentirelyincomprehensible，tothereader；buttheycannotappearmoresotohimthantheydidtotheauthoratthetime。Hehasstatedsuchmattersjustastheyoccurred，andleaveseveryonetoformhisownopinionconcerningthem，trustingthathisanxiousdesiretospeaktheunvarnishedtruthwillgainforhimtheconfidenceofhisreaders。
　　SIXmonthsatsea！Yes，reader，asIlive，sixmonthsoutofsightofland；cruisingafterthespermwhalebeneaththescorchingsunoftheLine，andtossedonthebillowsofthewide-rollingPacific-theskyabove，theseaaround，andnothingelse！Weeksandweeksagoourfreshprovisionswereallexhausted。Thereisnotasweetpotatoleft；
　　notasweetpotatoleft；notasingleyam。Thosegloriousbunchesofbananaswhichoncedecoratedoursternandquarter-deck，have，alas，disappeared！andthedeliciousorangeswhichhungsuspendedfromourtopsandstays-they，too，aregone！Yes，theyarealldeparted，andthereisnothingleftusbutsalt-horseandsea-biscuit。
　　Oh！forarefreshingglimpseofonebladeofgrass-forasnuffatthefragranceofahandfuloftheloamyearth！Istherenothingfresharoundus？Istherenogreenthingtobeseen？Yes，theinsideofourbulwarksispaintedgreen；butwhatavileandsicklyhueitis，asifnothingbearingeventhesemblanceofverdurecouldflourishthiswearywayfromland。Eventhebarkthatonceclungtothewoodweuseforfuelhasbeengnawedoffanddevouredbythecaptain’spig；
　　andsolongago，too，thatthepighimselfhasinturnbeendevoured。
　　Thereisbutonesolitarytenantinthechicken-coop，onceagayanddapperyoungcock，bearinghimsobravelyamongthecoyhens。
　　Butlookathimnow；therehestands，mopingallthedaylongonthateverlastingonelegofhis。Heturnswithdisgustfromthemouldycornbeforehim，andthebrackishwaterinhislittletrough。Hemournsnodoubthislostcompanions，literallysnatchedfromhimonebyone，andneverseenagain。Buthisdaysofmourningwillbefew；
　　forMungo，ourblackcook，toldmeyesterdaythatthewordhadatlastgoneforth，andpoorPedro’sfatewassealed。Hisattenuatedbodywillbelaidoutuponthecaptain’stablenextSunday，andlongbeforenightwillbeburied，withalltheusualceremonies，beneaththatworthyindividual’svest。WhowouldbelievethattherecouldbeanyonesocruelastolongforthedecapitationofthelucklessPedro；
　　yetthesailorsprayeveryminute，selfishfellows，thatthemiserablefowlmaybebroughttohisend。Theysaythecaptainwillneverpointtheshipforthelandsolongashehasinanticipationamessoffreshmeat。Thisunhappybirdcanalonefurnishit；andwhenheisoncedevoured，thePeter；captainwillcometohissenses。Iwishtheenoharm，Peter；butasthouartdoomed，soonerorlater，tomeetthefateofallthyrace；andifputtingaperiodtothyexistenceistobethesignalforourdeliverance，why-truthtospeak-Iwishthythroatcutthisverymoment；for，oh！howIwishtoseethelivingearthagain！Theoldshipherselflongstolookoutuponthelandfromherhawseholesoncemore；andJackLewissaidrighttheotherdaywhenthecaptainfoundfaultwithhissteering。
　　“Why，d’yesee，CaptainVangs，“saysboldJack，“I’masgoodahelmsmanaseverputhandtospoke；butnoneofuscansteertheoldladynow。Wecan’tkeepherfullandbye，sir:watchhereversoclose，shewillfalloff；andthen，sir，whenIputthehelmdownsogently，andtryliketocoaxhertothework，shewon’ttakeitkindly，butwillfallroundoffagain；andit’sallbecausesheknowsthelandisunderthelee，sir，andshewon’tgoanymoretowindward。“Ay，andwhyshouldshe，Jack？didn’teveryoneofherstouttimbersgrowonshore，andhasn’tshesensibilitiesaswellaswe？
　　Pooroldship！Herverylooksdenoteherdesires:howdeplorablesheappears！Thepaintonhersides，burntupbythescorchingsun，ispuffedoutandcracked。Seetheweedsshetrailsalongwithher，andwhatanunsightlybunchofthesehorridbarnacleshasformedaboutherstern-piece；andeverytimesheshowshercoppertorn，awayorhanginginjaggedstrips。
　　Pooroldship！Isayagain:forsixmonthsshehasbeenrollingandpitchingabout，neverforonemomentatrest。Butcourage，oldlass，Ihopetoseetheesoonwithinabiscuit’stossofthemerryland，ridingsnuglyatanchorinsomegreencove，andshelteredfromtheboisterouswinds。
　　“Hurrah，mylads！It’sasettledthing；nextweekweshapeourcoursetotheMarquesas！“TheMarquesas！Whatstrangevisionsofoutlandishthingsdoestheverynamespiritup！Lovelyhouris-
　　cannibalbanquets-grovesofcocoa-nuts-coralreefs-tattooedchiefs-
　　andbambootemples；sunnyvalleysplantedwithbread-fruittrees-
　　carvedcanoesdancingontheflashingbluewaters-savagewoodlandsguardedbyhorribleidols-heathenishritesandhumansacrifices。
　　Suchwerethestrangelyjumbledanticipationsthathauntedmeduringourpassagefromthecruisingground。Ifeltanirresistiblecuriositytoseethoseislandswhichtheoldenvoyagershadsoglowinglydescribed。
　　ThegroupforwhichwewerenowsteeringalthoughamongtheearliestofEuropeandiscoveriesintheSouthSeas，havingbeenfirstvisitedintheyear1595stillcontinuestobetenantedbybeingsasstrangeandbarbarousasever。Themissionaries，sentonaheavenlyerrand，hadsailedbytheirlovelyshores，andhadabandonedthemtotheiridolsofwoodandstone。Howinterestingthecircumstancesunderwhichtheywerediscovered！InthewaterypathofMendanna，cruisinginquestofsomeregionofgold，theseisleshadsprunguplikeasceneofenchantment，andforamomenttheSpaniardbelievedhisbrightdreamwasrealized。InhonouroftheMarquessdeMendoza，thenviceroyofPeru-underwhoseauspicesthenavigatorsailed-hebestoweduponthemthenamewhichdenotedtherankofhispatron，andgavetotheworld，onhisreturn，avagueandmagnificentaccountoftheirbeauty。Buttheseislands，undisturbedforyears，relapsedintotheirpreviousobscurity；anditisonlyrecentlythatanythinghasbeenknownconcerningthem。Onceinthecourseofahalfcentury，tobesure，someadventurousroverwouldbreakinupontheirpeacefulrepose，and，astonishedattheunusualscene，wouldbealmosttemptedtoclaimthemeritofanewdiscovery。
　　Ofthisinterestinggroup，butlittleaccounthaseverbeengiven，ifweexcepttheslightmentionmadeoftheminthesketchesofSouthSeavoyages。Cook，inhisrepeatedcircumnavigationsoftheglobe，barelytouchedattheirshores；andallthatweknowaboutthemisfromafewgeneralnarratives。
　　Withinthelastfewyears，AmericanandEnglishvesselsengagedintheextensivewhalefisheriesofthePacifichaveoccasionally，whenshortofprovisions，putintothecommodiousharbourwhichthereisinoneoftheislands；butafearofthenatives，foundedontherecollectionofthedreadfulfatewhichmanywhitemenhavereceivedattheirhands，hasdeterredtheircrewsfromintermixingwiththepopulationsufficientlytogainanyinsightintotheirpeculiarcustomsandmanners。Indeed，thereisnodusterofislandsinthePacificthathasbeenanylengthoftimediscovered，ofwhichsolittlehashithertobeenknownastheMarquesas，anditisapleasingreflectionthatthisnarrativeofminewilldosomethingtowardswithdrawingtheveilfromregionssoromanticandbeautiful。
　　ICANneverforgettheeighteenortwentydaysduringwhichthelighttrade-windsweresilentlysweepingustowardstheislands。Inpursuitofthespermwhale，wehadbeencruisingontheLinesometwentydegreestothewestwardoftheGallipagos；andallthatwehadtodo，whenourcoursewasdeterminedon，wastosquareintheyardsandkeepthevesselbeforethebreeze，andthenthegoodshipandthesteadygaledidtherestbetweenthem。Themanatthewheelnevervexedtheoldladywithanysuperfluoussteering，butcomfortablyadjustinghislimbsatthetiller，woulddozeawaybythehour。Truetoherwork，theDollyheadedtohercourse，andlikeoneofthosecharacterswhoalwaysdobestwhenletalone，shejoggedonherwaylikeaveteranoldsea-pacerasshewas。
　　Whatadelightful，lazy，languidtimewehadwhilstwewerethusglidingalong！Therewasnothingtobedone；acircumstancethathappilysuitedourdisinclinationtodoanything。Weabandonedthefore-peakaltogether，andspreadinganawningovertheforecastle，slept，ate，andloungedunderitthelive-longday。Everyoneseemedtobeundertheinfluenceofsomenarcotic。Eventheofficersaft，whosedutyrequiredthemnevertobeseatedwhilekeepingadeckwatch，vainlyendeavouredtokeepontheirpins；andwereobligedinvariablytocompromisethematterbyleaningupagainstthebulwarks，andgazingabstractedlyovertheside。Readingwasoutofthequestion；takeabookinyourhand，andyouwereasleepinaninstant。
　　AlthoughIcouldnotavoidyieldinginagreatmeasuretothegenerallanguor，stillattimesIcontrivedtoshakeoffthespell，andtoappreciatethebeautyofthescenearoundme。Theskypresentedaclearexpanseofthemostdelicateblue，exceptalongtheskirtsofthehorizon，whereyoumightseeathindraperyofpalecloudswhichnevervariedtheirformorcolour。Thelong，measured，dirge-likeswellofthePacificcamerollingalong，withitssurfacebrokenbylittletinywaves，sparklinginthesunshine。Everynowandthenashoalofflyingfish，scaredfromthewaterunderthebows，wouldleapintotheair，andfallthenextmomentlikeashowerofsilverintothesea。Thenyouwouldseethesuperbalbicore，withhisglitteringsides，sailingaloft，andafterdescribinganarcinhisdescent，disappearonthesurfaceofthewater。Faroff，theloftyjetofthewhalemightbeseen，andnearerathandtheprowlingshark，thatvillanousfootpadoftheseas，wouldcomeskulkingalong，and，atawarydistance，regarduswithanevileye。Attimes，someshapelessmonsterofthedeep，floatingonthesurface，would，asweapproached，sinkslowlyintothebluewaters，andfadeawayfromthesight。Butthemostimpressivefeatureofthescenewasthealmostunbrokensilencethatreignedoverskyandwater。Scarcelyasoundcouldbeheardbuttheoccasionalbreathingofthegrampus，andtheripplingatthecut-water。