Delightful inducements to embark, fine chance for promotion,
it seems—aye, a stove boat will make me an immortal by brevet. Yes,
there is death in this business of whaling—a speechlessly quick
chaotic bundling of a man into Eternity. But what then? Methinks we have
hugely mistaken this matter of Life and Death. Methinks that what they
call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in
looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oyster...