Moby Dick

Transcript

Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Call me Ishmael some years ago. Never mind how long precisely having little or no money in my purse and nothing particular to interest me on shore. I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth. Whenever it is damp, drizzly November in my soul, whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet. And especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street and methodically knocking people's hats off. Then I count at high time to get to see as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball with a philosophical flourish. Cato throws himself upon his sword. I quietly take to the ship. There's nothing surprising in this if they but knew it almost all men in their degrees some time or other cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the oceans with me. There now is your insular city of the Manhattans belted around by wharves as Indian Isles by coral reefs. Calmer surrounds it with her surf right and left the streets. Take you water. It's extreme. Downtown is the battery where that noble mold is washed by waves and cooled by breezes which a few hours previous were out of sight of land. Look at the crowds of water gazers there.