There now is your insular city of the Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs-commerce surrounds it with her surf. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword I quietly take to the ship. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth whenever it is a 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 account it high time tozz get to sea as soon as I can. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation.

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.

How long is tell me why chapter 1