- description
- # CHAPTER XII. Landing To Visit Hivohitee The Pontiff, They Encounter An Extraordinary Old Hermit; With Whom Yoomy Has A Confidential Interview, But Learns Little
## Overview
This document is the twelfth chapter of the novel "Mardi: And a Voyage Thither." It details the characters' landing on an island and their encounter with a hermit, who is later revealed to be the Pontiff Hivohitee. The chapter covers the journey inland, the description of the hermit's dwelling, and an interview between the minstrel Yoomy and the hermit.
## Context
This chapter is part of Herman Melville's novel [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJ8ZNB03D0FWFP362WQEN), which was extracted from the file [mardi_vol2.txt](arke:01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9). The novel itself is part of the larger collection [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW). This chapter follows [CHAPTER XI. A Nursery-Tale Of Babbalanja’s](arke:01KG8AJQ1AP6NKPVQG3HCNYE4M) and precedes [CHAPTER XIII. Babbalanja Endeavors To Explain The Mystery](arke:01KG8AJQ15KSJKSA1C1Q9RMDGE).
## Contents
The chapter begins with the protagonists landing on an island and being informed that the Pontiff Hivohitee has retired to his private sanctuary. They proceed inland, guided by Mohi, through various landscapes, including groves with unique flora and a dark, miasmatic glen. They eventually reach a tall, slender bamboo structure, resembling a pagoda, where an old hermit resides. After Mohi summons him, the hermit, with a striking appearance including a necklace of jawbones, invites Yoomy for an interview. The interview takes place in near darkness within the hermit's dwelling, leading to a cryptic exchange where Yoomy learns little. Upon descending, Mohi reveals that the hermit was, in fact, the Pontiff Hivohitee, and the pagoda was the island's oracle, much to Yoomy's surprise and frustration. The chapter is divided into two chunks: [Chunk 1](arke:01KG8AKMH9WA7H00VKQSXGR3WG) and [Chunk 2](arke:01KG8AKMH9A2BA7GH4VHWG7E77).
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- CHAPTER XII. Landing To Visit Hivohitee The Pontiff, They Encounter An Extraordinary Old Hermit; With Whom Yoomy Has A Confidential Interview, But Learns Little
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- CHAPTER XII. Landing To Visit Hivohitee The Pontiff, They Encounter An Extraordinary Old Hermit; With Whom Yoomy Has A Confidential Interview, But Learns Little