- description
- # SKETCH FIRST. THE ISLES AT LARGE.
## Overview
This entity is a section of a larger text, titled "SKETCH FIRST. THE ISLES AT LARGE.". It is part of the collection "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" and was extracted from the file "[the_piazza_tales.txt](arke:01KG89J1F4D8P9BBX9AMGZ7TX7)". This section is comprised of four distinct chunks of text.
## Context
This section is a component of "The Piazza Tales," a collection of short stories by Herman Melville. The text was extracted and processed as part of a larger archival effort to digitize and organize Melville's complete works.
## Contents
This section contains four chunks of text that collectively form the narrative of "SKETCH FIRST. THE ISLES AT LARGE.". The content describes the desolate and seemingly uninhabitable nature of the Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles. It details their volcanic origins, lack of vegetation and rainfall, and the unique, often harsh, wildlife, including tortoises, lizards, and snakes. The text also touches upon the peculiar currents and winds surrounding the islands, contributing to their reputation as enchanted or illusory. The narrative further explores the folklore surrounding the tortoises, with a superstition that wicked sea officers are transformed into these creatures upon death. The author reflects on the vivid, almost hallucinatory, impressions these islands leave on the mind.
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- SKETCH FIRST. THE ISLES AT LARGE.
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- title
- SKETCH FIRST. THE ISLES AT LARGE.