- description
- # WE VISIT THE SHIP
## Overview
This is a subsection from Chapter LXXVI, "AN ISLAND JILT—WE VISIT THE SHIP" of Herman Melville's novel *Omoo*, extracted from the file [omoo.txt](arke:01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ). It describes the narrator and Doctor Long Ghost's visit to the ship Leviathan in the harbor of Taloo.
## Context
The subsection is part of [Chapter LXXVI](arke:01KG8AJNJB18W83V81B5VSVY7H) of *Omoo*, and is preceded by the subsection [AN ISLAND JILT](arke:01KG8AKGC7V6NVTBWDA4XP4JV6), which recounts their encounter with a lovelorn English carpenter. The novel *Omoo* and the text file [omoo.txt](arke:01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ) are part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection.
## Contents
The narrator and Doctor Long Ghost visit the ship Leviathan. They find the sailors unwelcoming and hear grim stories about the ship's misfortunes: a lost whaleboat crew, deserting sailors, and an absent captain. A Belfast sailor warns them against shipping on the vessel, citing mistreatment and starvation. Despite the warnings, they stay for supper, enjoying the sea-beef. The narrator is impressed by the mate's voice and the ship's appearance, describing it as a comfortable old whaler. They leave with a more positive impression of the ship than the sailors conveyed.
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- 2026-01-30T20:49:16.514Z
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- description_title
- WE VISIT THE SHIP
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- 10511
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- 2026-01-30T20:48:06.132Z
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- text
- All alone in the harbour lay the good ship Leviathan. We jumped into
the canoe, and paddled off to her. Though early in the afternoon,
everything was quiet; but upon mounting the side we found four or five
sailors lounging about the forecastle, under an awning. They gave us no
very cordial reception; and though otherwise quite hearty in
appearance, seemed to assume a look of ill-humour on purpose to honour
our arrival. There was much eagerness to learn whether we wanted to
“ship”; and by the unpleasant accounts they gave of the vessel, they
seemed desirous to prevent such a thing if possible.
We asked where the rest of the ship’s company were; a gruff old fellow
made answer, “One boat’s crew of ’em is gone to Davy Jones’s
locker:—went off after a whale, last cruise, and never come back agin.
All the starboard watch ran away last night, and the skipper’s ashore
kitching ’em.”
“And it’s shipping yer after, my jewels, is it?” cried a curly-pated
little Belfast sailor, coming up to us, “thin arrah! my livelies, jist
be after sailing ashore in a jiffy:—the divil of a skipper will carry
yees both to sea, whether or no. Be off wid ye thin, darlints, and
steer clear of the likes of this ballyhoo of blazes as long as ye live.
They murther us here every day, and starve us into the bargain. Here,
Dick, lad, har! the poor divil’s canow alongside; and paddle away wid
yees for dear life.”
But we loitered awhile, listening to more inducements to ship; and at
last concluded to stay to supper. My sheath-knife never cut into better
sea-beef than that which we found lying in the kid in the forecastle.
The bread, too, was hard, dry, and brittle as glass; and there was
plenty of both.
While we were below, the mate of the vessel called out for someone to
come on deck. I liked his voice. Hearing it was as good as a look at
his face. It betokened a true sailor, and no taskmaster.
The appearance of the Leviathan herself was quite pleasing. Like all
large, comfortable old whalers, she had a sort of motherly look:—broad
in the beam, flush decks, and four chubby boats hanging at the breast.
Her sails were furled loosely upon the yards, as if they had been worn
long, and fitted easy; her shrouds swung negligently slack; and as for
the “running rigging,” it never worked hard as it does in some of your
“dandy ships,” jamming in the sheaves of blocks, like Chinese slippers,
too small to be useful: on the contrary, the ropes ran glibly through,
as if they had many a time travelled the same road, and were used to
it.
When evening came, we dropped into our canoe, and paddled ashore; fully
convinced that the good ship never deserved the name which they gave
her.
- title
- WE VISIT THE SHIP