Come first and see the water-wheel

Properties

description

# Come first and see the water-wheel ## Overview - What this is (type, form, dates, scope) This is a subsection of text extracted from the file [billy_budd.txt](arke:01KG89J1FFTGRE9J93Z3K29NGY), part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The subsection, labeled "Come first and see the water-wheel," describes a scene within a paper factory, focusing on the water-wheel that powers the machinery. It spans lines 7827-7851 of the source file. ## Context - Background and provenance from related entities This subsection is part of the larger segment titled "II. THE TARTARUS OF MAIDS" ([arke:01KG8AJVQF918PGCQ05DDR9BEW]), a section of a novel extracted from the text file. The text was extracted by the "structure-extraction-lambda" tool. The preceding section is "High Platform Machine" ([arke:01KG8AKGP16VBZJWQ3P2H8KXV3]), and the subsequent section is "This is the rag-room" ([arke:01KG8AKGP1F0MJVC5NXMYJ26W3]). ## Contents - What it contains, key subjects and details The text describes the narrator's encounter with a "lively lad" who guides him through the paper factory. The lad directs the narrator to view the water-wheel, which is described as "dark colossal" and "grim with its one immutable purpose." The narrator observes the wheel's function in powering the factory's machinery. The narrator then asks if the factory prints, to which the lad responds with suspicion. The scene sets a tone of industrial labor and the process of paper production.

description_generated_at

2026-01-30T20:49:34.834Z

description_model

gemini-2.5-flash-lite

description_title

Come first and see the water-wheel

end_line

7851

extracted_at

2026-01-30T20:48:05.323Z

extracted_by

structure-extraction-lambda

source_file

01KG89J1FFTGRE9J93Z3K29NGY

start_line

7827

text

‘Come first and see the water-wheel,’ said this lively lad, with the air of boyishly-brisk importance. Quitting the folding-room, we crossed some damp, cold boards, and stood beneath a great wet shed, incessantly showering with foam, like the green barnacled bow of some East Indiaman in a gale. Round and round here went the enormous revolutions of the dark colossal water-wheel, grim with its one immutable purpose. ‘This sets our whole machinery a-going, sir; in every part of all these buildings; where the girls work and all.’ I looked, and saw that the turbid waters of Blood River had not changed their hue by coming under the use of man. ‘You make only blank paper; no printing of any sort, I suppose? All blank paper, don’t you?’ ‘Certainly; what else should a paper-factory make?’ The lad here looked at me as if suspicious of my common-sense. ‘Oh, to be sure!’ said I, confused and stammering; ‘it only struck me as so strange that red waters should turn out pale chee--paper, I mean.’

title

Come first and see the water-wheel