out of ten who study those languages at our schools | went to sleep, as I thought, very quietly, (it being near and colleges, acquires even a tolerable knowledge of one when the party broke up,) and without saying a them; and five out of those ten are, in a year or two word on his favorite topic. It might have been half an after they leave college, almost as ignorant of even the rudiments of those languages, as if they had never hour from the time of our getting in bed, and I was seen a book containing them. This would deter a wise just about falling into a doze, when he suddenly started parent from wasting six or eight year's of his son's up, and swore with a terrible oath that he would not early life in so fruitless an attempt, unless he has indu- go to sleep for any Arthur Pym in Christendom, when bitable evidence of that son's ability and disposition there was so glorious a breeze from the south-west. I to study. This assertion of deficiency, discouraging as it may aypear, is by no means exaggerated. Indeed never was so astonished in my life, not knowing what we have seen professors of these languages, men who he intended, and thinking that the wines and liquors lived by teaching them, stumble and blundle over the he had drunk had set him entirely beside himself. He commonest sentences of Latin and Greek, like a boy proceeded to talk very cooly, however; saying he knew over his first school exercise. We have not only seen that I supposed him intoxicated, but that he was never such, but we can produce them, together with graduates by the dozen who do not even pretend to be conversant more sober in his life. He was only tired, he added, with the dead languages. Mathew Carey is right, there of lying in bed on such a fine night like a dog, and was is no question of it; and in nine cases out of ten, the time determined to get up and dress, and go out on a frolic spent on Latin and Greek by the boys in this country, with the boat. I can hardly tell what possessed me, might be more, much more, profitably employed." but the words were no sooner out of his mouth than I felt a thrill of the greatest excitement and pleasure, and thought his mad idea one of the most delightful and most reasonable things in the world. It was blowing almost a gale, and the weather was very cold-it being late in October. I sprang out of bed, nevertheless, in a kind of ecstacy, and told him I was quite as brave as himself, and quite as tired as he was of lying in bed like a dog, and quite as ready for any fun or frolic as any Augustus Barnard in Nantucket.

ARTHUR GORDON PYM.

NO I.

almost thumping her sides out against the rough logs. Augustus got into her and bailed her, for she was nearly half full of water. This being done, we hoisted jib and mainsail, kept full, and started boldly out to sea.

The wind, as I before said, blew freshly from the south-west. The night was very clear and cold. Augustus had taken the helm, and I stationed myself by the mast, on the deck of the cuddy. We flew along at a great rate-neither of us having said a word since casting loose from the wharf. I now asked my companion what course he intended to steer, and what time he thought it probable we should get back. He whistled for a few minutes, and then said crustily, "I am going to sea—you may go home if you think pro

My name is Arthur Gordon Pym. My father was a respectable trader in sea-stores at Nantucket, where I was born. My maternal grandfather was an attorney in good practice. He was fortunate in every thing, and had speculated very successfully in stocks of the Edgarton New-Bank, as it was formerly called. By these We lost no time in getting on our clothes and hurryand other means, he had managed to lay by a tolerable ing down to the boat. She was lying at the old decaysum of money. He was more attached to myself, Ied wharf by the lumber yard of Pankey & Co. and believe, than to any other person in the world, and I expected to inherit the most of his property at his death. He sent me, at six years of age, to the school of old Mr. Ricketts, a gentleman with only one arm, and of eccentric manners-he is well known to almost every person who has visited New Bedford. I staid at his school until I was fourteen, when I left him for Mr. E. Ronald's Academy on the hill. Here I became intimate with the son of Mr. Barnard, a sea-captain, who generally sailed in the employ of Lloyd and Vredenburgh-Mr. Baryard is also very well known in New Bedford, and has many relations, I am certain, in Edgarton. His son was named Augustus, and he was nearly two years older than myself. He had been on a whaling voyage with his father in the John Do-per." Turning my eyes upon him, I perceived at naldson, and was always talking to me of his adventures in the South Pacific Ocean. I used frequently to go home with him and remain all day, and sometimes all night. We occupied the same bed, and he would be sure to keep me awake until almost light, telling me stories of the natives of the island of Tinian, and other places he had visited in his travels. At last I could not help being interested in what he said, and by degrees I felt the greatest desire to go to sea. I owned a sailboat called the Ariel, and worth about seventy-five dollars. She had a half-deck or cuddy, and was rigged sloop-fashion-I forget her tonnage, but she would hold ten persons without much crowding. In this boat we were in the habit of going on some of the maddest freaks in the world: and, when I now think of them, it appears to me a thousand wonders that I am alive to-day. One night there was a party at Mr. Barnard's, and both Augustus and myself were not a little intoxicated towards the close of it. As usual, in such cases, I took part of his bed in preference to going home. He

once, that in spite of his assumed nonchalance, he was greatly agitated. I could see him distinctly by the light of the moon-his face was paler than any marble, and his hand shook so excessively, that he could scarcely retain hold of the tiller. I found that something had gone wrong, and became seriously alarmed. At this period I knew little about the management of a boat, and was now depending entirely upon the nautical skill of my friend. The wind too had suddenly increased, as we were fast getting out of the lee of the land-still I was ashamed to betray any trepidation, and for almost half an hour maintained a resolute silence. I could stand it no longer, however, and spoke to Augustus about the propriety of turning back. As before, it was nearly a minute before he made answer, or took any notice of my suggestion. "By and bye," said he at length-" time enough-home by and bye." I had expected a similar reply, but there was something in the tone of these words which filled me with an indescribable feeling of dread. I again looked at the speaker

sitting position, by passing a rope round his waist, and lashing it to a ring-bolt in the deck of the cuddy. Having thus arranged every thing as well as I could in my chilled and agitated condition, I recommended myself to God, and made up my mind to bear whatever might happen with all the fortitude in my power.

attentively. His lips were perfectly livid, and his knees | (the water being nearly a foot deep just where he fell) shook so violently together, that he seemed scarcely I contrived to raise him partially up, and keep him in a able to stand. "For God's sake, Augustus," I screamed, now heartily frightened, "what ails you?-what is the matter?-what are you going to do?" "Matter!" he stammered in the greatest apparent surprise, letting go the tiller at the same moment, and falling forward into the bottom of the boat-" matter!-why, nothing is the matter-going home-d-d-don't you see?" Hardly had I come to this resolution, when, suddenly, The whole truth now flashed upon me. I flew to him a loud and long scream or yell, as if from the throats and raised him up. He was drunk-beastly drunk of a thousand demons, seemed to pervade the whole he could no longer either stand, speak, or see. His eyes atmosphere around and above the boat. Never while were perfectly glazed, and as I let him go in the extre- I live shall I forget the intense agony of terror I expemity of my despair, he rolled like a mere log into the|rienced at that moment. My hair stood crect on my bilge-water from which I had lifted him. It was evident that, during the evening, he had drunk far more than I had suspected, and that his conduct in bed had been the result of a highly concentrated state of intoxication—| a state which, like madness, frequently enables the victim to imitate the outward demeanor of one in perfect possession of his senses. The coolness of the night air, however, had had its usual effect-the mental en-ral persons were standing over me, and Augustus, paler ergy began to yield before its influence-and the confused perception which he no doubt then had of his perilous situation, had assisted in hastening the catastrophe. He was now thoroughly insensible, and there was no probability that he would be otherwise for many hours.

head-I felt the blood congealing in my veins-my heart ceased utterly to beat, and without having once raised my eyes to learn the source of my alarm, I tumbled headlong and insensible upon the body of my fallen companion.

I found myself, upon reviving, in the cabin of a large whaling-ship (the Penguin) bound to Nantucket. Seve

than death, was busily occupied in chafing my hands. Upon seeing me open my eyes, his exclamations of gratitude and joy excited alternate laughter and tears from the rough looking personages who were present. The mystery of our being in existence was now soon explained. We had been run down by the whaling-ship, It is hardly possible to conceive the extremity of my which was close hauled, beating up to Nantucket with terror. The fumes of the wine lately taken had evapo- every sail she could venture to set, and consequently rated, leaving me doubly timid and irresolute. I knew running almost at right angles to our own course. Several that I was altogether incapable of managing the boat, men were on the look out forward, but did not perceive and that a fierce wind and strong ebb tide were hurry-our boat until it was an impossibility to avoid coming in ing us to destruction. A storm was evidently gather-contact-their shouts of warning upon seeing us were ing behind us; we had neither compass nor provisions; what so terribly alarmed me. The huge ship, I was told, and it was clear that, if we held our present course, we rode immediately over us with as much ease as our own should be out of sight of land before day-break. These little vessel would have passed over a feather, and without thoughts, with a crowd of others equally fearful, flashed the least perceptible impediment to her progress. Not through my mind with a bewildering rapidity, and for a scream arose from the deck of the victim-there was some moments paralyzed me beyond the possibility of a slight grating sound to be heard mingling with the making any exertion. The boat was going through the roar of wind and water, as the frail bark which was water at a terrible rate-full before the wind-no reef swallowed up, rubbed, for a moment, along the keel of in either jib or mainsail-running her bows completely her destroyer-but this was all. Thinking our boat under the foam. It was a thousand wonders she did not (which it will be remembered was dismasted) some broach to; Augustus having let go the tiller, as I said mere shell cut adrift as useless, the captain (Captain before, and I being too much agitated to think of taking E. T. V. Block of New London) was for proceeding it myself. By good luck, however, she kept steady; on his course without troubling himself farther about and, gradually, I recovered some degree of presence of the matter. Luckily, there were two of the look out mind. Still the wind was increasing fearfully, and when- who swore positively to having seen some person at ever we rose from a plunge forward, the sea behind fell our helm, and represented the possibility of yet saving combing over our counter, and deluged us with water. him. A discussion ensued, when Block grew angry, I was so utterly benumbed, too, in every limb, as to be and after a while said that "it was no business of his nearly unconscious of sensation. At length I summoned to be eternally watching for egg-shells, that the ship up the resolution of despair, and, rushing to the mainsail, should not put about for any such nonsense, and if there let it go by the run. As might have been expected, it flew was a man run down, it was nobody's fault but his over the bows, and, getting drenched with water, carried own-he might drown and be d-d," or some lanaway the mast short off by the board. This latter acci-guage to that effect. Henderson, the first mate, now dent alone saved me from instant destruction. Under the took the matter up, being justly indignant, as well as jib only, I now boomed along before the wind, shipping the whole ship's crew, at a speech evincing so base a heavy seas occasionally over the counter, but relieved degree of heartless atrocity. He spoke plainly, seeing from the terror of immediate death. I took the helm, himself upheld by the men, told the captain he conand breathed with greater freedom, as I found that sidered him a fit subject for the gallows, and that he there yet remained to us a chance of ultimate escape. would disobey his orders if he were hung for it the Augustus still lay senseless in the bottom of the boat, moment he set his foot on shore. He strode aft, jostling and as there was imminent danger of his drowning, | Block (who turned very pale and made no answer) on

one side, and, seizing the helm, gave the word in a firm | She was built, however, for the whaling service, and voice, Hard-a-lee! The men flew to their posts, and was fitted, as I have since had reason to believe, with the ship went cleverly about. All this had occupied air-boxes, in the manner of some life-boats used on the nearly five minutes, and it was supposed to be hardly coast of Wales. within the bounds of possibility that any individual could be saved-allowing any to have been on board the boat. Yet as the reader has seen, both Augustus and myself were rescued ; and our deliverance seemed to have been brought about by two of those almost inconceivable pieces of good fortune which are attributed by the wise and pious to the special interference of Providence.

In the meantime, Henderson had again put off from the ship, although the wind was now blowing almost a hurricane. He had not been gone many minutes when he fell in with some fragments of our boat, and shortly afterwards one of the men with him asserted that he could distinguish a cry for help at intervals amid the roaring of the tempest. This induced the hardy sea-failed him; and, as before said, it was nearly an hour men to persevere in their search for more than half an hour, although repeated signals to return were made them by Captain Block, and although every moment on the water in so frail a boat was fraught to them with the most imminent and deadly peril. Indeed it is nearly impossible to conceive how the small jolly they were in could have escaped destruction for a single instant.

ugly appearance, proved of little real consequence, and | brig Grampus for a whaling voyage. She was an old I soon recovered from its effects.

hulk, and scarcely sea-worthy when all was done to her that could be done. I hardly know why she was chosen in preference to other good vessels belonging to the same owners-but so it was. Mr. Barnard was

with him. While the brig was getting ready he frequently urged upon me the excellency of the opportu

The Penguin got into port about nine o'clock in the morning, after encountering one of the severest gales ever experienced off Nantucket. Both Augustus and myself managed to appear at Mr. Barnard's in time for break-appointed to command her, and Augustus was going fast-which, luckily, was somewhat late, owing to the party over night. I suppose all at the table were too much fatigued themselves to notice our jaded appear-nity now offered for indulging my desire of travel. He ance of course, it would not have borne a very found me by no means an unwilling listener-yet the rigid scrutiny. Schoolboys, however, can accomplish matter could not be so casily arranged. My father wonders in the way of deception, and I verily believe made no direct opposition; but my mother went into not one of our friends in Nantucket had the slightest hysterics at the bare mention of the design, and, more suspicion that the terrible story told by some sailors in than all, my grandfather, from whom I expected much, town of their having run down a vessel at sea and vowed to cut me off with a shilling if I should ever drowned some thirty or forty poor devils, had reference broach the subject to him again. These difficulties, either to the Ariel, my companion, or myself. We however, so far from abating my desire, only added two have since very frequently talked the matter over-fuel to the flame. I determined to go at all hazards, but never without a shudder. In one of our conversations, Augustus frankly confessed to me that in his whole life he had at no time experienced so excruciating a sense of dismay, as when on board our little boat he first discovered the extent of his intoxication, and felt himself sinking beneath its influence.

ance.

and, having made known my intention to Augustus, we set about arranging a plan by which it might be accomplished. In the meantime I forbore speaking to any of my relations in regard to the voyage, and, as I busied myself ostensibly with my usual studies, it was supposed that I had abandoned the design. I have In no affairs of mere prejudice, pro or con, do we since frequently examined my conduct on this occasion, deduce inferences with entire certainty even from the with sentiments of displeasure as well as of surprise. most simple data. It might be supposed that a catas-The intense hypocrisy I made use of for the furthertrophe such as I have just related, would have effectu-ance of my project-an hypocrisy pervading every ally cooled my incipient passion for the sea. On the word and action of my life for so long a period of time— contrary, I never experienced a more ardent longing could only have been rendered tolerable to myself by for the wild adventures incident to the life of a navi- the wild and burning expectation with which I looked gator than within a week after our miraculous deliver- forward to the fulfilment of my long-cherished visions This short period proved amply long enough of travel. to erase from my memory the shadows, and bring out In pursuance of my scheme of deception, I was nein vivid light all the pleasurably exciting points of color, cessarily obliged to leave much to the management of all the picturesqueness, of the late perilous accident. | Augustus, who was employed for the greater part of My conversations with Augustus grew daily more fre- every day on board the Grampus, attending to some quent and more intensely full of interest. He had a arrangements for his father in the cabin and cabin hold. manner of relating his stories of the ocean, (more than At night, however, we were sure to have a conference one half of which I now suspect to have been sheer and talk over our hopes. After nearly a month passed fabrications) well adapted to have weight with one of in this manner without our hitting upon any plan we my enthusiastic temperament, and somewhat gloomy thought likely to succeed, he told me at last that he had although glowing imagination. It is strange too, that determined upon every thing necessary. I had a relahe most strongly enlisted my feelings in behalf of the tion living in New Bedford, a Mr. Ross, at whose house life of a seaman, when he depicted his more terrible I was in the habit of spending occasionally two or three moments of suffering and despair. For the bright side weeks at a time. The brig was to sail about the midof the painting I had a limited sympathy. My visions dle of April, (April 1827) and it was agreed that a day were of shipwreck and famine; of death or captivity or two before her putting to sea, my father was to reamong barbarian hordes; of a long life-time dragged ceive a note, as usual, from Mr. Ross, asking me to out in sorrow and tears, upon some grey and desolate come over and spend a fortnight with Robert and rock, in an ocean unapproachable and unknown. Such Emmet (his sons.) Augustus charged himself with the visions or desires-for they amounted to desires-are inditing of this note and getting it delivered. Having common, I have been since assured, to the whole nu- set out, as supposed, for New Bedford, I was then to merous race of the melancholy among men-at the report myself to my companion, who would contrive a time of which I speak I regarded them only as pro-hiding place for me in the Grampus. This hiding phetic glimpses of a destiny which I felt myself in a place, he assured me, would be rendered sufficiently measure bound to fulfil. Augustus thoroughly entered comfortable for a residence of many days, during which into my state of mind. It is probable indeed that our I was not to make my appearance. When the brig had intimate communion had resulted in a partial inter-proceeded so far on her course as to make any turning change of character. back a matter out of question, I should then, he said,

During the three or four months immediately suc-be formally installed in all the comforts of the cabin, ceeding the period of the Ariel's disaster, the firm of and as to his father he would only laugh heartily at the Lloyd and Vredenburgh (a house connected in some joke. Vessels enough would be met with by which a manner with the Messieurs Enderby, I believe, of Li-letter might be sent home explaining the adventure to verpool) were engaged in repairing and fitting out the my parents.