 to have been sheer
fabrications) well adapted to have weight with one of my enthusiastic
temperament and somewhat gloomy although glowing imagination. It is strange,
too, that he most strongly enlisted my feelings in behalf of the life of a
seaman, when he depicted his more terrible moments of suffering and despair. For
the bright side of the painting I had a limited sympathy. My visions were of
shipwreck and famine; of death or captivity among barbarian hordes; of a
lifetime dragged out in sorrow and tears, upon some gray and desolate rock, in
an ocean unapproachable and unknown. Such visions or desires - for they amounted
to desires - are common, I have since been assured, to the whole numerous race
of the melancholy among men - at the time of which I speak I regarded them only
as prophetic glimpses of a destiny which I felt myself in a measure bound to
fulfil. Augustus thoroughly entered into my state of mind. It is probable,
indeed, that our intimate communion had resulted in a partial interchange of
character.
    About eighteen months after the period of the Ariel's disaster, the firm of
Lloyd and Vredenburgh (a house connected in some manner with the Messieurs
Enberby, I believe, of Liverpool) were engaged in repairing and fitting out the
brig Grampus for a whaling voyage. She was an old 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 and good vessels belonging to the same owners - but so it
was. Mr. Barnard was appointed to command her, and Augustus was going with him.
While the brig was getting ready, he frequently urged upon me the excellency of
the opportunity now offered for indulging my desire of travel. He found me by no
means an unwilling listener - yet the matter could not be so easily arranged. My
father made no direct opposition; but my mother went into hysterics at the bare
mention of the design; and, more than all, my grandfather, from whom I expected
much, vowed to cut me off with a shilling if I should ever broach the subject to
him again. These difficulties, however, so far from abating my desire, only
added fuel to the flame. I determined to go at all hazards; 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
