

                                Herman Melville

                                     Typee

                                       To
 
                                  Lemuel Shaw
 
               Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
                  This Little Work is Affectionately Inscribed
                                 by the Author

                                    Preface

 
More than three years have elapsed since the occurrence of the events recorded
in this volume. The interval, with the exception of the last few months, has
been chiefly spent by the author tossing about on the wide ocean. Sailors are
the only class of men who nowadays see anything like stirring adventure; and
many things which to fireside people appear strange and romantic, to them seem
as commonplace as a jacket out at elbows. Yet, notwithstanding the familiarity
of sailors with all sorts of curious adventure, the incidents recorded in the
following pages have often served, when spun as a yarn, not only to relieve the
weariness of many a night-watch at sea, but to excite the warmest sympathies of
the author's shipmates. He has been therefore led to think that his story could
scarcely fail to interest those who are less familiar than the sailor with a
life of adventure.
    In his account of the singular and interesting people among whom he was
thrown, it will be observed that he chiefly treats of their more obvious
peculiarities; and, in describing their customs, refrains in most cases from
entering into explanations concerning their origin and purposes. As writers of
travels among barbarous communities are generally very diffuse on these
subjects, he deems it right to advert to what may be considered a culpable
omission. No one can be more sensible than the author of his deficiencies in
this and many other respects; but when the very peculiar circumstances in which
he was placed are understood, he feels assured that all these omissions will be
excused.
    In very many published narratives no little degree of attention is bestowed
upon dates; but as the author lost all knowledge of the days of the week, during
the occurrence of the scenes herein related, he hopes that the reader will
charitably pass over his shortcomings in this particular.
    In the Polynesian words used in this volume - except in those cases where
the spelling has been previously determined by others - that form of orthography
has been employed, which might be supposed most easily to convey their sound to
a stranger. In several works descriptive of the islands in the Pacific, many of
the most beautiful combinations of vocal sounds have been altogether lost to the
ear of the reader by an over-attention to the ordinary rules of spelling.
    There are a few passages in the ensuing chapters which may be thought to
bear rather hard upon a reverend order of men, the account of whose proceedings
in different quarters of the globe - transmitted to us through their own hands
