SURE, ye've been to sea before now; sure of that ?" "Sir," said I, "I thought I told you that I had been four voyages in the merchant--" "Hard down out of that! Mind what I said about the marchant service--don't aggravate me--I won't have it.

But let us understand each other.

I have given thee a hint about what whaling is; do ye yet feel inclined for it ?" "I do, sir." "Very good.

Now, art thou the man to pitch a harpoon down a live whale's throat, and then jump after it?
Answer, quick!" "I am, sir, if it should be positively indispensable to do so; not to be got rid of, that is; which I don't take to be the fact." "Good again.

Now then, thou not only wantest to go a-whaling, to find out by experience what whaling is, but ye also want to go in order to see the world?
Was not that what ye said?
I thought so.