{"id":"01KG8AJQ6B5EJ43MTDY4RXMBYG","cid":"bafkreicfwswifwtlqt237w4aza3nkdqsbccg4lpj2rieefua2o343fn32a","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER XVII. In High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita\n## Overview - What this is (type, form, dates, scope)\nThis is a chapter from the novel [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA), extracted from the text file [mardi_vol1.txt](arke:01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK). The chapter, labeled \"CHAPTER XVII. In High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita,\" was extracted on January 30, 2026, and spans lines 1825-1880 of the source text. It is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection.\n\n## Context - Background and provenance from related entities\nThis chapter follows \"CHAPTER XVI. They Are Becalmed\" (arke:01KG8AJQ68J5CTKYVCQF7SWBDF) and precedes \"CHAPTER XVIII. My Lord Shark And His Pages\" (arke:01KG8AJQXPXZBGB18678DG9X9S). The novel and its chapters were extracted by the \"structure-extraction-lambda\" tool.\n\n## Contents - What it contains, key subjects and details\nThe chapter describes the crew's journey, noting the passage of time and lack of land in sight. They are in \"high spirits\" and discuss the improving taste of their water supply. The chapter also includes a discussion of the Viking's consumption of tobacco and his resulting distaste for it. The chapter concludes with a description of the crew's activities, including the sea-tailor and the drying of clothes.\n","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:49:10.700Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"CHAPTER XVII. In High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita","end_line":1880,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:39.468Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER XVII. In High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita","source_file":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","start_line":1825,"text":"CHAPTER XVII.\r\nIn High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita\r\n\r\n\r\nThere were now fourteen notches on the loom of the Skyeman’s oar:—So\r\nmany days since we had pushed from the fore-chains of the Arcturion.\r\nBut as yet, no floating bough, no tern, noddy, nor reef-bird, to denote\r\nour proximity to land. In that long calm, whither might not the\r\ncurrents have swept us?\r\n\r\nWhere we were precisely, we knew not; but according to our reckoning,\r\nthe loose estimation of the knots run every hour, we must have sailed\r\ndue west but little more than one hundred and fifty leagues; for the\r\nmost part having encountered but light winds, and frequent intermitting\r\ncalms, besides that prolonged one described. But spite of past calms\r\nand currents, land there must be to the westward. Sun, compass, stout\r\nhearts, and steady breezes, pointed our prow thereto. So courage! my\r\nViking, and never say drown!\r\n\r\nAt this time, our hearts were much lightened by discovering that our\r\nwater was improving in taste. It seemed to have been undergoing anew\r\nthat sort of fermentation, or working, occasionally incident to ship\r\nwater shortly after being taken on board. Sometimes, for a period, it\r\nis more or less offensive to taste and smell; again, however, becoming\r\ncomparatively limpid.\r\n\r\nBut as our water improved, we grew more and more miserly of so\r\npriceless a treasure.\r\n\r\nAnd here it may be well to make mention of another little circumstance,\r\nhowever unsentimental. Thorough-paced tar that he was, my Viking was an\r\ninordinate consumer of the Indian weed. From the Arcturion, he had\r\nbrought along with him a small half-keg, at bottom impacted with a\r\nsolitary layer of sable Negrohead, fossil- marked, like the primary\r\nstratum of the geologists. It was the last tier of his abundant supply\r\nfor the long whaling voyage upon which he had embarked upwards of three\r\nyears previous. Now during the calm, and for some days after, poor\r\nJarl’s accustomed quid was no longer agreeable company. To pun: he\r\neschewed his chew. I asked him wherefore. He replied that it puckered\r\nup his mouth, above all provoked thirst, and had somehow grown every\r\nway distasteful. I was sorry; for the absence of his before ever\r\npresent wad impaired what little fullness there was left in his cheek;\r\nthough, sooth to say, I no longer called upon him as of yore to shift\r\nover the enormous morsel to starboard or larboard, and so trim our\r\ncraft.\r\n\r\nThe calm gone by, once again my sea-tailor plied needle and thread; or\r\nturning laundress, hung our raiment to dry on oars peaked obliquely in\r\nthe thole-pins. All of which tattered pennons, the wind being astern,\r\nhelped us gayly on our way; as jolly poor devils, with rags flying in\r\nthe breeze, sail blithely through life; and are merry although they are\r\npoor!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER XVII. In High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJQ68J5CTKYVCQF7SWBDF","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJQXPXZBGB18678DG9X9S","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:40.747Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:11.688Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}