{"id":"01KG8AJQXJEFH0GHXTPBBP9R7S","cid":"bafkreidpqaphk4ppmwbktj5o2ncq3qxmfncmsnkv2bromswx5rvocnwzjq","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER XXI. Man Ho!\n## Overview\nThis is a chapter from the novel [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA) by Herman Melville. It was extracted from the file [mardi_vol1.txt](arke:01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK) and is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The chapter appears between [CHAPTER XX. Noises And Portents](arke:01KG8AJQXJFB4YHJ7F6QGR48FR) and [CHAPTER XXII. What Befel The Brigantine At The Pearl Shell Islands](arke:01KG8AJQXPSX6ZT5RCTTVTXBB1).\n\n## Context\nThis chapter is part of a larger work, [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA), a novel by Herman Melville. The text was extracted from a digital file, [mardi_vol1.txt](arke:01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK), which is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection.\n\n## Contents\nThe chapter describes the protagonists' discovery of a stranger, Samoa, and a woman, Annatoo, aboard the brigantine. The protagonists, including Jarl, cautiously approach the stranger in the main-top, who identifies himself as Samoa. Samoa, a tall, dark Islander with one arm, is theatrically dressed in a kilt and turban. He explains that another Islander, Annatoo, is also on board. Samoa then offers to recount the dreadful events that have occurred, with the following six chapters containing his story.\n","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:49:11.663Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"CHAPTER XXI. Man Ho!","end_line":2400,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:39.468Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER XXI. Man Ho!","source_file":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","start_line":2304,"text":"CHAPTER XXI.\r\nMan Ho!\r\n\r\n\r\nSlowly, fitfully, broke the morning in the East, showing the desolate\r\nbrig forging heavily through the water, which sluggishly thumped under\r\nher bows. While leaping from sea to sea, our faithful Chamois, like a\r\nfaithful dog, still gamboled alongside, confined to the main- chains by\r\nits painter. At times, it would long lag behind; then, pushed by a wave\r\nlike lightning dash forward; till bridled by its leash, it again fell\r\nin rear.\r\n\r\nAs the gray light came on, anxiously we scrutinized the features of the\r\ncraft, as one by one they became more plainly revealed. Every thing\r\nseemed stranger now, than when partially visible in the dingy night.\r\nThe stanchions, or posts of the bulwarks, were of rough stakes, still\r\nincased in the bark. The unpainted sides were of a dark-colored,\r\nheathenish looking wood. The tiller was a wry-necked, elbowed bough,\r\nthrusting itself through the deck, as if the tree itself was fast\r\nrooted in the hold. The binnacle, containing the compass, was defended\r\nat the sides by yellow matting. The rigging—shrouds, halyards and\r\nall—was of “Kaiar,” or cocoa-nut fibres; and here and there the sails\r\nwere patched with plaited rushes.\r\n\r\nBut this was not all. Whoso will pry, must needs light upon matters for\r\nsuspicion. Glancing over the side, in the wake of every scupper- hole,\r\nwe beheld a faded, crimson stain, which Jarl averred to be blood.\r\nThough now he betrayed not the slightest trepidation; for what he saw\r\npertained not to ghosts; and all his fears hitherto had been of the\r\nsuper-natural.\r\n\r\nIndeed, plucking up a heart, with the dawn of the day my Viking looked\r\nbold as a lion; and soon, with the instinct of an old seaman cast his\r\neyes up aloft.\r\n\r\nDirectly, he touched my arm,—“Look: what stirs in the main-top?”\r\n\r\nSure enough, something alive was there.\r\n\r\nFingering our arms, we watched it; till as the day came on, a crouching\r\nstranger was beheld.\r\n\r\nPresenting my piece, I hailed him to descend or be shot. There was\r\nsilence for a space, when the black barrel of a musket was thrust\r\nforth, leveled at my head. Instantly, Jarl’s harpoon was presented at a\r\ndart;—two to one;—and my hail was repeated. But no reply.\r\n\r\n“Who are you?”\r\n\r\n“Samoa,” at length said a clear, firm voice.\r\n\r\n“Come down from the rigging. We are friends.”\r\n\r\nAnother pause; when, rising to his feet, the stranger slowly descended,\r\nholding on by one hand to the rigging, for but one did he have; his\r\nmusket partly slung from his back, and partly griped under the stump of\r\nhis mutilated arm.\r\n\r\nHe alighted about six paces from where we stood; and balancing his\r\nweapon, eyed us bravely as the Cid.\r\n\r\nHe was a tall, dark Islander, a very devil to behold, theatrically\r\narrayed in kilt and turban; the kilt of a gay calico print, the turban\r\nof a red China silk. His neck was jingling with strings of beads.\r\n\r\n“Who else is on board?” I asked; while Jarl, thus far covering the\r\nstranger with his weapon, now dropped it to the deck.\r\n\r\n“Look there:—Annatoo!” was his reply in broken English, pointing aloft\r\nto the fore-top. And lo! a woman, also an Islander; and barring her\r\nskirts, dressed very much like Samoa, was beheld descending.\r\n\r\n“Any more?”\r\n\r\n“No more.”\r\n\r\n“Who are _you_ then; and what craft is this?”\r\n\r\n“Ah, ah—you are no ghost;—but are you my friend?” he cried, advancing\r\nnearer as he spoke; while the woman having gained the deck, also\r\napproached, eagerly glancing.\r\n\r\nWe said we were friends; that we meant no harm; but desired to know\r\nwhat craft this was; and what disaster had befallen her; for that\r\nsomething untoward had occurred, we were certain.\r\n\r\nWhereto, Samoa made answer, that it was true that something dreadful\r\nhad happened; and that he would gladly tell us all, and tell us the\r\ntruth. And about it he went.\r\n\r\nNow, this story of his was related in the mixed phraseology of a\r\nPolynesian sailor. With a few random reflections, in substance, it will\r\nbe found in the six following chapters.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER XXI. Man Ho!"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJQXJFB4YHJ7F6QGR48FR","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJQXPSX6ZT5RCTTVTXBB1","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:41.490Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:12.692Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}