{"id":"01KG8AJVJY3NKAXNE16XRDXXF7","cid":"bafkreidlurlivhg2pbfw5epuau355kc3i3ngom5hcqfehd5x4245xpvh2i","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER LXX. The Minstrel Leads Off With A Paddle-Song; And A Message Is Received From Abroad\n## Overview\nThis is a chapter from the novel [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA) by Herman Melville. It appears in the plain text file [mardi_vol1.txt](arke:01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK). The chapter is labeled \"CHAPTER LXX. The Minstrel Leads Off With A Paddle-Song; And A Message Is Received From Abroad\". It is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection.\n\n## Context\nThis chapter is preceded by [CHAPTER LXIX. The Company Discourse, And Braid-Beard Rehearses A Legend](arke:01KG8AJVHTAE1QV7CGDG9DQPA8) and followed by [CHAPTER LXXI. They Land Upon The Island Of Juam](arke:01KG8AJVHT17EPQFFPY4DKRKSD) in the novel.\n\n## Contents\nThe chapter describes a scene where the minstrel Yoomy leads a paddle-song with the warriors of King Bello. During the song, the travelers are approached by three hooded damsels, heralds of Queen Hautia, who deliver a cryptic message via flowers: Iris (a message), Circe flowers (a spell is weaving), a faded jonquil in wormwood (bitter love in absence), and thrice-waved oleanders (beware). The chapter ends with Babbalanja interpreting the message as a warning to Taji to beware of Hautia.\n","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:49:13.534Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"CHAPTER LXX. The Minstrel Leads Off With A Paddle-Song; And A Message Is Received From Abroad","end_line":7716,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:39.468Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER LXX. The Minstrel Leads Off With A Paddle-Song; And A Message Is Received From Abroad","source_file":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","start_line":7594,"text":"CHAPTER LXX.\r\nThe Minstrel Leads Off With A Paddle-Song; And A Message Is Received\r\nFrom Abroad\r\n\r\n\r\nFrom seaward now came a breeze so blithesome and fresh, that it made us\r\nimpatient of Babbalanja’s philosophy, and Mohi’s incredible legends.\r\nOne and all, we called upon the minstrel Yoomy to give us something in\r\nunison with the spirited waves wide-foaming around us.\r\n\r\n“If my lord will permit, we will give Taji the Paddle-Chant of the\r\nwarriors of King Bello.”\r\n\r\n“By all means,” said Media.\r\n\r\nSo the three canoes were brought side to side; their sails rolled up;\r\nand paddles in hand, our paddlers seated themselves sideways on the\r\ngunwales; Yoomy, as leader, occupying the place of the foremast, or\r\nBow-Paddler of the royal barge.\r\n\r\nWhereupon the six rows of paddle-blades being uplifted, and every eye\r\non the minstrel, this song was sung, with actions corresponding; the\r\ncanoes at last shooting through the water, with a violent roll.\r\n\r\n        (All.)\r\n    Thrice waved on high,\r\n    Our paddles fly:\r\nThrice round the head, thrice dropt to feet:\r\n    And then well timed,\r\n    Of one stout mind,\r\nAll fall, and back the waters heap!\r\n\r\n        (Bow-Paddler.)\r\n    Who lifts this chant?\r\n    Who sounds this vaunt?\r\n\r\n        (All.)\r\nThe wild sea song, to the billows’ throng,\r\n    Rising, falling,\r\n    Hoarsely calling,\r\nNow high, now low, as fast we go,\r\nFast on our flying foe!\r\n\r\n        (Bow-Paddler.)\r\n    Who lifts this chant?\r\n    Who sounds this vaunt?\r\n\r\n        (All.)\r\nDip, dip, in the brine our paddles dip,\r\nDip, dip, the fins of our swimming ship!\r\n    How the waters part,\r\n    As on we dart;\r\n      Our sharp prows fly,\r\n      And curl on high,\r\nAs the upright fin of the rushing shark,\r\nRushing fast and far on his flying mark!\r\n    Like him we prey;\r\n    Like him we slay;\r\n      Swim on the fog,\r\n      Our prow a blow!\r\n\r\n        (Bow-Paddler.)\r\n    Who lifts this chant?\r\n    Who sounds this vaunt?\r\n\r\n        (All.)\r\nHeap back; heap back; the waters back!\r\nPile them high astern, in billows black;\r\n    Till we leave our wake,\r\n    In the slope we make;\r\n    And rush and ride,\r\n    On the torrent’s tide!\r\n\r\n\r\nHere we were overtaken by a swift gliding canoe, which, bearing down\r\nupon us before the wind, lowered its sail when close by: its occupants\r\nsigning our paddlers to desist.\r\n\r\nI started.\r\n\r\nThe strangers were three hooded damsels the enigmatical Queen Hautia’s\r\nheralds.\r\n\r\nTheir pursuit surprised and perplexed me. Nor was there wanting a vague\r\nfeeling of alarm to heighten these emotions. But perhaps I was\r\nmistaken, and this time they meant not me.\r\n\r\nSeated in the prow, the foremost waved her Iris flag. Cried Yoomy,\r\n“Some message! Taji, that Iris points to you.”\r\n\r\nIt was then, I first divined, that some meaning must have lurked in\r\nthose flowers they had twice brought me before.\r\n\r\nThe second damsel now flung over to me Circe flowers; then, a faded\r\njonquil, buried in a tuft of wormwood leaves.\r\n\r\nThe third sat in the shallop’s stern, and as it glided from us, thrice\r\nwaved oleanders.\r\n\r\n“What dumb show is this?” cried Media. “But it looks like poetry:\r\nminstrel, you should know.”\r\n\r\n“Interpret then,” said I.\r\n\r\n“Shall I, then, be your Flora’s flute, and Hautia’s dragoman? Held\r\naloft, the Iris signified a message. These purple-woven Circe flowers\r\nmean that some spell is weaving. That golden, pining jonquil, which you\r\nhold, buried in those wormwood leaves, says plainly to you—Bitter love\r\nin absence.”\r\n\r\nSaid Media, “Well done, Taji, you have killed a queen.” “Yet no Queen\r\nHautia have these eyes beheld.”\r\n\r\nSaid Babbalanja, “The thrice waved oleanders, Yoomy; what meant they?”\r\n\r\n“Beware—beware—beware.”\r\n\r\n“Then that, at least, seems kindly meant,” said Babbalanja; “Taji,\r\nbeware of Hautia.”\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER LXX. The Minstrel Leads Off With A Paddle-Song; And A Message Is Received From Abroad"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJA6157W2830190N652KA","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1HYC04JWXEK48P07WPK","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJVHTAE1QV7CGDG9DQPA8","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJVHT17EPQFFPY4DKRKSD","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:45.246Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:14.360Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}