INnoaffairsofmereprejudice，proorcon，dowededuceinferenceswithentirecertainty，evenfromthemostsimpledata。ItmightbesupposedthatacatastrophesuchasIhavejustrelatedwouldhaveeffectuallycooledmyincipientpassionforthesea。Onthecontrary，Ineverexperiencedamoreardentlongingforthewildadventuresincidenttothelifeofanavigatorthanwithinaweekafterourmiraculousdeliverance。Thisshortperiodprovedamplylongenoughtoerasefrommymemorytheshadows，andbringoutinvividlightallthepleasurablyexcitingpointsofcolor，allthepicturesqueness，ofthelateperilousaccident。MyconversationswithAugustusgrewdailymorefrequentandmoreintenselyfullofinterest。HehadamannerofrelatinghisstoriesoftheoceanmorethanonehalfofwhichInowsuspecttohavebeensheerfabrications
welladaptedtohaveweightwithoneofmyenthusiastictemperamentandsomewhatgloomyalthoughglowingimagination。Itisstrange，too，thathemoststronglyenlistedmyfeelingsinbehalfofthelifeofaseaman，whenhedepictedhismoreterriblemomentsofsufferinganddespair。ForthebrightsideofthepaintingIhadalimitedsympathy。Myvisionswereofshipwreckandfamine；ofdeathorcaptivityamongbarbarianhordes；ofalifetimedraggedoutinsorrowandtears，uponsomegrayanddesolaterock，inanoceanunapproachableandunknown。Suchvisionsordesires-fortheyamountedtodesires-arecommon，Ihavesincebeenassured，tothewholenumerousraceofthemelancholyamongmen-atthetimeofwhichIspeakIregardedthemonlyaspropheticglimpsesofadestinywhichIfeltmyselfinameasureboundtofulfil。Augustusthoroughlyenteredintomystateofmind。Itisprobable，indeed，thatourintimatecommunionhadresultedinapartialinterchangeofcharacter。
AbouteighteenmonthsaftertheperiodoftheAriel’sdisaster，thefirmofLloydandVredenburghahouseconnectedinsomemannerwiththeMessieursEnderby，Ibelieve，ofLiverpoolwereengagedinrepairingandfittingoutthebrigGrampusforawhalingvoyage。Shewasanoldhulk，andscarcelyseaworthywhenallwasdonetoherthatcouldbedone。Ihardlyknowwhyshewaschoseninpreferencetoothergoodvesselsbelongingtothesameownersbutsoitwas。Mr。
Barnardwasappointedtocommandher，andAugustuswasgoingwithhim。Whilethebrigwasgettingready，hefrequentlyurgeduponmetheexcellencyoftheopportunitynowofferedforindulgingmydesireoftravel。Hefoundmebynomeansanunwillinglisteneryetthemattercouldnotbesoeasilyarranged。Myfathermadenodirectopposition；butmymotherwentintohystericsatthebarementionofthedesign；and，morethanall，mygrandfather，fromwhomIexpectedmuch，vowedtocutmeoffwithashillingifIshouldeverbroachthesubjecttohimagain。Thesedifficulties，however，sofarfromabatingmydesire，onlyaddedfueltotheflame。Ideterminedtogoatallhazards；and，havingmadeknownmyintentionstoAugustus，wesetaboutarrangingaplanbywhichitmightbeaccomplished。InthemeantimeIforborespeakingtoanyofmyrelationsinregardtothevoyage，and，asIbusiedmyselfostensiblywithmyusualstudies，itwassupposedthatIhadabandonedthedesign。Ihavesincefrequentlyexaminedmyconductonthisoccasionwithsentimentsofdispleasureaswellasofsurprise。TheintensehypocrisyImadeuseofforthefurtheranceofmyproject-anhypocrisypervadingeverywordandactionofmylifeforsolongaperiodoftime-couldonlyhavebeenrenderedtolerabletomyselfbythewildandburningexpectationwithwhichIlookedforwardtothefulfilmentofmylong-cherishedvisionsoftravel。
Inpursuanceofmyschemeofdeception，IwasnecessarilyobligedtoleavemuchtothemanagementofAugustus，whowasemployedforthegreaterpartofeverydayonboardtheGrampus，attendingtosomearrangementsforhisfatherinthecabinandcabinhold。Atnight，however，weweresuretohaveaconferenceandtalkoverourhopes。