But wherefore it was that after having repeatedly smelt the sea as amerchant sailor, I should now take it into my head to go on a whaling voyage;this the invisible police officer of the Fates, who has the constantsurveillance of me, and secretly dogs me, and influences me in someunaccountable way-- he can better answer than any one else. And, doubtless, mygoing on this whaling voyage, formed part of the grand programme of Providencethat was drawn up a long time ago. It came in as a sort of brief interlude andsolo between more extensive performances. I take it that this part of the billmust have run something like this: