finally, i always go to sea as a sailor, because of the wholesome exercise and pure air of the fore-castle deck. for as in this world, head winds are far more prevalent than winds from astern (that is, if you never violate the pythagorean maxim), so for the most part the commodore on the quarter-deck gets his atmosphere at second hand from the sailors on the forecastle. he thinks he breathes it first; but not so. in much the same way do the commonalty lead their leaders in many other things, at the same time that the leaders little suspect it. but wherefore it was that after having repeatedly smelt the sea as a merchant 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 constant surveillance of me, and secretly dogs me, and influences me in some unaccountable way—he can better answer than any one else. and, doubtless, my going on this whaling voyage, formed part of the grand programme of providence that was drawn up a long time ago. it came in as a sort of brief interlude and solo between more extensive performances. i take it that this part of the bill must have run something like this: