Melville had a long seafaring career before beginning to write Moby-Dick
Timeline:
1839: Melville joins the St. Lawrence
December 1840: Melville signs articles for the Acushnet whaling cruise
January 1841: Acushnet sets sail on its maiden voyage
June 1841: The Boatsteerer jumps ship and is replaced by Melville
June 1842: The Acushnet arrives on Nuka Hiva, Marquesas
July 1842: Melville is dissatisfied with French imperialism
1842: The economic recession causes tensions on the Acushnet
July 9th, 1842: Melville and shipmate Greene decide to desert the Acushnet
July 1842: Melville and Greene are capture by cannibals
August 1842: Melville escapes Taipis
August 1842: Melville joins Australian ship, Lucy Ann
1842: Melville refuses to work, aligns with the rest of the mutinous crew
September-October 1842: Melville jailed in Tahiti for mutiny
November 1842: Melville sails with Nantucket whaler, Charles and Henry, he is later promoted to boatsteerer
1843: Melville's contract ends with Charles and Henry
February 1843: Melville sails to the Sandwich Islands (Hawai'i), and finds the islands colonized by British
August 1843: In Honolulu, Melville joins frigate USS United States as a seaman
October 1844: Returns to Massachusetts on board the USS United States
Much of Melville's writing concerning natives, islands, whaling etc. obviously comes from first-hand experience. It also seems that many of Ishmael's ruminations and descriptions could actually just be Melville's own narration. Much of Melville's experience with imperialism and racialized relationships comes from this time period.
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