Chapter 1: Call Me Ishmael
My name is Ishmael. Some years ago, I decided to go whaling and see the world. I had little money in my pockets, but I had a strong desire for adventure and the open sea.
I arrived in New Bedford, a famous whaling port, and found a place to stay at an inn called the Spouter-Inn. The landlord, a man named Peter Coffin, told me that all the beds were full except one that I would have to share with a stranger.
I did not mind sharing a room, for I was used to humble accommodations. Little did I know that this stranger would become my closest friend and change my life forever. His name was Queequeg, a harpooner from the South Seas.