On December 31, 1841, the young Herman Melville, thirsty for adventure, signed a pledge aboard the whaling ship theAcushnet. A few days later, the ship left the island of Nantucket, located in the eastern United States off Cape Cod, the home port of the whalers. But, quickly, life on board turns to hell. Captain Pease turns out to be a terrible tyrant. What disappointment! The young Herman imagined himself as an adventurer facing the sea, here he is treated like vermin.
From then on, the 22-year-old young man only thinks of deserting. With sailor Richard Tobias Green, who has become his only friend on board, he waits for the right opportunity to put his plan into action. The opportunity presented itself on July 9, 1842, when theAcushnet drops anchor in front of the island of Nuku Hiva in…