How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
In several works descriptive of the islands in the Pacific, many of the most beautiful combinations of vocal sounds have been altogether lost to the ear of the reader by an over-attention to the ordinary rules of spelling. (Preface.4)
Melville was forced to continue this, just by writing the words down. How do you think he felt doing it?
Quote #2
Over all the landscape there reigned the most hushed repose, which I almost feared to break, lest, like the enchanted gardens in the fairy tale, a single syllable might dissolve the spell. (7.46)
For a moment here, it's almost like spoken language is something that exists outside of the Marquesas, only out in the "civilized world." Of course that's not true.
Quote #3
I then uttered a few words of their language with which I was acquainted, scarcely expected that they would understand me, but to show that we had not dropped from the clouds upon them. (10.11)
What non-Spanish speaker, in a room or nation full of fluent folks, hasn't tried the ol' "No habla Español," (or similar), and then hoped for the best?