MELVILLE, IhatmA (1819-91). An Ameri can novelist, born in New York City, and note worthy for his stories of the sea. Tle was edu cated nt the _tlhany Classical School, and in New York City. and went to sea in 1S37 in a merchant vessel hound for Liverpool. in 13J1 he rounded Cape Born on 8 whaling cruise. and was so ill treated that in the next year lie and a companion made their eseapc from the ship and \veie taken captives by the 'lypees, a Nvarlike tribe of Nit kalliva. one of the NI:trim...as Islands. panion soon escaped and NIelville was finally res cued after four month. by the crew of an Aus tralian whaler. Ile spent the next two years 11812 III in and about the Pacific Islands, and on his return to New York told the story of his experiences at sea and his romantie captivity in Typc. rt l'erp al l'olyneNion Life During a Jour .11 oaths' leesab nee in a 1 alley 01 the Marquesas ( 18461. which enjoyed a sensational and not lindeserved success. In 1817 Melville niarried the daughter of Chief Justivi• Lemuel Shaw of lassaclitisetts. In 1850 he ItioVelt with his fam ily to Pittsfield. Alass., and returned in 18113 to
New York, where lie occupied a place in the cligonelionse continuously from Isaiti till 18:85. when lieeatise of failing health he resigned. The period of his popularity is embraced in the years IS-11i-52. and was title of rapid production of such stories a: ()moo Mardi (1849); f.'ed bll''''• lli.t l'irNt "Y"Yr : 117ti/c./itc/..c/. or the World ta a Man of Thar 115501. in which the horrors of ) „Mg in the navy were so graphi cally set forth that the abolition of the practice so•in follo‘Ned: 1/ohy Dick, or the White Wholly 118511: and l'icrre. ur the .1 nthiyo(/ at (1852). After 1852 he published three other volumes of Isroel r. Ilis laity )'cars, of (1s551: l'iazza Tales 1S:u;1 ; and 'l b' deuce 11110 (1:7157 ; and later several hooks of poems, lyric and epic, such as Both l'ine's and .Isi.ects of the War I ltiliti) f( in /be Holy Laud 1S71; ; .1tphei llaer rind Mher Nailors : and I I is Tupf. th000, 11ob11 Dick, and White dock, were Tei:diteil in I:492 with an introduction by Arthur Stedman.