The Meeting of Sky and Water

On the second day of the journey, the author drops a few clues about his identity.

Sunday – June 26^th
Was awakened last night by a violent
rocking & rolling of the vessel. Looked out &
saw that there was considerable motion to the
water. Mr. Scudder (another passenger) came to
berth & said the wind had freshened into
quite a brisk breeze – as the air felt cold
from without & I was very comfortable in
my berth I though I would not get up.
Turned out at about 8 o’clk. Found the prom
deck very enlivening. The vessel was careening
finely with all sails set. The sun had just
arisen & shone across the waves casting a
silvery glow upon their crests. Land was entire-
ly out of sight & for the first time I experienced
being the centre of a circle bounded by the
meeting of sky & water. A Bark was in view
towards the south under full sail keeping ap-
parently the same course as ourselves.
Took breakfast at 10 o’clk & then went on
deck again & sat on the hen-coop _ Called my
unpractical imagination into play, & fancied how
affairs were going on at Lexington. The same
sun which here was extremely grateful in
tempering the chill air which blew across the
water, there was met by little opposing influences
so that its rays were even oppressive. I could [fan-
cy] the drowsy stillness of a Sabbath morning
on shore. The warm sun, the mild atmosphere,
the singing of birds & finally the peal of the
church-bell. Here the air was cool & pen-
etrating, – the only sounds the rustling and dashing
of the waters, the creaking & rattling of the
rigging & the occasional orders to the men, varied
by frequent calls for the “Mousse” – Then I
thought of internal the interior & domestic move-
ments at home; of being roused at length after 
oft-repeated calls, of taking my customary late
breakfast, & Sunday morning walk about the farm
again of getting ready for church, & particularly
of shaving, from which ‘lingering penance”, I
mean to exempt myself, during the voyage at
least. Still with all these thoughts I was
not home-sick, nor sea-sick. In fact, I feel
as if I should like to be just a little sick.
Have passed the day in lounging & walking on
deck, & in eating, sleeping & reading below. Have
read part of the Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne.