Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to Narrative of A. Gordon Pym,” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. III: Tales - part 02 (1902), 3:329-333

[page 329:]

The text follows the edition of 1838.

Griswold varies slightly in punctuation from 1838, but shows no verbal difference.

NOTE. — Two instalments of this tale appeared in the Southern Literary Messenger for 1837; the first, in the January number, including Chapter I (pp. 5-16) and a part of Chapter II (page 17 to “The middle of June,” line 11, page 20); the second, in the February number, including the remainder of Chapter II (line 11, page 20, to page 35), Chapter III (pp. 36-46), and a part of Chapter IV (from page 47 to “A scene,’‘ etc., line 32, page 50).

No further instalments appeared in the magazine.

The tale as we now have it was published in book form in 1838 (London). It includes the chapters previously published in the Southern Literary Messenger, with moderate revision (see below).

The full title on title-page of the edition of 1838 reads as follows: —

Variations of the Southern Literary Messenger from the text.

Page 5 l. 4 everything (every thing) l. 7 means (means,) l. 15 stayed (staid) l. 15 sixteen (fourteen) l. 16 academy (cap.) l. 18 sea captain (sea-captain) l. 26 him, (o. c.) page 6 l. 1 Island (s. l. ) l. 5 and (, and) l. 6 half (half-) l. 10 world; (:) l. 12-13 I will ... narrative (o.) l. 18 quietly (quietly,) l. 19 up), (up,)) l. 26 southwest (south-west) l. 29 coolly (cooly) l. 30 however, (;) page 7 l. 14 lumber-yard (o. h.) l. 15 , and (o. c.) l. 30 that, (, that) l. 33 that (, that) page 8 l. 4, too, (o. c.) l. 12 by (bye) l. 13 by. (bye.) l. 13 such a (a similar) l. 20 is (i.) l. 21 , in (o. c.) l. 24 matter (matter!) l. 29 glazed; (,) l. 32 I (I had) page 9 l. 2 demeanour (demeanor) l. 7 had (, had) l. 19 daybreak (day-break) l. 27 to (;) l. 29 , and (o. c.) l. 30 gradually (, gradually,) l. 31 ; and (,) page 10 l. 3 and (and,) l. 9 occasionally (occasionally over the counter) l. 13 boat; (,) l. 14 drowning (drowning,) l. 15 , I (o. c.) l. 18 ringbolt (ring-bolt) page 11 l. 12 look-out (o. h.) l. 23 rubbed (, rubbed,) l. 23 moment (moment,) l. 28 further (farther) l. 29 look-out (o. h.) l. 33 and, (o. c.) l. 33 while, (o. c.) l. 34 ; that (,) page 12 l. 1 ; and (,) l. 7 such (so base) l. 10 hanged (hung) l. 1 and (and,) l. 14 , in (o. c.) l. 19 , as (o. c.) l. 25 , the (o. c.) page 13 l. 11 , and (o. c.) l. 17 that (that,) l. 29 behaviour (behavior) page 14 l. 9 Indeed, (o. c.) l. 18 that (which) l. 25 ringbolt (ring-bolt) l. 33 , no (o. c.) page 15 l. 9 wound (wrapped,) l. 10 folds (folds,) l. 11 upward (upwards) l. 18 , and (o. c.) l. 20 , and (o. c.) [page 331:] l. 25 endeavoured (endeavored) l. 32 connection (connexion) page 16 l. 5 death (death,) l. 7 half (half,) l. 29 conversations (conversations,) l. 30 me, (o. c.) page 17 l. 1 pro (n. i.) l. 1 con. (n. i.) l. 4 would (, would) l. 12 colour (color) l. 12 of (, of) l. 15 ocean (ocean,) l. 19 although, (o. c.) l. 20 , too (o. c.) l. 25 a (a long) l. 26 gray (grey) page 18 l. 6 , indeed, (o. c.) l. 8 About ... disaster, (During the three or four months immediately succeeding the period of the Ariel's disaster,) l. 14 seaworthy (sea-worthy) l. 16 and (o.) l. 19 ready, (o. c.) l. 25 design; (,) l. 30 hazards; (,) page 19 l. 3 with (, with) l. 19 , without (o. c) l. 25 June (April,) l. 26 , and (o. c.) l. 27 , a (o. c.) l. 33-34 hiding- (o. h.) page 20 l. 6 cabin; (,) l. 7 , he (o. c.) l. 11 June (April) l. 12 written (written,) l. 18 but, (o. c.) l. 19 favour (favor) l. 21 distance, (o. c.) l. 23 recognized (recognised) l. 24 corner, (o. c.) l. 25 appear, (o. c.) l. 26 me, (o. c.) l. 27 grandfather. (,) l. 33 — “sir (, “Sir) l. 33 ; my (—) page 21 l. 2 one. (!) l. 8 me, (o. c.) l. 10 ; and (,) l. 12 , “Won’t (“won’t) l. 13 -for- (o. h.) l. 19 forecastle (steerage) l. 27 whaling-vessel (o. h.) l. 30 carpet (carpet,) l. 32 , in short, (o. c.) page 22 l. 4 bulkheads (bulk-heads) l. 10 bulkheads (bulk-heads) l. 14 room, (—) l. 23 at (, where it joined the shifting boards,) l. 26 , and (o. c.) page 23 l. 10 high, (o. c.) l. 12 , again, (o. c.) l. 13 matting, (o. c.) l. 14 around (around,) l. 17 barrels, (o. c.) l. 20 after-ward (afterwards) l. 23 labour (labor) l. 30 me, (o. c.) l. 31 time, (o. c.) l. 33 , ink, (o. c.) page 24 l. 10-11 , he said, (o. c.) l. 11 hiding-place (o. h.) l. 13 hold, (o. c.) l. 14 trapdoor (trap-door) l. 22 June (April) l. 24 without (, without) page 25 l. 2 weigh (way) l. 7 aboveboard (above board) l. 10 you, (o. c.) l. 18 idea, (o. c.) l. 30 expedition (cap.) page 17 l. 6 sound, (o. c.) l. 14 , indeed, (o. c.) l. 21 , from (o. c) l. 22 larboard, (o. c.) l. 22 all along (, all along,) l. 24 neighbourhood (neighborhood) l. 30 endeavour (endeavor) l. 32 state-room (state-room) page 28 l. 4 , I (o. c.) l. 5 , by (o. c.) l. 8 deserts, (o. c.) l. 9 , and (o. c.) l. 11 gray (grey) l. 18 mercy, (o. c.) l. 20 stood, (o. c.) l. 20 alone, (o. c) l. 20 sand-plains (o. h.) l. 23 feet, (o. c.) l. 28 , then, (o. c.) l. 29 Now, (o. c.) [page 332:] l. 29 least, (o. c.) page 29 l. 1-2 have neither (neither have) l. 9 eyeballs (eye-balls) l. 14 ; but (—) l. 15 , when, (o. c.) l. 15 whine, (o. c.) l. 17 , and (o. c) l. 25 and (and,) l. 32 but, (o. c.) l. 33 degrees, (o. c.) page 30 l. 2 and (and,) l. 14 around (round) l. 16 afterward (afterwards) l. 19 down; ( —) l. 22 time; (—) l. 26 water; (—) l. 26 burnt (burned) l. 34 so (, so) page 31 l. 12 found (found,) l. 13 but, (o. c.) l. 14 expected (expected,) l. 15 them), (them,)) l. 18 my (, my) l. 22 for (, for) l. 22 in (, in) l. 28 with (, with) l. 34 I (, I) page 32 l. 3 ship-furniture (o. h.) l. 4 leave (quit) l. 14 endeavour (endeavor) page 33 l. 1 , I (o. c.) l. 1 after (, after) l. 2 labour (labor) l. 2 prying (prizing) l. 2 off; (,) l. 7 line (line,) l. 9 touch (touch,) page 34 l. 1 to (, to) l. 10 as (, as) l. 17 behaviour (behavior) l. 25 injury; (,) l. 29 afterward (afterwards) page 35 l. 3 hand, (o. c.) l. 5 , I (o. c.) page 36 l. 3 to (, to) l. 8 away (away,) l. 12 endeavoured (endeavored) l. 14 articles; (—) l. 20 endeavoured (endeavored) l. 23 and, (o. c.) l. 24 box (box,) l. 26 Now, (o. c.) page 37 l. 1 it (it,) l. 3 , and (o. c.) l. 7 taperwax (taper- wax) l. 19 dark (dark,) l. 22 that (that,) l. 22 ; by (:) l. 27 further (farther) l. 28 to (, to) l. 29 my (, my) l. 31 precisely (precisely,) l. 32 opium (opium,) l. 34 the (, the) page 38 l. 12 surface; (,) l. 19 once (once,) l. 30 and, (o. c.) page 39 l. 1 and (and,) l. 1 respect (respect,) l. 2 fact (fact,) l. 7 rage (rage,) l. 16 got (gotten) l. 18 endeavoured (endeavored) l. 21 famous), (famous,)) l. 31 , I (o. c.) page 40 l. 17 on (in) l. 23 forefinger (fore-finger) l. 25 as (it as) l. 29 other, (o. c.) l. 34 M (M.) page 41 l. 8 appeared — (:) l. 17 , too (o. c.) l. 19 appear — (! —) page 42 l. 1 felt (felt,) l. 25 troubles, (o. c.) l. 26 headache (headach) l. 32 and (, and) page 43 l. 2 demeanour (demeanor) l. 8 afterward (afterwards) l. 18 behaviour (behavior) l. 23 or (, or) l. 24 hold (hold,) page 44 l. 2 fore-legs (o. h.) l. 6 endeavoured (endeavored) l. 6 speech (voice) l. 7 carving (carving-) l. 8 dead, (o. c) l. 10 this, (o. c.) l. 15 knees, (o. c.) l. 22 boldly (bodily) l. 25 , I (o. c.) l. 25 got (gotten) l. 30 mind, (o. c.) l. 34 floor (ground) page 46 l. 1 word (word,) l. 4 oh, (o. c.) l. 4 Hush — (I —) [page 333:] l. 6 agitation; (,) l. 18 afforded (, afforded) page 47 l. 3 June (April) l. 5 period, (o. c.) l. 11 days (days,) l. 25 stay (stay,) page 48 l. 3 down (down,) l. 6 stateroom (state-room) l. 17 fish-oil (o. h.) l. 20 whaling vessel (whaling-vessel) l. 24 me (me,) l. 30 mean while (meanwhile) l. 34 , therefore (o. c.) page 49 l. 1 to (, to) l. 6 points (points,) l. 10 stateroom (state-room) l. 11 threshold (threshold,) l. 18 -way (o. h.) l. 22 eying (eyeing) l. 26 staterooms (state-rooms) l. 28 besides (beside) page 50 l. 3 you (you!) l. 4 that (that!) l. 5 — at (o. d.) l. 5 last (last,) l. 7 mate, (o. c.) l. 8 manner, (o. c.) l. 10 deck, (o. c.) l. 15 neither by (by neither) l. 30 , in all (in all,).