Ishmael arrives in New Bedford on a cold December Saturday, intending to continue on to Nantucket to join a whaling voyage. However, he misses the last boat and must stay in town for the weekend.

With little money and no acquaintances, he wanders the dark, freezing streets searching for cheap lodging. He passes several inns that seem too expensive or lively for his situation, and briefly stumbles into what turns out to be a church, mistaking it for a tavern.

Eventually, he finds a run-down, ominously named inn—the Spouter Inn—which he chooses because it looks affordable. Along the way, Ishmael reflects on poverty, comfort, and perspective, comparing the suffering of the poor (like Lazarus) with the ease of the wealthy (like Dives), emphasizing how environment shapes experience.

Overall, this episode sets the mood: lonely, cold, and uncertain, while introducing Ishmael’s reflective and philosophical voice as he prepares to enter the world of whaling.