These mystic creatures, suddenly translated by night from unutterable solitudes to our peopled deck, affected me in a manner not
easy to unfold. They seemed newly crawled forth from beneath the foundations of the world. In context, lines 33-35 (“These mystic creatures...of the world”) could be used to support which of the following claims about Melville’s tone?
(A) He does not seem impressed with the tortoises, so his tone is detached.
(B) He recognizes the tortoises’ otherworldliness, so his tone is one of awe.
(C) He believes the tortoises don’t belong on board so his tone is disdainful.
(D) He opposes the tortoises’ presence on the deck, so his tone is negative.
(E) He feels a kinship with the tortoises, so his tone is affectionate.
