Prompt behind Melville's invented proverb "Corrupt as Lima" in Stewart's VISIT TO THE SOUTH SEAS Volume 1

 

Here is the source-text or prompt for Melville's invented proverb "Corrupt as Lima," twice uttered in Moby-Dick chapter 54 (The Town-Ho's Story) by one of Ishmael's supposed listeners and drinking companions at the "Golden Inn" in Lima, Peru.

From A Visit to the South Seas… pic.twitter.com/39wZtmQO9F

— Scott Norsworthy 🇺🇸 (@Melvilliana) October 2, 2024