he has a thing about long words

"They [the Magi-lawyers of Minda] were a vain and arrogant race. Upon the strength of their dealing in the dark, they affected even more mystery than belonged to them; when interrogated concerning their science, would confound the inquirer by answers couched in an extraordinary jargon, employing words almost as long as anacondas. But all this greatly prevailed with the common people."  (Mardi)

 

F.  "...It is enough to ruffle one, to have such a long word thrust at him, of a pleasant summer evening, and a thousand miles from a library."

C. "But, good heavens! do not condemn a word for its length. Paleontology is an almost poetical triumph..."  ("Scenes Beyond the Western Border")

also in Scenes and Adventures in the Army with some interesting revisions--now the library image is out, along with the phrase "of a pleasant summer evening"

which by the way is the kind of thing Melville would and did say,
in for example White-Jacket  (1850)

"Of a pleasant midnight, our good frigate, now somewhere off the Capes
of Virginia, was running on bravely..."

and the satirical "Anecdotes of Old Zack" (1847)

"Of a pleasant evening..."

and "I and My Chimney" (1856)

"...my betwisted old grape-vine, that of a summer evening leans in his elbow for cosy company at my window-sill...."