Two Years Before the Mast

About This Book

Two Years Before the Mast is author Richard Henry Dana, Jr.'s personal narrative of his two-year adventure at sea as an able seaman in 1834 - 1836. Leaving behind the life of a privileged university student, Dana set out to test himself against the hardship of the sea and the life of a sailor. Dana joined the crew of the sailing ship Pilgrim for her voyage around Cape Horn to the coast of California where they traded for cattle hides. Dana's narrative captures the hardships, hopes, adventures, tedium, and dangers of the ordinary sailor in the days of wooden sailing ships. Dana's Two Years Before the Mast also provides a fascinating description of the landscape, people, culture and economy of early, wild, colonial, California prior to significant settlement and development. Dana's narrative also provides a factually accurate account of the harrowing dangers involved in any passage around Cape Horn in the days of tall ships. A riveting and historically accurate description of maritime/nautical adventure with all of its inherent dangers.