Autobiography· Two Years Before the Mast· Richard Henry Dana
Two Years Before the Mast
Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr. is a vivid autobiographical account of life at sea aboard a merchant sailing ship in the 1830s. After leaving Harvard because of poor health, Dana joins the crew of the Pilgrim and spends…
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Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr. is a vivid autobiographical account of life at sea aboard a merchant sailing ship in the 1830s. After leaving Harvard because of poor health, Dana joins the crew of the Pilgrim and spends two years working as an ordinary sailor. He describes the demanding labor, harsh discipline, dangers of the sea, and daily life of the crew, as well as voyages along the California coast and around Cape Horn. Combining adventure, travel writing, and social observation, the book provides a detailed firsthand portrait of nineteenth-century maritime life and the experiences of working sailors.
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- Published
- 10 September 2026
- Format
- Book
- Extent
- 36 chapters
- Language
- EN
- Chapters
- 36
- Language
- English
- On Lithril
- September 2026
Chapters
Included with the book
- 011. DEPARTURERead
- 022. FIRST IMPRESSIONS--"SAIL HO!"Read
- 033. SHIP'S DUTIES--TROPICSRead
- 044. A ROGUE--TROUBLE ON BOARD--"LAND HO!"--POMPERO--CAPE HORNRead
- 055. CAPE HORN--A VISITRead
- 066. LOSS OF A MAN--SUPERSTITIONRead
- 077. JUAN FERNANDEZ--THE PACIFICRead
- 088. "TARRING DOWN"--DAILY LIFE--"GOING AFT"--CALIFORNIARead
- 099. CALIFORNIA--A SOUTH-EASTERRead
- 1010. A SOUTH-EASTER--PASSAGE UP THE COASTRead
- 1111. PASSAGE UP THE COAST--MONTEREYRead
- 1212. LIFE AT MONTEREYRead
- 1313. TRADING--A BRITISH SAILORRead
- 1414. SANTA BARBARA--HIDE-DROGHING--HARBOR DUTIES--DISCONTENT--SAN PEDRORead
- 1515. A FLOGGING--A NIGHT ON SHORE--THE STATE OF THINGS ON BOARD--SAN DIEGORead
- 1616. LIBERTY-DAY ON SHORERead
- 1717. SAN DIEGO--A DESERTION--SAN PEDRO AGAIN--BEATING THE COASTRead
- 1818. Chapter XVIIIRead
- 1919. THE SANDWICH ISLANDERS--HIDE-CURING--WOOD-CUTTING--RATTLE- SNAKES--NEW-COMERSRead
- 2020. LEISURE--NEWS FROM HOME--"BURNING THE WATER"Read
- 2121. CALIFORNIA AND ITS INHABITANTSRead
- 2222. LIFE ON SHORE--THE ALERTRead
- 2323. NEW SHIP AND SHIPMATES--MY WATCHMATERead
- 2424. SAN DIEGO AGAIN--A DESCENT--HURRIED DEPARTURE--A NEW SHIPMATERead
- 2525. RUMORS OF WAR--A SPOUTER--SLIPPING FOR A SOUTH-EASTER--A GALERead
- 2626. SAN FRANCISCO--MONTEREYRead
- 2727. THE SUNDAY WASH-UP--ON SHORE--A SET-TO--A GRANDEE--"SAIL HO!"--A FANDANGORead
- 2828. AN OLD FRIEND--A VICTIM--CALIFORNIA RANGERS--NEWS FROM HOME--LAST LOOKSRead
- 2929. Chapter XXIXRead
- 3030. BEGINNING THE LONG RETURN VOYAGE--A SCARERead
- 3131. Chapter XXXIRead
- 3232. ICE AGAIN--A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON--CAPE HORN--"LAND HO!"--HEADING FOR HOMERead
- 3333. CRACKING ON--PROGRESS HOMEWARD--A PLEASANT SUNDAY--A FINE SIGHT--BY-PLAYRead
- 3434. NARROW ESCAPES--THE EQUATOR--TROPICAL SQUALLS--A THUNDER STORMRead
- 3535. Chapter XXXVRead
- 3636. SOUNDINGS--SIGHTS FROM HOME--BOSTON HARBOR--LEAVING THE SHIPRead
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