Two Years Before the Mast (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
- First Published: 1840
- Type of Work: Memoir
- Principal Characters: Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
- Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir
- Subjects: Culture, North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Traveling or travelers, Voyages, Friendship, Manners or customs, Social life, California, West, U.S., Ships, Sailing or sailors, Lifestyles, Sea or seafaring life, Adventure, Ocean
- Locales: California, Boston, MA, Oceans
The Story:
In August, 1834, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., shipped aboard the brig Pilgrim out of Boston for a voyage to California as an ordinary seaman. He hoped that the journey would relieve his eye trouble and upon his return planned to reenter Harvard College. Since Dana was a greenhorn, he was forced to bunk in the steerage instead of in the forecastle with the other sailors. At first his duties were confusing, doubly so during the first two days, for he was violently seasick. He soon found his sea legs, however, and quickly learned shipboard routine: During the day,...
[The entire page is 2730 words long]
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