Two Years Before the Mast
- First published
- 1840
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Two Years Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana Jr. is a memoir published in 1840, recounting his 1834-1836 voyage as a common sailor from Boston to California. Dana vividly chronicles life at sea aboard a merchant brig trading for cow hides along the Mexican California coast. He describes navigating Cape Horn's treacherous winter storms, witnessing brutal floggings by his captain, befriending Hawaiian sailors, and observing early California settlements. This groundbreaking account exposed the harsh realities of maritime life and advocated for seamen's rights.
- Seafaring life
- Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882
- Voyages and travels
- Sailors
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #2055. Two Years Before the Mast on Wikipedia.
