From the archives - Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana

Almost ten years ago I came across a reference to Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana. I found an online version of the book and read it during my lunch hour. It was a great read.

Richard was born in Cambridge, MA, in 1815. Due to a problem with his eyes he decided to take a break in the middle of going to Harvard College. He signed on as a common seaman. He spent two years as seaman. Officers bearth behind the mast; regular sailers slept in front of the mast.

Richard traveled to California, worked on tanning hides, and then brought them back. The book is a fascinating account. In great detail he writes about the every day events.

After gold was discovered in California Richard's book become very popular as a reference for what life was like in California.

If you are interested in what it was like to work at sea in the late 1840s, this is the book to read.


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Technorati tags: autobiography, ocean