1941 Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr.

Description

Two Years Before the Mast

Richard Henry Dana Jr.
Illustrated by Dale Nichols
Published by Heritage Press, 1941

Originally published in 1840, Two Years Before the Mast is Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s firsthand account of a two-year voyage aboard a merchant brig between 1834 and 1836. Sailing from Boston around Cape Horn to the California coast, Dana chronicles life before the mast as an ordinary sailor, offering an enduring portrait of maritime life during the age of sail.

This beautifully produced 1941 Heritage Press edition is bound in navy blue cloth panels featuring an elegant gold gilt illustration of a sailing ship beneath stars and a full moon. Decorative illustrated pastedowns and endpapers complement numerous color and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Dale Nichols.

The volume contains 347 pages, all of which remain securely attached to the binding. There are no seam splits, and the text block is firmly secured to the hinges. The binding shows some fading, as illustrated in the accompanying photographs, but remains structurally sound.

Dana’s memoir is regarded as one of the finest firsthand accounts of nineteenth-century seafaring. Beyond documenting the hardships and routines of life aboard ship, he provides remarkable descriptions of the California coast while it was still part of Mexico, recording the missions, ranchos, coastal communities, and cultures he encountered. His observations of San Diego, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and the California hide trade have made this work an important historical source as well as a classic of maritime literature.

A handsome Heritage Press edition for collectors of nautical history, Americana, fine press books, and illustrated classics.

~See all of the pictures posted in the Gallery Area of this posting!~

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