Richard Henry Dana Jr. entered Harvard in 1831 but was forced to abandon his studies after two years due to eye trouble caused by measles. Dana shipped out as a common seaman onboard the American merchant ship
Pilgrim, convinced that time at sea would help cure his affliction. The ship left Boston on August 14, 1834, just two weeks after his nineteenth birthday, on a mission to then-Mexican California to collect animal hides.
From the moment he steps on board, Dana is confronted with the grueling nature of life at sea. He describes in vivid detail the brutal working conditions, the treacherous storms, the heavy labor required to operate a sailing ship, and..." data-title="Книга Two Years Before the Mast">
