Two Years Before the Mast

Two Years Before the Mast is an enduring American classic that recounts Richard Henry Dana's two-year journey as a sailor aboard the brig Pilgrim, sailing around Cape Horn. Written as a diary and later published, the book offers a vivid account of his adventures at sea. Dana, a Harvard-educated lawyer and politician, embarked on this voyage in part to improve his health after a childhood illness affected his eyesight.