Two Years Before the Mast

Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (1815 - 1882)

While there are many books upon the subject of sea life, there are few that can compare with Two Years Before the Mast. It is the story of a sailor's life from the forecastle, not a captain, nor a passenger, but a regular hand. The book was a great favorite with the jack tar of Dana's day, and two thousand copies are said to have been sold to Liverpool sailors in a single day. Even those who haven't the faintest idea what reefing topsail is, or which is starboard and which larboard, will find it an engaging story of an era long past told in simple narrative style. (Summary by BethAnne)

Dedicated Proof-Listener: Gesine & Rapunzelina
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Jc Guan & TriciaG

Genre(s): Travel & Geography, Memoirs

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Preface BethAnne
00:05:10
Play 01 Departure BethAnne
00:05:48
Play 02 First Impressions BethAnne
00:16:21
Play 03 Ship's Duties BethAnne
00:14:14
Play 04 Sundays At Sea BethAnne
00:18:40
Play 05 Cape Horn BethAnne
00:23:41
Play 06 Loss of a Man BethAnne
00:12:19
Play 07 Juan Fernandez BethAnne
00:16:55
Play 08 Daily Life BethAnne
00:14:00
Play 09 Santa Barbra BethAnne
00:20:21
Play 10 A South Easter BethAnne
00:11:37
Play 11 Passage Up the Coast BethAnne
00:13:12
Play 12 Monterey BethAnne
00:07:33
Play 13 Trading At Monterey BethAnne
00:27:01
Play 14 Discontent BethAnne
00:32:00
Play 15 Flogging, Part 1 BethAnne
00:19:57
Play 16 Flogging, Part 2 BethAnne
00:18:28
Play 17 Liberty Day on Shore BethAnne
00:21:03
Play 18 San Diego BethAnne
00:19:37
Play 19 Easter Sunday, Part 1 BethAnne
00:19:27
Play 20 Easter Sunday, Part 2 BethAnne
00:17:27
Play 21 Sandwich-Islanders, Part 1 BethAnne
00:20:05
Play 22 Sandwich-Islanders, Part 2 BethAnne
00:19:58
Play 23 New Comers BethAnne
00:23:07
Play 24 California and its Inhabitants BethAnne
00:15:40
Play 25 The Alert BethAnne
00:16:22
Play 26 New Ship and Shipmates, Part 1 BethAnne
00:25:53
Play 27 New Ship and Shipmates, Part 2 BethAnne
00:23:50
Play 28 San Diego Again BethAnne
00:19:20
Play 29 Rumours of War, Part 1 BethAnne
00:23:10
Play 30 Rumours of War, Part 2 BethAnne
00:21:56
Play 31 San Francisco BethAnne
00:22:25
Play 32 A Fandango BethAnne
00:28:11
Play 33 News From Home BethAnne
00:35:07
Play 34 Loading for Home, Part 1 BethAnne
00:24:48
Play 35 Loading for Home, Part 2 BethAnne
00:34:34
Play 36 Homeward Bound BethAnne
00:32:29
Play 37 Bad Prospects, Part 1 BethAnne
00:29:18
Play 38 Bad Prospects, Part 2 BethAnne
00:30:58
Play 39 Doubling Cape Horn BethAnne
00:29:05
Play 40 Northward Ho! BethAnne
00:28:15
Play 41 Nearing Home BethAnne
00:20:55
Play 42 More Stirring Incidents BethAnne
00:24:43
Play 43 Hurrah for Yankee Land! BethAnne
00:24:29
Play 44 Original Concluding Chapter, Part 1 BethAnne
00:23:46
Play 45 Original Concluding Chapter, Part 2 BethAnne
00:25:20
Play 46 Epilogue, Part 1 BethAnne
00:30:47
Play 47 Epilogue, Part 2 TriciaG
00:27:48
Play 48 Epilogue Part 3 TriciaG
00:24:22