Two Years before the Mast (Ch. V), by Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

<p>Leaving Harvard on account of ill health, Dana sought adventure and thrilling experience aboard a sailing vessel that rounded Cape Horn. He turned the dangers, hardships, and keen joys of a sailor's life into a fascinating story. (Volume 23, Harvard Classics)</p> <p>Dana begins famous two-year voyage, Aug. 14, 1834.</p>