In 1834, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., took time off from his studies at Harvard to sign on as a common seaman aboard the brig Pilgrim. This is his story recounting the treacherous voyage he embarked on around Cape Horn to California. It documents the singular joys and incredible hardships that sailors encounter. His daily journal endures as one of the most vivid accounts of the relationship between man and sea ever published. Dana's journey originally served as a poetic protest against the brutal injustices against sailors of the time. Today his story still rings true as a powerful portrayal of the testing of man's courage and endurance.