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Twenty Years Before the Mast
I must ask you, as you read the following pages, to bear in mind that I have been only a common sailor before the mast. I trust you will expect from me, therefore, nothing higher in eloquence than a seaman’s language. I have stood before no professor’s chair, no classic lore has been instilled into my mind, I have received no college or even common school education, nor am I indebted in any way to literary studies for such knowledge of men and things as I may possess. My ideas are my own — not the reflex of another’s mind. The world has been my school, and from the book of nature have I taken all my lessons.
For twenty years I sailed the ocean under our country’s flag, whose broad stripes and bright stars have floated to the breeze in every clime; and on every shore I visited I found something grand or wonderful, beautiful or sublime, that photographed itself upon my memory. From earliest boyhood my heart went out in admiring love towards those great navigators whose discoveries have caused their names to be inscribed on the scroll of the world’s immortals. My heart thrilled at the name of Columbus, whose heroic soul was made to feel the meanness of kings, and whose dauntless courage called into creation a New World which shall yet outrival in glory the greatness of the Old. Of almost equal interest to my boyish imagination were the Cabots; Ponce de Leon, the romantic wanderer after the fountain of perpetual youth; and De Soto, the proud cavalier who discovered the mighty Mississippi, only to find a grave beneath its waters. Men, all these, who were courageous and enterprising, and whose adventures, sometimes tragic, sometimes romantic, have contributed largely to the annals of discovery.
Passing onward through the centuries of maritime adventures, I feel yet, as in the days of my youth, a mighty magic in the names of Drake, Frobisher, and the ill-fated Sir Walter Raleigh. My imagination takes me over the southern seas with Tasman, Cook, and Magellan, over the burning sands of Africa with Mongo Park, Livingstone, and the dauntless Stanley. I visit the ice-bound regions of the Arctic and Antarctic with Perry, Franklin, Ross, Wilkes, and D’Urville, with Hudson, Ringold, De Haven, with Knox, Kane, and De Long; and I drop a tear to the memory of those intrepid men who, in the realms of the pitiless ice-king, became martyrs to their zeal for geographical discovery.
I confess myself anxious to inspire you, my dear friend, with some little enthusiasm in the cause of geographical science. You cannot, like Mahomet, go to the mountain, and so the mountain must be made to come to you. We cannot all be sailors and travelers, and visit foreign lands; and so I intend that some of these strange places — the sunny islands of the Pacific and the frozen regions of the Antarctic — shall visit you.
For twenty years I sailed the ocean under our country’s flag, whose broad stripes and bright stars have floated to the breeze in every clime; and on every shore I visited I found something grand or wonderful, beautiful or sublime, that photographed itself upon my memory. From earliest boyhood my heart went out in admiring love towards those great navigators whose discoveries have caused their names to be inscribed on the scroll of the world’s immortals. My heart thrilled at the name of Columbus, whose heroic soul was made to feel the meanness of kings, and whose dauntless courage called into creation a New World which shall yet outrival in glory the greatness of the Old. Of almost equal interest to my boyish imagination were the Cabots; Ponce de Leon, the romantic wanderer after the fountain of perpetual youth; and De Soto, the proud cavalier who discovered the mighty Mississippi, only to find a grave beneath its waters. Men, all these, who were courageous and enterprising, and whose adventures, sometimes tragic, sometimes romantic, have contributed largely to the annals of discovery.
Passing onward through the centuries of maritime adventures, I feel yet, as in the days of my youth, a mighty magic in the names of Drake, Frobisher, and the ill-fated Sir Walter Raleigh. My imagination takes me over the southern seas with Tasman, Cook, and Magellan, over the burning sands of Africa with Mongo Park, Livingstone, and the dauntless Stanley. I visit the ice-bound regions of the Arctic and Antarctic with Perry, Franklin, Ross, Wilkes, and D’Urville, with Hudson, Ringold, De Haven, with Knox, Kane, and De Long; and I drop a tear to the memory of those intrepid men who, in the realms of the pitiless ice-king, became martyrs to their zeal for geographical discovery.
I confess myself anxious to inspire you, my dear friend, with some little enthusiasm in the cause of geographical science. You cannot, like Mahomet, go to the mountain, and so the mountain must be made to come to you. We cannot all be sailors and travelers, and visit foreign lands; and so I intend that some of these strange places — the sunny islands of the Pacific and the frozen regions of the Antarctic — shall visit you.
- GenresHistory
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1888
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 8, 2022
2016: If I am to recommend a publisher of this book, I must say I am incredibly impressed with The Lakeside Press's printing, which has a lovely historical essay, many full-color maps and illustrations, and a well-conceived layout and typeface. The whole thing is handsome in its making.
Now, on to the book itself. One should not read this book for poetic inspiration, nor for an enthralling, moving account of exploration. The writing is very straightforward, without much embellishment, and oftentimes speaks simply in short declarative sentences, describing facts like weather and dates. It is an interesting history, however, and very informative, even if it is not particularly exciting. I think it is a worthy piece of writing in the American nautical literary tradition, if not only for three charming poems featured within the book, which, alongside the descriptions of Erskine's time in Antarctica, were much appreciated.
2022: Much the same experience as before, though this time I was very much drawn into the human tragedy presented in much of this text: sailors away for four years from their loved ones, many dying in adversity far from home; the crippling power dynamics between "Jack before the mast" and the upper officers (including a young man being whipped to death); the brutal treatment of animals and the natural world for short-term gain; the treatment of many native people by sailors (there is a particularly childishly-violent episode of the razing of several villages and killing of multitudes); the treatment of many sailors (and other indigenous people) by more powerful indigenous peoples (the above razing was sparked by the murder of two sailors, and let us not forget the cannibalism and slave-taking!); last, but not least, the fact that sailors had to soak their hardtack in tea so that the grubs would float to the top, and could thus be skimmed off. In Erskine's laconic phrase, it was unpleasant at first, but one gets used to it. Indeed.
The power of this book stems from that power which inhabits all books of history: they show us how far we've come (technologically, medically, ethically), and from what conditions. Knowing even a fraction of human history is to be filled with gratitude and appreciation for the material and social comforts of life. To be able to summon water from one's tap and light from a switch is nothing short of magic; to have it happen regularly, without rolling blackouts and mechanical issues, is nothing short of miraculous. Jumped-up apes we are in many ways, but progress is visible, observable, and tangible. Every meal that we have in which we don't scrape mold off of bread, and every day where we needn't hand our daughters off to the conquerors of our community, is a thing to be thankful for. We should keep perspective by remembering that such was the state of much of the world for much of human history. Erskine's book, while dry and dusty in aspects, can help put us in touch with history's arc and the appreciation we should derive from its trajectory.
Now, on to the book itself. One should not read this book for poetic inspiration, nor for an enthralling, moving account of exploration. The writing is very straightforward, without much embellishment, and oftentimes speaks simply in short declarative sentences, describing facts like weather and dates. It is an interesting history, however, and very informative, even if it is not particularly exciting. I think it is a worthy piece of writing in the American nautical literary tradition, if not only for three charming poems featured within the book, which, alongside the descriptions of Erskine's time in Antarctica, were much appreciated.
2022: Much the same experience as before, though this time I was very much drawn into the human tragedy presented in much of this text: sailors away for four years from their loved ones, many dying in adversity far from home; the crippling power dynamics between "Jack before the mast" and the upper officers (including a young man being whipped to death); the brutal treatment of animals and the natural world for short-term gain; the treatment of many native people by sailors (there is a particularly childishly-violent episode of the razing of several villages and killing of multitudes); the treatment of many sailors (and other indigenous people) by more powerful indigenous peoples (the above razing was sparked by the murder of two sailors, and let us not forget the cannibalism and slave-taking!); last, but not least, the fact that sailors had to soak their hardtack in tea so that the grubs would float to the top, and could thus be skimmed off. In Erskine's laconic phrase, it was unpleasant at first, but one gets used to it. Indeed.
The power of this book stems from that power which inhabits all books of history: they show us how far we've come (technologically, medically, ethically), and from what conditions. Knowing even a fraction of human history is to be filled with gratitude and appreciation for the material and social comforts of life. To be able to summon water from one's tap and light from a switch is nothing short of magic; to have it happen regularly, without rolling blackouts and mechanical issues, is nothing short of miraculous. Jumped-up apes we are in many ways, but progress is visible, observable, and tangible. Every meal that we have in which we don't scrape mold off of bread, and every day where we needn't hand our daughters off to the conquerors of our community, is a thing to be thankful for. We should keep perspective by remembering that such was the state of much of the world for much of human history. Erskine's book, while dry and dusty in aspects, can help put us in touch with history's arc and the appreciation we should derive from its trajectory.
January 31, 2017
For those that like adventures at sea, this has charm. This is an authentic tale of the sea in the 1800s although dimmed by the mist of time and sentiment as it was written when the sailor (or jack before the mast as he refers to the common sailor) was an old man remembering his adventures. Still his travels made a deep impression on him for he sailed around the world including visiting Antarctica, the South Pacific, South America, and China among other places. The main sailing trip involving several years was for an American scientific expedition. There's an American (Boston based at that) Christian perspective that affects his view (to say the least) of events and other peoples who encounters. It's interesting when at last he admits that exposure to 'civilization' may not have been in the best interest of the peoples encountered. There are cruel things that even he cannot gloss over (and this is in a very politically incorrect world) although he keeps a brave tone for almost everything else. He even offers a few pages to the plight of the common sailor when their captains are bad or don't pay them or have to deal with the 'land-sharks' when they do get paid. On the less charming side although this was probably important to sailors, the book is filled with long verses of the many shanties he remembered. To me it was worth reading because I enjoy reading a sea adventure, this one was authentic although blurred by time, and it's told by a common sailor.
October 26, 2024
an exciting, wonderful read
Erskine’s words carried me along, visualizing his years of adventure, discovery, and occasional sadness! My grandfather Oluf Martinus Larsen left his parents in Denmark as a teenager and sailed the seas in Tall Ships before settling in Brooklyn at end of 19th century. This excellent book helped me to gratefully appreciate Oluf’s experiences as a young man.
Erskine’s words carried me along, visualizing his years of adventure, discovery, and occasional sadness! My grandfather Oluf Martinus Larsen left his parents in Denmark as a teenager and sailed the seas in Tall Ships before settling in Brooklyn at end of 19th century. This excellent book helped me to gratefully appreciate Oluf’s experiences as a young man.
July 12, 2014
Wonderful and hard to find book. The directness of the retelling of this most important voyage is wonderful to read. Most books of this period of history are insufferably stuffy or told 10th hand and heavily embroidered.
This one is just an old tar telling it like it was.
This one is just an old tar telling it like it was.
February 2, 2017
At 6%, I could not get into the style of how this book is written.
July 9, 2020
An interesting read from a sailors perspective in the early 19th century.
December 18, 2023
This took me longer to finish than I expected. The writing presented a straightforward chronology and a worthy look at life at sea for a crew member of a scientific expedition of the U.S. Navy. Author was remarkably open-minded for the time when encountering different cultures of the Pacific Islands.
May 25, 2018
A good read if u r a sailor and' a book of growing to be man. And the trails it
Good read for a sailor
!.now or in the future .!!!!!!#!!!! 2!;! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !
Good read for a sailor
!.now or in the future .!!!!!!#!!!! 2!;! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !
November 12, 2021
So much history about living in the early 1800's in this narrative.
I only wish it had some maps to go with the travels. Great story. Highly recommend this book for anyone.
I only wish it had some maps to go with the travels. Great story. Highly recommend this book for anyone.
July 5, 2024
Boring, boring, boring.
September 20, 2024
20 Years Before The Mast
This book has been enjoyable to read .. a different perspective from most that are written by leaders in lieu of the working man.
This book has been enjoyable to read .. a different perspective from most that are written by leaders in lieu of the working man.
October 16, 2016
Wonderful read.
I enjoyed this from beginning to end. The author began virtually illiterate but having an obviously good intellect became a first rate writer over seventy years.
I enjoyed this from beginning to end. The author began virtually illiterate but having an obviously good intellect became a first rate writer over seventy years.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews