![]() The ship’s first California stop was Santa Barbara. Upon his return to the East, Dana would write an article for a legal journal, “Cruelty to Seamen.” He described one incident when two sailors were “flogged like a beast,” apparently for little reason. Dana was appalled by what he viewed as Thompson’s despotism and cruelty, bordering on sadism. ![]() The crew endured raging storms, rat-infested quarters, poor food, and the iron hand of the ship’s captain, Francis Thompson. The Pilgrim took three months to reach California. ![]() The title of Dana’s book referred to the area below decks in front of the mast where the sailors slept. The ship belonged to the firm of Bryant, Sturgis, and Co., one of the major players in the hide and tallow trade in Alta California. After a year, Dana decided to see a bit of the world his doctor hoped a sea voyage would help restore decent vision. He entered Harvard University in 1831, but two years later he came down with a severe case of measles that seriously affected his eyesight. Richard Henry Dana was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1815. ![]() This painting is from the Frank Thompson Collection. Richard Henry Dana sailed aboard Pilgrim and wrote his well-known book about the trip. ![]()
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