"A popular book...Five Years Before the Mast...went through 20 editions." -Miner's Journal, June 8, 1899
"Every man jumped with his oar into the sea to save his life, while the unthinking whale, frightened at the havoc his carelessness had occasioned, darted away like lightning." -the author, Jacob Hazen
Jacob Hazen's "Five Years Before the Mast." describing his adventures on the sea with the navy and on a whale-ship, was first printed in 1854, and was so popular with the reading public that it was then was reprinted in 1856 and 1860, with numerous additional reprints in the late 19th century.
The original articles forming a portion of the material out of which this volume is compiled, were partly drawn up by the writer during the year 1842, shortly after obtaining his discharge from the navy.
In describing his thought process for going to sea, Hazen reflects that:
"Whenever I made up my mind to go to a new place, I was up and off at once, without pausing to reason upon the advantages or disadvantages likely to result from the journey. I had now made up my mind to go to sea, and go to sea I would, Crusoe like, without any other object in view than the vague idea of hitting on some plan to make a fortune."
Part of the book covers his time on a whaling ship. In describing how a whale was harpooned by the sailors, Hazen writes:
"The boat, impelled by the strength of the rowers, darted forward with almost incredible velocity until it came in apparent contact with the whale. 'Give it to her !' shouted the mate in a voice that was distinctly audible at the ship, and almost simultaneously, the unerring iron descended. The huge flukes of the black monster were for an instant, visible in the air, and then disappeared in a cloud of spray...."
He was not prepared for all that awaited him on a life at sea, including as he describes the strict discipline imposed:
"The captain seized his sword, as if his whole soul was fired with a sudden stream of electricity, and slinging the scabbard half way across the deck, to the great danger of a midshipman's head that hovered in its line of transit, struck the naked steel over the capstan with a clang that threatened to knock everything into flinders. 'Who is this hardy villain that dares to lift his voice against my authority?' cried he, jumping up and down in his fury. 'Let me see the face of the rascal that dares tell me he won't scrub his hammock. Show him to me —point him out, that I may carve my way through his mutinous heart! Come back here you worthless galley-slaves, till I cut the head from every lubber who dares to tell my order to go to the devil.'"
Often, as Hazen notes, life was considered cheap when compared to spirits:
"Unfortunately for Brown, there was no line just at hand, and the poor fellow would certainly have become food for the fishes had not Nelson Burce, another whole-souled fellow of my own mess, become excessively alarmed for the safety of the two junk bottles of brandy, which he knew were in Brown's pockets. To prevent so fatal a loss, he instantly threw off his jacket, and plunging fearlessly into the bay, swam to the assistance of his friend, whose head he succeeded in keeping above water until both were finally relieved from their perilous situation by the timely assistance of a shore boat."
After escaping being pressed into service in Brazil, by Brazilians, Hazen joined the U.S. Navy as he relates:
"The last four weeks had given me an ample sufficiency of Brazil; and I was well convinced that my personal rights and safety could be in no way better secured than by getting out of it.
