[DANA, RICHARD HENRY, JR.] TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea. 12mo, original tan muslin, rebacked with original

backstrip laid down, some soiling and rubbing; morocco bookplate; cloth slipcase. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1840 FIRST EDITION OF THE AUTHOR'S FIRST BOOK, FIRST PRINTING with the dot over the "i" in the word "in" in the copyright notice and with the running head on page 9 unbroken. First state of BAL's Binding B (no priority), with Harpers" Family Library No. CVI on front cover and listing the Harpers" Family Library on the back cover through no. 105 in the first listing, 36 in the Classical Series, and 27 in the Boys" and Girls" Library. BAL 4434; Grolier/American 46 ("Our only trustworthy account [of California] before the 1849 gold rush."); Hill, pages 78-79 ("[Dana's] book has become a classic account of the life and adventures of an ordinary seaman in the American merchant service. It concerns his experiences in California in 1835-36, Juan Fernandez Island, Cape Horn, etc., and is invaluable for its descriptions of California ranching and social life in Mexican times, including San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Monterey.").