First published anonymously in 1861 under the name of "A Roving Printer," there has been much speculation about the true identity of the author who has since been named as John D Jones although there is no definitive proof of this. The book narrates the tale of a five year whaling voyage out of New Bedford on the Emily Morgan, giving an account of the day-to-day occupations of two young men who shipped on the whaler, supplying information on whales and offering vivid descriptions of whaling operations. The ship visited many islands, including Guam, the Hawaiian Islands, Tonga, Juan Fernandez, and Formosa, and the reader is given an insight into life in these far-flung destinations. Illustrated throughout with wood engravings.