Richard Henry Dana Jr.

Richard Henry Dana Jr.. In 1835, Dana arrived on board the brig Pilgrim, a tall-masted sailing ship out of Boston, bound for the California coast. For reasons of health, Dana had left his studies at Harvard and at age 19 signed onto the Pilgrim as a common sailor. Later he vividly described life on ship and on shore in his famous book, Two Years Before the Mast (1840)., The Pilgrim anchored in this small harbor to trade for valuable hides from the local cattle ranchos to supply the shore factories in Massachusetts. Several oxcart loads of the hides were brought to the cliffs. 'Down this height we pitched the hides, throwing them as far out into the air as we could...' so they landed on the beach for loading on the Pilgrim., Dana was so impressed by the beauty of the terrain with its dramatic cliffs and promontory that he described the cove as 'the only romantic spot' on the coast., After completing his law degree at Harvard, Dana had a distinguished career in maritime and international law. His experience as a seaman, his intense sense of justice, and one day on the California coast : 'that if God should ever give me that means, I would do something to redress with whom my lot had so been cast.', 1884 Dana Point was named in his honor, in memory of his brief visits and enthusiastic description of this beautiful place. ,