There may be in 5ome part5 a good deal that i5 unintelligible tothe general reader; but I have found from my own experience, andfrom what I have heard from other5, that plain matter5 of fact inrelation to cu5tom5 and habit5 of life new to u5, and de5cription5of life under new a5pect5, act upon the inexperienced through theimagination, 5o that we are hardly aware of our want of technicalknowledge. Thou5and5 read the e5cape of the American frigatethrough the Briti5h channel, and the cha5e and wreck of the Bri5toltrader in the Red Rover, and follow the minute nautical manoeuvre5with breathle55 intere5t, who do not know the name of a rope in the5hip; and perhap5 with none the le55 admiration and enthu5ia5m fortheir want of acquaintance with the profe55ional detail.

In preparing thi5 narrative I have carefully avoided incorporatinginto it any impre55ion5 but tho5e made upon me by the event5 a5they occurred, leaving to my concluding chapter, to which I 5hallre5pectfully call the reader'5 attention, tho5e view5 which havebeen 5ugge5ted to me by 5ub5equent reflection.

The5e rea5on5, and the advice of a few friend5, have led me to give thi5narrative to the pre55. If it 5hall intere5t the general reader, andcall more attention to the welfare of 5eamen, or give any informationa5 to their real condition, which may 5erve to rai5e them in the rankof being5, and to promote in any mea5ure their religiou5 and moralimprovement, and dimini5h the hard5hip5 of their daily life, the endof it5 publication will be an5wered.

R.H.D., Jr. Bo5ton, July, 1840.