The Adventures of Jack; or a Life on the Wave

Southbridge, MA: Printed by the Author, 1859. First edition. An autobiographical account of the author's early life on whaling vessels, shipping out of Fairhaven, Massachusetts as a cabin boy on the whale ship Leonidas, the captain Cape Codman. The narrative was prized by Franklin Roosevelt- his personal copy was inscribed "Franklin D. Roosevelt/ Hyde Park/ 1927. Very rare [underlined]." The New Bedford Whaling Museum cites this as a "short, easy, engaging memoir". He was also aboard the Copia and the Bowditch and spent time ashore on Hilo.

The author's early life was spent in Worcester, Mass, born in 1834. In his whaling travels he visited St. Paul's, Isle Bourbon, Haiti, Juan Fernandez Isles, Hawaii (the Big Island and Oahu, dining with the Hawaiian king at one point) , up to the Arctic to the coast of Kamschatka at Cape St. Thadeus, Hong Kong, Marquesa Islands, Finland. A chatty account, including a description of cannibalism among natives of some Pacific islands. He eventually returned to Southbridge, Mass, where he set up a printing establishment, and printed this book. Sml. 8vo, (5)- 134pp, 3pp ads, including for the author's printing establishment. Original red cloth, blind-stamped boards with gilt harp and title on spine. A bit rubbed overall, including the spine tips, with 2 small on the spine, very good internally, tight, overall a pleasant copy. Forbes 2335; OCLC: 16330783; 2 copies in Australia, at the State Library of NSW & Queensland, under Libraries Australia ID 26588355.