This story of my experiences as a sailor, in my youth, in the proud sailships, will probably be somewhat different from all narratives of sailors that I have heard or read. The incidents will be so related as to show exactly what happened, as near as I can remember, without regard to favorable or unfavorable reflections as to myself.
Possibly somewhat wild, as a youth, and not very easy to handle, I hope I may be pardoned for charging not only that, and the yearning I had to get far, far away and see all the world, but also the desire for freedom and hatred of bondage to my Viking ancestry.
Willing to abide by law and justice, I found there was not always a clear line between justice and injustice on board the ships.
Life on the sailships was one of endless changes and all kinds of happenings, some comical, some tragic, and some a mixture of both. I always looked rather for the comical even in the most serious circumstances.