NARRATIVE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND DISTRESSING SHIPWRECK OF THE WHALE-SHIP ESSEX, OF NANTUCKET; WHICH WAS ATTACKED AND FINALLY DESTROYED BY A LARGE SPERMACETI-WHALE, IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE UNPARALLELED SUFFERINGS OF THE CAPTAIN AND CREW DURING A SPACE OF NINETY-THREE DAYS AT SEA, IN OPEN BOATS IN THE YEARS 1819 & 1820. BY OWEN CHASE, OF NANTUCKET, FIRST MATE OF SAID VESSEL. _NEW-YORK_: PUBLISHED BY W. B. GILLEY, 92 BROADWAY. J. SEYMOUR, Printer. 1821. _Southern District of New-York, ss._ Be it remembered, That on the thirty-first day of October, in the forty-sixth year of the Independence of the United States of America, JONATHAN SEYMOUR, of the said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words and figures following, to wit: “Narrative of the most extraordinary and distressing shipwreck of the whale-ship Essex, of Nantucket; which was attacked and finally destroyed by a large spermaceti-whale, in the Pacific ocean; with an account of the unparalleled sufferings of the captain and crew during a space of ninety-three days at sea, in open boats, in the years 1819 and 1820. By Owen Chase of Nantucket, first mate of said vessel.” In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled “An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned.” And also to an Act, entitled “an Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints.” JAMES DILL, _Clerk of the Southern District of New-York_. TO THE READER.