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Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Auburn Christian Advocate, notice of White-Jacket

Auburn, New York Northern Christian Advocate  - April 3, 1850
From the Northern Christian Advocate (Auburn, New York) of April 3, 1850; found in Tom Tryniski's great archive of historical newspapers at Fulton History:
WHITE-JACKET; or, the World in a Man-of-War. By Herman Melville. New York: Harper & Brothers.

This work purports to be a narrative of the author's personal observations and adventures as a private sailor on board of a United States frigate. We know nothing of Mr. Mellville's personal history, and hence cannot say whether he was ever at sea or not. The "note" which prefaces the work, taken by itself, would lead us to say, the story is a fiction. But, however this may be, the writer has made a book that any one may read with profit. It is not always that we find so much good sense mingled with nautical  phrases. Mr. Mellville is a fascinating writer. For sale by J. M. Alden.
The Northern Christian Advocate was edited from 1848 to 1856 by William Hosmer (1810-1889), as related in Elliot G. Storke's History of Cayuga County.

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