Memorials of the Sea: My Father / Being Records of the Adventurous Life of the Late William Scoresby, Esq. of Whitby

A son records the adventurous life of his father, a seaman who rose from rural apprenticeship to command several whaling ships and lead Arctic voyages. The narrative traces early childhood and training, wartime capture and escape, and successive commands in the Greenland whale-fishery, including episodes of rescue, close approaches to polar ice, and single-handed exploits in the hunt. Interleaved are assessments of his seamanship, Arctic navigation, scientific interests, practical inventions, and compassionate leadership toward crew, with miscellaneous anecdotes such as taming a bear and unusual walrus captures that illustrate character and enterprise.