Simon Metcalfe was the first American captain to take sea otters on the Northwest Coast, between Alaska and California, and he was the first American to trade these skins at Canton. He was eitjer the first or the second American captain at Hawaii, and he was the first to take Hawaiian sandalwood to China. He was also the first American to try sealing on sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Island. It is surprising therefore that he has been accorded so little attention and recognition in American maritime history, particularly when even a preliminary examination of tyhe little that is known of him, parts of the last six years of his life, reveals that he was also an explorerof outstanding courage and ability...