The ship -- The Gay Head harpooner -- Race, nationality, and gender -- The primacy of rank -- The beach -- Cultural encounters -- Cycles of conquest -- New heaven -- Islands -- Native American beachcombers in the Pacific -- Race and indigeneity in the life of Elisha Apes -- Beachcombers in New England -- The reservation -- Degradation and respect -- Conclusion -- Appendix A: Native American whalemen's database -- Appendix B: Native American logbooks and journals.