This book is merely a personal narrative, and not a pretentious history or a philosophical dissertation. It is a record of several years of variegated vagabondizing, and its object is rather to help the resting reader while away an idle hour than afflict him with metaphysics, or goad him with science. Still, there is information in the volume; information concerning an interesting episode in the history of the Far West, about which no books have been written by persons who were on the ground in person, and saw the happenings of the time with their own eyes. I allude to the rise, growth and culmination of the silver-mining fever in Nevada—a curious episode, in some respects; the only one, of its peculiar kind, that has occurred in the land; and the only one, indeed, that is likely to occur in it.
Yes, take it all around, there is quite a good deal of information in the book. I regret this very much; but really it could not be helped: information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Sometimes it has seemed to me that I would give worlds if I could retain my facts; but it cannot be. The more I calk up the sources, and the tighter I get, the more I leak wisdom. Therefore, I can only claim indulgence at the hands of the reader, not justification.
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
[CHAPTER LXI.] Dick Baker and his Cat—Tom Quartz's Peculiarities—On an Excursion—Appearance On His Return—A Prejudiced Cat—Empty Pockets and a Roving Life
[CHAPTER LXII.] Bound for the Sandwich Islands—The Three Captains—The Old Admiral—His Daily Habits—His Well Fought Fields—An Unexpected Opponent—The Admiral Overpowered—The Victor Declared a Hero
[CHAPTER LXIII.] Arrival at the Islands—Honolulu—What I Saw There—Dress and Habits of the Inhabitants—The Animal Kingdom—Fruits and Delightful Effects
[CHAPTER LXIV.] An Excursion—Captain Phillips and his Turn-Out—A Horseback Ride—A Vicious Animal—Nature and Art—Interesting Ruins—All Praise to the Missionaries
[CHAPTER LXV.] Interesting Mementoes and Relics—An Old Legend of a Frightful Leap—An Appreciative Horse—Horse Jockeys and Their Brothers—A New Trick—A Hay Merchant—Good Country for Horse Lovers
[CHAPTER LXVI.] A Saturday Afternoon—Sandwich Island Girls on a Frolic—The Poi Merchant—Grand Gala Day—A Native Dance—Church Membership—Cats and Officials—An Overwhelming Discovery
[CHAPTER LXVII.] The Legislature of the Island—What Its President Has Seen—Praying for an Enemy—Women's Rights—Romantic Fashions—Worship of the Shark—Desire for Dress—Full Dress—Not Paris Style—Playing Empire—Officials and Foreign Ambassadors—Overwhelming Magnificence
[CHAPTER LXVIII.] A Royal Funeral—Order of Procession—Pomp and Ceremony—A Striking Contrast—A Sick Monarch—Human Sacrifices at His Death—Burial Orgies
[CHAPTER LXIX.] "Once more upon the Waters."—A Noisy Passenger—Several Silent Ones—A Moonlight Scene—Fruits and Plantations
[CHAPTER LXX.] A Droll Character—Mrs. Beazely and Her Son—Meditations on Turnips—A Letter from Horace Greeley—An Indignant Rejoinder—The Letter Translated but too Late
[CHAPTER LXI.] Dick Baker and his Cat—Tom Quartz's Peculiarities—On an Excursion—Appearance On His Return—A Prejudiced Cat—Empty Pockets and a Roving Life
[CHAPTER LXII.] Bound for the Sandwich Islands—The Three Captains—The Old Admiral—His Daily Habits—His Well Fought Fields—An Unexpected Opponent—The Admiral Overpowered—The Victor Declared a Hero
[CHAPTER LXIII.] Arrival at the Islands—Honolulu—What I Saw There—Dress and Habits of the Inhabitants—The Animal Kingdom—Fruits and Delightful Effects
[CHAPTER LXIV.] An Excursion—Captain Phillips and his Turn-Out—A Horseback Ride—A Vicious Animal—Nature and Art—Interesting Ruins—All Praise to the Missionaries
[CHAPTER LXV.] Interesting Mementoes and Relics—An Old Legend of a Frightful Leap—An Appreciative Horse—Horse Jockeys and Their Brothers—A New Trick—A Hay Merchant—Good Country for Horse Lovers
[CHAPTER LXVI.] A Saturday Afternoon—Sandwich Island Girls on a Frolic—The Poi Merchant—Grand Gala Day—A Native Dance—Church Membership—Cats and Officials—An Overwhelming Discovery
[CHAPTER LXVII.] The Legislature of the Island—What Its President Has Seen—Praying for an Enemy—Women's Rights—Romantic Fashions—Worship of the Shark—Desire for Dress—Full Dress—Not Paris Style—Playing Empire—Officials and Foreign Ambassadors—Overwhelming Magnificence
[CHAPTER LXVIII.] A Royal Funeral—Order of Procession—Pomp and Ceremony—A Striking Contrast—A Sick Monarch—Human Sacrifices at His Death—Burial Orgies
[CHAPTER LXIX.] "Once more upon the Waters."—A Noisy Passenger—Several Silent Ones—A Moonlight Scene—Fruits and Plantations
[CHAPTER LXX.] A Droll Character—Mrs. Beazely and Her Son—Meditations on Turnips—A Letter from Horace Greeley—An Indignant Rejoinder—The Letter Translated but too Late
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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234. [TOM QUARTZ] 235. [AN ADVANTAGE TAKEN] 236. [AFTER AN EXCURSION] 237. [THE THREE CAPTAINS] 238. [THE OLD ADMIRAL] 239. [THE DESERTED FIELD] 240. [WILLIAMS] 241. [SCENE ON THE SANDWICH ISLANDS] 242. [FASHIONABLE ATTIRE] 243. [A BITE] 244. [RECONNOITERING] 246. [LOOKING FOR MISCHIEF] 247. [A FAMILY LIKENESS] 248. [SIT DOWN To LISTEN] 249. ["MY BROTHER, WE TWINS"] 250. [EXTRAORDINARY CAPERS] 251. [A LOAD OF HAY] 252. [MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA] 253. [SANDWICH ISLAND GIRLS] 254. [ORIGINAL HAM SANDWICH] 255. ["I KISSED HIM FOR HIS MOTHER"] 256. [AN OUTSIDER] 257. [AN ENEMY'S PRAYER] 258. [VISITING THE MISSIONARIES] 259. [FULL CHURCH DRESS] 260. [PLAYING EMPIRE] 261. [ROYALTY AND ITS SATELLITES] 262. [A HIGH PRIVATE] 263. [A MODERN FUNERAL] 264. [FORMER FUNERAL ORGIES] 265. [A PASSENGER] 266. [MOONLIGHT ON THE WATER] 267. [GOING INTO THE MOUNTAINS] 268. [EVENING] 289. [THE DEMENTED] 270. [DISCUSSING TURNIPS] 271. [GREELEY'S LETTER] |