[Letter I.]—First Impressions of an American in France.—Tokens of Antiquity: churches, old towns, cottages, colleges, costumes, donkeys, shepherds and their flocks, magpies, chateaux, formal gardens, vineyards, fig-trees.—First Sight of Paris; its Gothic churches, statues, triumphal arches, monumental columns.—Parisian gaiety, public cemeteries, burial places of the poor
[Letter II.]—Journey from Paris to Florence.—Serenity of the Italian Climate.—Dreary country between Paris and Chalons on the Saone.—Autun.—Chalons.—Lyons.—Valley of the Rhine.—Avignon.—Marseilles; its growth and prosperity.—Banking in France.—Journey along the Mediterranean.—American and European Institutions
[Letter III.]—Tuscan Scenery and Climate.—Florence in Autumn.—Deformities of Cultivation.—Exhibition of the Academy of the Fine Arts.—Respect of the Italians for Works of Art
[Letter IV.]—A Day in Florence.—Bustle and Animation of the Place.—Sights seen on the Bridges.—Morning in Florence.—Brethren of Mercy.—Drive on the Cascine.—Evening in Florence.—Anecdote of the Passport System.—Mildness of the Climate of Pisa
[Letter V.]—Practices of the Italian Courts.—Mildness of the Penal Code in Tuscany.—A Royal Murderer.—Ceremonies on the Birth of an Heir to the Dukedom of Tuscany.—Wealth of the Grand Duke
[Letter VI.]—Venice.—Its peculiar Architecture.—Arsenal and Navy Yard.—The Lagoons.—Ceneda.—Serravalle.—Lago Morto.—Alpine Scenery.—A June Snow-Storm in the Tyrol.—Splendor of the Scenery in the Sunshine.—Landro.—A Tyrolese Holiday.—Devotional Character of the People.—Numerous Chapels.—Sterzing.—Bruneck.—The Brenner.—Innsbruck.—Bronze Tomb of Maximilian I.—Entrance into Bavaria
[Letter VII.]—An Excursion to Rock River in Illinois.—Birds and Quadrupeds of the Prairies.—Dad Joe's Grove.—Beautiful Landscape.—Traces of the Indian Tribes.—Lost Rocks.—Dixon.—Rock River; beauty of its banks.—A Horse-Thief.—An Association of Felons.—A Prairie Rattlesnake.—The Prairie-Wolf; its habits.—The Wild Parsnip
[Letter VIII.]—Examples of Lynch Law.—Practices of Horse-Thieves in Illinois.—Regulators.—A Murder.—Seizure of the Assassins, their trial and execution.—One of the Accomplices lurking in the Woods.—Another Horse-Thief shot
[Letter IX.]—An Example of Senatorial Decorum.—The National Museum at Washington.—Mount Vernon.—Virginia Plantations.—Beauty of Richmond.—Islands of James River.—An Old Church.—Inspection of Tobacco.—Tobacco Factory.—Work and Psalmody.—Howden's Statue of Washington.