"This book will acquaint the reader with the strange and wonderful history of a most marvellous portion of our own country. It is compiled from the journal of a traveller, and is without pretension to especial literary merit; but it is offered to the public with the belief that he who reads its pages will find many facts that are new to him, so interspersed with incident of travel and adventure that its perusal will proved both entertaining and instructive.--The author.--From preface.