Mountains and Molehills

After a tragic fire in San Francisco destroyed many of his possessions, including his journals, sailor, artist, and author, Frank Marryat rewrote, from memory, much of what he had documented during his time in California in the middle of the gold craze of 1850. This historical treasure, originally published in 1855, the year that the author died of complications from yellow fever, recreates for readers the frenzy that drew thousands of miners and prospectors to California in their rush to find gold. In this wonderful first-hand account of the gold rush, Marryat not only goes over his own struggles, but also describes different types of mining in California and the differences between miners from around the world, including French miners, Chinese miners, and English miners. This intriguing history of California in the 1850s by an inspiring historical personage includes all text and line drawings that appeared in the 1855 original version. A great historical resource. Paperbound: 443 pages: 6 x 9"