Saddle and mocassin is a travel narrative composed of sketches that recount a journey through the American West. The account begins with preparations for entering remote wilderness, highlighting the practical challenges of securing transportation, supplies, and guides. As the group ventures into the Yellowstone region, they encounter striking landscapes and shifting weather, along with a variety of amusing and unexpected situations. Vivid descriptions of rivers, forests, and mountains frame the narrative, while observations of wildlife and terrain bring texture to the journey. Humor is woven into miscommunications and mishaps, offering contrast to the physical demands of frontier travel. The group’s encounters with local individuals add regional color and reflect the complexities of travel in unfamiliar places. Through these early sketches, the book captures the unpredictability and excitement of wilderness expeditions, balancing reflection with action. With an eye for detail and irony, the narrative blends natural description with cultural observation, setting the stage for a broader exploration of landscape, discomfort, and discovery during travel across rugged terrain.
Francis Francis was born in Seaton, Devon in 1822 to Captain Morgan and Sarah Hartley, daughter of Henry Robinson Hartley, founder of the Hartley Institution. He changed his name after coming of age and inheriting property. Though trained as a civil engineer, he turned to writing and outdoor pursuits, particularly angling. In 1851 he married Mary Cole and soon dedicated his life to fishing and sporting literature. He became angling editor of The Field for over 25 years and frequently wrote about his experiences. He was deeply involved in fish culture advocacy, founding the Thames Rights Defence Association and proposing the National Fish-Culture Association. He helped introduce English trout to rivers in New Zealand and Tasmania. As naturalist director of the Brighton Aquarium, he studied fish behavior and led experiments in their culture. He served on a national commission on oyster farming from 1868 to 1870. After a stroke in 1883 and a recurrence of cancer, he died in 1886 at his home in Twickenham. He was buried there and honored with a memorial in Winchester Cathedral, inscribed with words from Izaak Walton's poetry.
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