Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

This personal narrative details the travel of Captain W.F. Butler and his expedition of discovery across the northwestern portions of America and (now) Canada. His journey was spurred by a deep yearning to explore the vast unknown, and he was further inspired by the moving story of Karkakonias, the Chippeway Chief at Pembina. The author conveys that one cannot possibly comprehend the vast wonders that the Western world beholds without experiencing them first-hand; its beauty is lost in translation. Butler took it upon himself to see the "Great Lone Land" and use his talents as a writer to bring his passion back to the people of his nation to inspire further exploration.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1872 Edition.

The late nineteenth century was a golden age for European travel in the United States. For prosperous Europeans, a journey to America was a fresh alternative to the more familiar ‘Grand Tour’ of their own continent, promising encounters with a vast, wild landscape, and with people whose culture was similar enough to their own to be intelligible, yet different enough to be interesting. Their observations of America and its inhabitants provide a striking lens on this era of American history, and a fascinating glimpse into how the people of the past perceived one another. In Unspeakable Awfulness, Kenneth D. Rose gathers together a broad selection of the observations made by European travellers to the United States. European visitors remarked upon what they saw as a distinctly American approach to everything from class, politics, and race to language, food, and advertising. Their assessments of the ‘American character’ continue to echo today, and create a full portrait of late-nineteenth century America as seen through the eyes of its visitors. Including vivid travellers’ tales and plentiful illustrations, Unspeakable Awfulness is a rich resource that will be useful to students and appeal to anyone interested in travel history and narratives.