Vassall Morton by Francis Parkman is a novel in the form of a pioneer's journal about the trials and tribulations of cross-country travel. Parkman writes with great nostalgia for the Wild West, its wide open spaces, and the untamed inhabitants to be found therein. Excerpt: “Morning came, and the Leslies departed. Morton watched the lumbering carriage till it disappeared down the rugged gorge of the Notch, then drew a deep breath, and ruefully betook himself to his day's sport.”
