The Journal of Jacob Fowler

The Journal of Jacob Fowler - Narrating an Adventure from Arkansas Through the Indian

Jacob Fowler is an unknown author whose work has never before been heralded beyond the private circles of his friends, relatives, and descendants. The editor of his Journal has therefore a man as well as a book to introduce to the public. Being responsible for the appearance of the latter in print, he will presently say something on that score. But first let us hear from Colonel R. T. Durrett, of Louisville, Ky., the owner of the manuscript now published, who will speak for its author: The MS. which I received from Colonel Durrett is entitled: memorandom of the voige by land from fort Smith to the Rockey mountainsand is the most like those mountains of any I have ever undertaken to overcome. My eminent friend does not[xiv] exaggerate the difficulty of deciphering the characters which he aptly styles hieroglyphics, and which have hitherto kept this writing a sealed book. The text begins verso of the title, and ostensibly runs pp. 1-264, but pagination is once skipped and twice duplicated. The folios may be called of square note-paper size, nearly that of a small quarto book8 6 inches for pp. 1-180, but larger, nearly 9 7, for the rest. The ragged edges make exact measurements impracticable, Father Times paper-mill having turned out a deckel-edged product, so fashionable nowadays. The sheets, of four pages or two folios each, are gathered in 16-page packets, the outsides of which are now much soiledindeed, the rough, unruled surfaces are all darkened with the dust of three-quarters of a century, and the ink is faded to match the same subdued monotone, except in places where it recedes to the vanishing point. The writing is upon both sides of the paper; and the whole effect, if it could be facsimiled, would be a bibliomaniacs dream of delight. At first sight, this manuscript appears illegible; no one can read it off-hand. Nevertheless, this writing proves readable upon sufficient study of the alphabetic characters which Fowler invented to suit himself, like that classic old Theban Cadmus, or his modern imitator, Cherokee Sequoiah. I managed to[xv] master it under the agreeable circumstances of my visit to Louisville, to which my host on that occasion has so pleasantly alluded in the letter printed above; and after that my secretary also proved herself equal to the task when she took the matter in hand to copy for the press. There are hardly a dozen words in which doubt attaches to a single letter, and probably not half as many have proven altogether illegible. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 62018
Author: Fowler, Jacob
Release Date: May 3, 2020
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899