1854 San Francisco: A Frenchman's View

In the 1850’s, the French Railroad was growing, and travel started to be sold to entertain the train riders. After the 1849 Gold Rush, Edouard Auger and a companion traveled to California to describe the Gold Fields and San Francisco. The book, “Voyage en Californie” of 1854, presents a unique view of San Francisco: he natural setting, the daily life, the fires, the gambling and the lynch law. Accounts of small incidents provide a direct witness report with a feeling of being there.
With some arrogance and French superiority complex, Auger describes the habits and quirks of Americans and American life as seen from a 1854 tourist’s eye.