Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XI THE WEALTH OF THE ANCIENTS That day the doctor and I began a series of inspection tours, which, during the course of several weeks, took us over much of the country and greatly increased my knowledge of the people and their customs. I had one ulterior motive in these daily trips, and that, needless to say, was the finding of the institution in which the fair atavar was immured. The doctor sympathized with this aim, and, though we rarely spoke of it, he was as assiduous as myself in seeking out the prison-house. We were under the disadvantage of not daring to make inquiries as to the object of our search, for, had we done so, we must have aroused the suspicion of the inspectors. But as it was, my insatiate thirst for knowledge respecting the institutions we came across was looked on as a subtle tribute to the civilization of the times and resulted in the widest latitude being accorded me in carrying on any investigation I might see fit to make. Not a day passed in which we did not inspect at least half a dozen of the State's establishments; but travel in whatever direction we pleased it seemed impossible to find insane hospital No. 97. Every evening we trudged homeward to our dormitory, disappointed, only to take up the hunt with renewed hope the following day. It would be impossible to give an account of these many trips. As I write this I am impressed with the manifold phases of life, and what a monumental task it would be for any one to describe with reasonable thoroughness any system of social existence. Did I not shrink from attempting such a work, the limitations of the ordinary book would still force me to leave much unsaid. The student will, I feel, regard that which is omitted as being the more valuable, but by...