by Florence Dixie (Author), Julius Beerbohm (Illustrator)
When asked in 1879 why she wanted to travel to such an outlandish place as Patagonia, the author replied without hesitation that she was taking to the saddle in order to flee from the strict confines of polite Victorian society. "Palled with civilization and its surroundings, I wanted to escape to some place where I might be as far removed from them as possible. A longing grows up within one to taste a more vigorous emotion than that afforded by the monotonous round of society's so-called pleasures," Dixie wrote. "Riding Across Patagonia" tells the story of how the aristocrat successfully traded the perils of a London parlor for the wind-borne freedom of a wild Patagonian bronco. Her equestrian exploits became legendary. One of the first Europeans to ride Criollo horses, on one occasion Lady Dixie escaped from a rampaging prairie fire by riding directly through the flames Long considered a classic of equestrian travel, Lady Dixie's book is illustrated with pen and ink drawings that show her mounted entourage during the course of their remarkable adventures.