PUBLISHER’S PREFACE 
T HE publishers of this work deem it fit to impress upon our readers 
that we have left nothing undone to make -it in every respect 
worthy of its interesting subject and the august personality 
who plays such an important part in it. The fact that Theodore Roose¬ 
velt is the hero of our book is alone enough to secure it an introduction 
and hearty welcome in every American home. Add to this the unusual 
environments in which he is placed, the thrilling incidents and narrow 
escapes he passes through, the tropical natural scenery in which he 
dwells, the many unknown and strange quadrupeds, bipeds and quadra- 
mana he meets, the fabulous wealth of the African fauna and flora, 
which baffles his eyes, and you will see enacted before your wondering 
and admiring eyes a drama so unique, so exceptional and so extraordin¬ 
ary as to surpass anything you have either seen or heard of before. 
And, further, consider that this strange and fascinating world is 
described to you in the most picturesque and vivid language, by an 
author who is thoroughly familiar with his subject, who has spent years 
of his life in travels in all parts of the world, and with his own eyes seen 
many of the localities he depicts-—if we did not know that we could offer 
!the American public a work that in its kind has. never yet been sur¬ 
passed, yea, not even equalled, we would not care to send it out with 
the imprint of our well-known firm. The text is embellished by hun¬ 
dreds of explanatory illustrations, many of them exact representations 
of photographs or drawings of prominent artists and professional stu¬ 
dents of nature, and also by maps of some of the localities made world- 
famous by Roosevelt’s exploits. 
We need not call the attention of parents, teachers and friends of 
the young to the high educational value of a work like this. It will 
place in the hands of our boys and young men a more welcome and 
needed substitute for the many novels and other story books of a 
