"The Oregon Trail," an autobiographical narrative of the journey, was first published in 1847 in the Knickerbocker Magazine; and four years later the author gave to the world his first historical work, "The Conspiracy of Pontiac," pronounced by the eminent historian, Dr. John Fiske, "one of the most brilliant and fascinating books that has ever been written by any historian since the days of Herodotus." From that year until the completion of his work with the publication of "A Half Century of Conflict" in 1892, he occupied himself with the preparation of his series of historical narratives, "France and England in North America," laboriously searching through the French archives and elsewhere for his authorities, and dictating to an amanuensis at such times as the condition of his health would permit. The authorities he collected from the large number of documents and letters examined fill seventy folio volumes of manuscript, and are in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The wealth of material was selected from immense accumulations in France, England, and America, mostly unpublished and in manuscript. Personal visits had to be made to the Archives de la Marine et des Colonies, the Archives de la Guerre, and the Archives Nationals at Paris, and the Public Record Office and the British Museum in London, to obtain manuscript copies, it being necessary to have the authorities constantly at hand. The colonial records of Massachusetts, New York, and other States were also carefully examined. The initial volume of the series, "Pioneers of France in the New World," was published in 1865. It is divided into two parts. I. The Huguenots in Florida. II. Champlain and his Associates. He described the subject of the proposed series as the attempt of Feudalism, Monarchy, and Rome to dominate the American continent, the rise and growth of North America, and the conflict of nations, races, and principles for its mastery. He had for the scenes of his great historical pictures the whole United States and Canada, from Quebec to Florida and Louisiana, and from Massachusetts to the Western Frontier. In the preface to "Pioneers of France in the New World" Parkman epitomized his purpose in a passage which was given a place of honor in Edmund Clarence Stedman's "Library of American Literature." He said:--