In 1878 Robert Louis Stevenson set out on a walking tour of the Cevennes behind Modestine, the donkey that carried his baggage. The one hundred twenty-mile trip was through difficult country, and Modestine proved to be less than agreeable, too. Although Stevenson's adventure lasted only twelve days, his account suggests a much longer journey, with all sorts of backward glances, detours, and retracing of steps, both on the terrain and in spirit.
Stevenson's third book, "Travels with a Donkey" was originally intended as a lighthearted sketch, a companion-piece to his recent "Inland Voyage....