In the summer of 1883 Belgian travel writer Jules Leclercq spent ten days on horseback in Yellowstone, the world s first national park, exploring myriad natural wonders: astonishing geysers, majestic waterfalls, the vast lake, and the breathtaking canyon. He also recorded the considerable human activity, including the rampant vandalism. Leclercq s account of his travels is itself a small marvel blending natural history, firsthand impressions, scientific lore, and anecdote. Along with his observations on the park s long-rumored fountains of boiling water and mountains of glass, Leclercq...