Up the River; or, Yachting on the Mississippi

"Up the River; or, Yachting on the Mississippi" by Oliver Optic is a late 19th-century adventure where Captain Alick Garningham and his companions cruise down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico on his steam yacht, the Sylvania. Filled with moral and adventurous themes, the story begins with Alick planning the trip with his cousin, Owen Garniham, amid tension from a canceled contract, leading to an invitation to join the voyage. The story builds as they prepare to leave, including a touching goodbye between Alick and Captain Boomsby, and the suspense of a theft involving a bank messenger sets the stage for an adventure filled with unknown challenges.