John Ross Browne, humorist and traveler, was born in Ireland, in 1817,
but when an infant his father came to America and settled at
Louisville, Kentucky. Browne was educated in the Louisville schools,
and studied medicine for a time under several well-known physicians.
When eighteen years old he went to New Orleans; and this journey
kindled his passion for travel that ended only with his death. Browne
took the whole world for his home. He first went almost around the
globe on a whaling vessel, and on his return to this country, he
published his first book, called _Etchings of a Whaling Cruise_ (New
York, 1846). Browne was private secretary for Robert J. Walker,
Secretary of the Treasury, for a time, but, in 1849, he went to
California as a government commissioner; and in 1851 he went to Europe
as a newspaper correspondent. A tour of Palestine is described in
Browne's most famous book, _Yusef, or the Journey of the Frangi_ (New
York, 1853). He shortly afterwards returned to the United States and
became an inspector of customs on the Pacific coast; but the year of
1861 found him again in Europe, residing at Frankfort-on-the-Main.
Browne's next work was _Crusoe's Island_ (New York, 1864). His
family's residence in Germany resulted in the author publishing _An
American Family in Germany_ (New York, 1866), one of his most
delightful volumes. Browne's travels in northern Europe are described
in _The Land of Thor_ (New York, 1867). He now returned to America and
made his home in California. He investigated the mineral resources of
the country west of the Rocky Mountains, and his report was issued as
_Resources of the Pacific Slope_ (1869). _Adventures in the Apache
Country_ (1869), was his last book. Browne was appointed United States
Minister to China on March 11, 1868, but he was recalled sixteen
months later. He died at Oakland, California, December 9, 1875. Most
of his volumes are very cleverly illustrated with his own comical
sketches of characters and scenes. That J. Ross Browne was a man of
very considerable ability in several directions admits of no argument.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Appletons' _Cyclopaedia of American Biography_ (New
York, 1887, v. i); _National Cyclopaedia of American Biography_
(New York, 1900, v. viii).