From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: A story of travel and adventure, said to be somewhat after the style of Captain Marryat, though by no means an imitation.
Thackeray accused Dumas of borrowing half his story from the "Revue Britannique," but as he gave no further indication, there seems still to be more than a little uncertainty about this. In 1857 the actual John Davys was on very friendly terms with Dumas, and translated for the pages of "Le Monte-Cristo" Sterne's "Sentimental Journey."
At the time of the appearance of the "Aventures de John Davys," Cherbuliez, not at all given to the showing of leniency towards its author in his literary criticisms, praised this work highly.
Original edition : Paris, Dumont, 1840, 4 vols., 8vo.
Illustrated edition : Paris, Dufour, Mulat et Boulanger, 1857, 1 vol., large 8vo., with nine engravings.
Occupies two volumes in the standard Calmann-Lévy edition, and one in that firm's "Musée Littéraire."
In Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" it forms part of Vol. XIV.
References :—
Dumas: "Le Monte-Cristo," "Causerie" for the 17th of December, 1857. Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Columns 1099-1100. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alexandre Dumas," p. 44.
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: CHANT SICILIENNE. (XCVII.) In Chapter XXVII. Five eight-line stanzas, rhyming a, a, a, b, c, c, c, b. This proves to be identical with that numbered LII, on page 77 (to which refer).
