Håkan continues east on foot and eventually encounters a caravan traveling west. Unfortunately, the horse soon becomes fatally ill, and Håkan has no choice but to kill the horse in order to put it out of its misery. Eventually, Lorimer gives Håkan a horse so that Håkan can continue eastward on his own. Lorimer also teaches Håkan various survival techniques, as well as basic principles of medicine and surgery. Lorimer teaches Håkan about biology and evolution. He is rescued by John Lorimer, a naturalist who is exploring the American wilderness in search of fossils and undiscovered species. Håkan eventually manages to escape from Clangston on foot, but he eventually passes out in the wilderness. However, the tyrannous woman who rules the nearby settlement of Clangston takes Håkan captive and uses him as a slave. He joins a family of miners-the Brennan family-to mine for gold so he will have enough money to travel east to New York. Håkan is in his early teens when he arrives in California. However, in Portsmouth, England, they become separated, and Håkan accidentally boards a ship headed for California. One day, following a severe famine, Håkan and Linus are sent by their parents to go live in New York. Håkan is born in Sweden, where he lives with his parent and his older brother Linus. The narrative then shifts to the beginning of the narrative. He sits down one day to tell the other crew members his story.

Håkan Söderström, a Swedish immigrant, is working on a freight ship in the waters near Alaska. The novel is set in the mid-1800s, and it opens with a prologue that takes place near the end of the narrative. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Diaz, Hernan.

Diaz in the distance