"A Drama in Mexico" (french: Un drame au Mexique) is a

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the '' Voyages extra ...

, first published in July 1851 under the title "L'Amérique du Nord, études historiques: Les Premiers Navires de la marine mexicaine." In a letter to his father Verne wrote that it "is but a simple adventure-story in the style of ames Fenimore

Cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ...

which I am locating in Mexico."

Plot outline

In 1825, off the islands of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

on a passage from Spain, Lieutenant Martinez, and his associates plot a mutiny on board of two Spanish

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...

s. Conspirators murder Captain Don Orteva, take command of the ships, and plan to sell them to the republican government in Mexico. On arrival in

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has ...

, Lieutenant Martinez and Jose embark on a cross-country trip to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

to effect the sale. Martinez becomes increasingly fearful that he is being pursued by Ortega's loyal followers, and during a stormy night in the mountains murders Jose in a moment of madness and is then toppled to his death in a mountain torrent by the men he feared.

Publication history

The story was originally published in French in July 1851 as "L'Amérique du Nord, études historiques: Les Premiers Navires de la marine mexicaine" in ''

Musée des familles ''Musée des familles'' (''"Museum of Families"'') was an illustrated French literary magazine that was published in Paris from 1833 to 1900. It was founded by Émile de Girardin. Contributors of the magazine included Alexandre Dumas, Théophile ...

'' with three illustrations by Eugène Forest and Alexandre de Bar. A renamed and revised version, "Un drame au Mexique," with six illustrations by

Jules Férat Jules-Descartes Férat (1829, Ham, Somme – 1906, Paris) was a French artist and illustrator, famous for his portrayals of factories and their workers. He illustrated the books of many known authors, such as Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, and ...

, was published in 1876 together with the novel '' Michel Strogoff'' as a part of the ''

Voyages Extraordinaires The ''Voyages extraordinaires'' (; ) is a Collection (publishing), collection or novel sequence, sequence of novels and short story, short stories by the French writer Jules Verne. Fifty-four of these novels were originally published between 1 ...

'' series. The first English translation by W. H. G. Kingston was published in London in 1876.

English publication

as "The Mutineers: A Romance of Mexico" (translated by W. H. G. Kingston) in *1876 - ''Michael Strogoff, the Courier of the Czar''; and ''The Mutineers: A Romance of Mexico'', London: Sampson Low *1877 - New York: Scribners (translation "revised" by Julius Chambers) as "The Mutineers, or A Tragedy of Mexico" in *1911 - ''Works of Jules Verne, Vol. 1'', New York: Vincent Parke, ed. Charles F. Horne as "A Drama in Mexico" in *1964 - ''Dr. Ox, and Other Stories'', London: Arco/Westport, CT: Associated Booksellers: Fitzroy Edition, ed. I. O. Evans as "The First Ships of the Mexican Navy" in *1999 - ''The Eternal Adam, and Other Stories'', London: Phoenix, trans. I. O. Evans, ed. Peter Costello

References

External links

Illustrations
by

(1876)
Un drame au Mexique (1876)
available a
Jules Verne Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drama in Mexico, A 1851 short stories 1876 short stories Short stories by Jules Verne Mexico in fiction Works originally published in Musée des familles