Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) suffered from lung tuberculosis and spent most of his short life traveling, always in search of a suitable climate for his illness. The majority of his extensive body of work was created during these journeys, which initially took him through Europe, then the USA, and finally to the South Seas. The longer story "The Treasure of Franchard" was written in 1883, the same year as Stevenson's classic "Treasure Island," and also revolves around a treasure hunt, albeit under entirely different circumstances.