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Mapa, piataa. charta, ato.. may ba filmad at diffarant raduetion ratioa. Thoaa too larga to ba antiraly inciudad in ona axpoaura ara filmad boginning in tlta uppar loft hand oornar. laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framaa aa raquirad. Tha following diagrama iliuatrata tha mathod: Laa cartaa, planchas, tabiaaux. ate, pauvant Atra filmto A daa taux da reduction diffironts. Lorsqua la documant aat trop grand pour AtiO raproduit an un saul clichA, 11 aat film* A partir da i'angia aupAriaur gaucha, da gaucha A droita, at da hiaut an baa, an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nAcaasaira. Laa diagrammaa suivsnts iliustrant la mAtlioda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 4 • -' '# ^^ MEMOIRS JUIN 8 6 1373 OP THX LIFE AND TRAVELS OF JOHN LEDYARD, rsoM HIS JOURNALS AND CORRESPONDENCE. BY JARED SPARKS. ^ LONDON. HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURUNOTON STREET. ■t BIBLIOTHECA JpNtvl«nt*L :^', "sJift ^i T ,i^?'':**'»>?* •■'m? / ,rf.g-#^:fw:»r-f ;4^^3^f; 'i^^'i <5 WA.w*. *■'. PREFACE. Soon after the death of John Ledya&d, the sal^ect of the following Memoir, some progress was made in col- lecting materials for an account of his life, by Dr. Isaac . Ledjraid, then of New York. The biographer^s task was never begun, however, and the project was abandimed ; but the papers procured for the purpose have been pre- served by the family of Dr. Ledyard, and have fumiriied the facts for much the larger portion of the present narra- tive. Researches have also been made in other quarters, and important original letters obtained. Particular afr> knowledgment b due to Mr. Henry Seymour, of Hart- ford, Connecticut, for the aid he has rendered in this respect. All the papers that have been used are entitled to the credit of unquestionable authenticity. Wherever it could be done, without deviating too much from a regular and proportionate train of events, the traveller has been allowed to speak for himsdf. His manner of thinking, as well as of acting, was so peculiar, A IT rsVMRWPlVi" VI PREFACE. i' that a true pcture of his mhid and genius, his motives and feelings, could with difficulty be exhibited in any other way with so much distinctness, as through the medium of his own language. Free and full selections from his letters and journals are interspersed. His inces- sant activity, want of leisure, and few opportunities of practising composition as an art, afford an apology for the imperfections of his style, which the candid r^der Will regard in the favourable light it deserves. His dic- tion is nijever polished, and his words are not always well chosen; but his ideas are ojfteh original, copious, well combined, and forcibly expressed. In executing this work, the only aim has been to bring together a series of facts, ii^hich should do justice to the fiiroe and character of a man, who possessed qualities and performed deeds, that rendered him remarkable, and are worthy of being remembered. If the author has been successful in this attempt, he is rewaMed for the labour it has cost him. ft tiit CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Birth and paxentagc — Early educadon.— Begins the study of the laWi — Enten Dartmouth CoOfige with a view to qualify himadf tp \)9 a mlssionaty among the Indians- |9fate of the Indian miadons at that time — Hisfimdnenfortheatiiediezhibition&whileatCoDqie.-. Travels among the Indians of the Six Nations-— His return to Col. lege, and adventure in viritittg a mountain.— Constructs a canoe at Dartmouth College with his own hand% and descends the Connec- ticut rivei in it alone to Hartford—Dangers of the passage— JBQs singular ajqiiearance when he met his fidends— His enterprise 6oin« pared to that of Mungo Paricon the Niger ""VL* CHAPTER IL His singular letters to President Wheelock— Commences the study of theology. — His embarrassments on this occasion— .Viats severtd. clergymen on Lcmg IsUnd, And pursues his studies there for a dust time.— Proposes teaching a schooL-^Retums to Connecticut^ and meets with disappmntment in his hopes of beiqg settled as a dcKgy- man.— Abandons his purpose of studying divimty.>J3«ys fttim New London on a voyage to Gibraltar.— Enlists there as a soldier ia th* regular service. — Released at tlic solicitation of the o^pitainitf the vessel in which he sailed. — Returns home by way of the Baibary Coast and the Wiest Indies.— Resolves to virit Eng^d, and seek for his wealthy fomity connexions in that oonntxy.*— Sails fiom New York to Plymouth.— Travels thence to London in extreme pover^. — Realises none of his expectations. — Enlists in the naval service.— Oidns an acquaintance with Captain Cook, and embarks with him on his last voyage round the world, in the capacity (tfoorponl of marine*. CHAPTER III. Ledyard's journal of his voyage with Captidn Cook.-.>TaBtimflB]f in his fkvonr by Captain Bnmey.— Sails for the Cape of Good Hope.— Thence to Kerguden's Ldands and tht soudi of New HoUaad.— Page 26* i vm CONTENTS. Page Character of the people on Van Dieman's Land.— Present State <^ the Colony there.— Arrives in New Zealand.— -Account of the peo- ple, their manners and peculiarities.— Remarkable contrasts ex- hibited in their character.— Love adventure between an English sailor and a New Zealand girL— Omai, the Otaheitan.— Vessels depart from New Zealand, andftll in with newly-discovered idands. — Aflfecting story of three Otaheitans found on one of them. — ^Ar- rival at the Friends Islands.— People of Tongataboo.— Their con- dition, mode of living, and amusements.— Ledyard passes a ni^t with die king. — Wrestling and other athletic ezerdaes described. — Fb*iroifcs eihibited by Cook.— Propenrity of the natives to thieving. — An instance inachief caDed Feenoo, and the extraordinaiy mea* sntM used to recover the stolen property.— Departure ftom Ton- gataboo »^.... 48 CHAPTER IV. Society Idand8.-~0taheite.— Ledyard's description of the language, cnatoms, reli^n, laws, and government of the natives.— Their pro- bable fidthin the doctrine of transmigration.— Remarkson his mode of reaiwningon this subject—His theoty of the origin of customs and siqierstitions. — Notions of a Deity among the Otaheitans.— Conduct of Omai.— Difficulties attending the effinrts to dviUie savages.— Sandwich Islands discovered.— The vessels proceed to the American continent and anchor in Nootka Sorad. — Anpearanoe and mannen of the peopHc-Indian wampum.— The abundance of ftura. — Canni- baUm.— Curious digiession on the origin and practice of sacrifices. — Ci^tain Cook passes Bering'^s Strait, ezplrares the nocthem oecan tm Mopped by the ice, and returns to the island of Onalaska.— Sands I«dyaid with two Indians in seardi of a Russian establishment on the coast. — His account of this adventure.— In what manner he was transported in a canoe.— Vilhige of Russians and Indians.— Hot baths.— Their habitatidtas and manner of living described.— Bering's vcsscL— Ledyard returns to die ships, and reports to Captahi Cook. —Expedition returns to the Sandwidi Islands 80 CHAPTER V. Hie ihips anchored in Kettrakekna bay.— First intenriew widi the natives.!— Reverence with which they regarded Code— ^Tents erected for astronomical ob8ervatkni8.- and in other parts of the country. — General remarks on the various tribes of Tartars in Siberia.— Characteris- tics of savages in cold and warm climates.— Kalmuks have two modes of writing.— Their manner of living.— The Yakuti Tartars. — Influence of religion upon them.— The love of freedom common to. aU the Tartars.— Their dwellings.— 'Intermarriages between the Russians and Tartars.— In what degree the colour of descendants is afff-cted by such intermarriages.— Peculiarities of features in the Tartar countenance. — Form and use of the Tartar pipe. —Dress. — Difficulty of taking vocabularies of unknown languages.— Marriage ceremonies.— Notions of theology.— Practice of scalping.— Wam- pum. — Classification of the Tartars and North American Indiaps. — Language a criterion for judging of the affinity between the ciiC!> ferent races of men.— Causes of the difference of colour in the human race.— Tartars and American Indians the same peo]^. . . . 300 CHAPTER XI. Climate in Siberia.— Extreme cold. — Congelation of quicksilver.— Images in Russian houses. — Attention paid to dogs- — Ice windows. — Jeak>usy of the Russians.- Moral condition of the Russians in ~ Siberia. — Ledyard's celebrated euk)gy on women.— Captain Bil- lings m^ts him at Yakutsk, on his return from the Frozen Ocean. — Bering's discovery of the strait called after his name. — . Russian voyages of discovery.— Bering's death.— Russian fur trade.— Billings's expedition. — His incompetency to the under- taking.— His instructions nearly the same as those drawn up by Peter the Great for Bering.— Some of their principal features enumerated 339 m CHAPTER XII. Ledyard departs from Yakutsk, and returns to Irkutsk up the Lena on the ice. — Is seized by order of the Empress, and hurried off in the chaige of two guards.— Returns through Siberia to Kazan. — His remarks on the peculiarity of his fate.— Further observatitms on the Tartars.— No good account of them has ever been written. —Passes Moscow and arrives in Poland. — Left by his guards, with an injunction never to appear again in Russia.— Health much » xu CONTENTS. impaired by bis sufferings.— Proceeds to Konigsberg^ and thence to London.— Inquiry into tbe motives of tbe Empress 'for her cruel treatment of him.— Her pretences of humanity not to be credited.— Her declaration to Count S^;ur on the subject — Dr. Clarke's explanation incorrect.— The true cause was the jealousy of the Russian American Fur Company, by whose influence his recal was procured from the Empress.— Lafayette's remark on her conduct in this particular • Page 360 CHAPTER XIIL Interview with Sir Joseph Banks in London. — ^Engages to travel in Africa under the auspices of the African Association.— Remark- able instance of decision of character.— Letter to Dr. Ledyaid, containing miscellaneous particulars respecting his travels and circumstances.— Description of his Siberian dresses.— Origin and purposes of the African Association.— Ancient and present state of Africa. — Benefits of discoveries in that continent. — Letter from Ledyard to hu mother.— His remarks to Mr. Beaufoy on his departure for Egypt. — ^Visits Mr. Jefferson and Lafayette in Paris.— SaOs for Marseilles to Alexandria in Egypt. — Description of Alexandria, in a letter to Mr. Jefferson.— Arrives in Cairo.— Description of the city, and of his passage up the Nile 380 CHAPTER XIV. Remarks on the appearance of the country in passing up the Nile. — Condition of a Christian alT Cairo.— Interview with the Aga.— iifiscellaneous observations on the customs of the Arabs, and other races of people found in Cairo. — Information respectiag the interior of Africa. — Visit to the caravans and slave markets.— The traveller's reflections on his circumstances and prospects.— His last letter to Mr. JefllorBon.— Joins a caravan, and prepares to depart for Sennaar.— He is taken suddenly iU. — His death. — Account of his person and duuracter 405 # i THE LIFE AND TRAVELS . .ci^ JOHN LEDYARD. .. ) : (ik\ W / CHAPTER L Birth and parentage.— 'Eariy education. — ^Begins the study of the law.— — Enten Dartmouth College with a view to qualify himself to be a missionary among the Indians. — SUtte of the Indian missions at that time. — His fondness for theatrical exhibitions while at C!oUege. — TraTCls among the Indians of the Six Nations.— His return to College, and adventure in visiting a mountain.— Constructs a canoe at Dartmoudi College with his own hands, and descends the Connecticut river in it ahme to. HartftiH.— Dangers of the passage. — His singular appearance when he met his friends. — His enterprise compared to that of Mungo Park on the Niger. John Ledyard, the celebrated traveller, was born in the year 1751, at Groton, in Con- necticut, a small village on the bank of the river Thames, opposite to New London. The place of his birth is but a few bundled yards # / LIFE AND TRAVELS '■ m from Fort Griswold, so well known in the his- tory of the American revolution. His grandfather, named also John Ledyard, came in early life to America, and settled at Southold, Long Island, as a small trader in dry goods. He was a native of Bristol, England, and had been bred a merchant in London. Being prosperous in business at Southold, he was soon married to a lady of amiable qualities and good fortune, the daughter of Judge Young, a gentleman of character and influence in that place. From Southold he removed to Groton, where he purchased an estate, and resided many years. He had ten children, and after the death of his wife he removed to Hartford, in Connecticut, and there spent the remainder of his life. For his second wife he married Mrs. Ellery, a respectable widow lady of Boston. To his eldest son, who had the same name as bifflMelf, he gave the estate at Groton. He was a sea captain, engaged in the West India trade, a man of sound understanding, vigorous con- stitution, and industrious habits. But he died at the age of thirty-five, leaving a widow and four children, three sons and one daughter, to whom the subject of this memoir was the eldest. Colonel William Ledyard, the brave com-* * OF JOHN LEDYARD. a mander in the memorable action of Fort Gris- wold, who was slain after the capitulation, was the second son. It thus appears, that John Ledyard, the traveller, was the third of that name in lineal descent. His mother, who was tlie daughter of Robert Hempsted, of Southold, has been described as a lady of many excellencies of mind and character, beautiful in person, well informed, resolute, generous, amiable, kind, and, above all, eminent for piety and the reli- gious virtues. Such a mother is the besi gift of Heaven to a family of helpless young children. In the present instance all her courage and all her strength c^ chaiacter were necessary* to carry her through the duties and trials which devolved upon her. The small estate, which had belonged to her husband in Groton, was, by some strange neglect of her friends, or criminal fraud, never yet explained^ taken from her soon after his death. During a visit to Long Island, the deed» which she had left with a confidential person, disappeared. As this deed was the only evidence of her title to the property, and her claim could not be substantiated without it, the whole reverted to its former owner, her husband's father, who was still living. The particulars of this transac- B 2 :h^:±. LIFE AND TRAVELS tion are not now known, nor is it necessary to inquire into them. It is enough to state the fact that such an event occurred, and that the widowed mother with four infant children were thus thrown destitute upon the world. In this condition die and her children repaired to the house of her father in Southold, where they found protection and support. The estate at Groton afterwards fell into the hands of Colonel William Ledyard. It may be supposed, that misfortune did not weaken her parental solicitude, nor make her neglectful of her high trust. The education oi her children was the absorbing object of her thoughts and exertions. Her eldest son was now of an age to receive impressions that would become deeply wrought into his mind, and give a decided bias to his future character. In the marked features of his eventful life, eccentric and extraordinary as it was, full of temptations, crosses and sufferings, may often be traced lineaments of virtues, and good im- pulses, justly referred to such a source, to the early cares and counsels of a judicious, sensible, and pious mother. Nor were these counsels scattered in a vacant mind, nor these cares wasted on a cold heart ; in his severest disap- pointments and privations, in whatever clime u • #. '* ■ OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 5 or among whatever people, whether contending with the fierce snows of Siberia, or the bilrning «flifids of Africa, the image of his mother always came with a beam of joy to his soul, and was cherished there with delight. Such of his letters to her, as have been preserved, are written with a tenderness of filial affection that could flow only from an acute sensibility and a good heart. A few years after leaving Groton, and settling at Southold, Mrs. Ledyard was married to a second husband. Dr. Moor, of the latter place. At this time her son John was taken into the family of his grandfather at Hartford, who, frdm that period seems to have considered him as wholly under his charge. Tradition tells of peculiarities in his manners and habits at this early age, of acts indicating the bent of his genius, and the romantic disposition that gave celebrity to his after life. But no record of his schoolboy adventures has come down to us, and we are left to conjecture in what manner the wild spirits of a youth like his would exhibit themselves. He attended the grammar school in Hartford, it is to be presumed, with com- mendable proficiency, since he was at first designed for the profession of the law. Several months were passed by him as a student in the / ♦■ m LIFE AND TRAVELS office of Mr. Thomas Seymour, a respectable lawyer of that place^who had married his aunt. Meantime his grandfather died, and Mr. Seymour became his guardian, and took him to his own house. Whether Ledyard turned his thoughts to the law by his voluntary choice, or by the advice and wishes of his friends, who desired to quiet his temper, by fixing him in some settled pursuit, is not related ; most pro- bably the latter, for it was soon manifest, that neither the profound wisdom, the abstruse learning, nor the golden promises of the law, had any charms for him. It was decided without reluctance oti his party therefore, that he should leave the path, which he had found so intricate, and in which he had made so little progress, and enter upon one more congenial to \x& inclination, and presenting objects more attractive to his taste and fiancy. Here was a difficult point to be determined. The pursuit, which would accord best with the propensities, temperament, and wishes of John Ledyard, and best promote his fiiture useful- ness and sucdess, was a thing tiot to be decided, eten at that time of his life, by l!he i^ommoti ftiles of judgiUg in such cases ; it w#sii prellmi^ Utiry, which no one probably would hare been "tfm^ perplexed than himself to estahlii^ . Never OF JOHN LEDYARD. was he accustomed to look forward with unwa- vering predilections, to prepare for contin- gencies, or to mark out a course from which he would not stray. To be seeking some distant object, imposing and attractive in his own con- ceptions, and to move towards it on the tide of circumstances, through perils and difficMlties, was among the chief pleasures of his existence. On enterprises, in which no obstacles were to be encountered, no <;hances to be run, no dis* appointments to be apprehended, no rewards of hazardous adventure to be looked for, he bestowed not a thought ; but let a project b« started, thickly beset with dangers, and pro-^ mising success only liirough toils and sufferings, deeds of courage, and the resolute efforts of an untiring spirit, and not a man would grasp at it 80 eagerly, or pursue it with so much intenseness of purpose. The wholesome maxim of pro- viding for the morrow rarely found a place in his e^ics or his practice ; and as he never allowed himself to anticipate misfortunes, so he nevet took any pains to guard against them. He was now at the age of nineteen, witk very narrow means, few fnends, and no definite prospects. In this state of his affairs, as it was necessary for something to be done, he vms compelled to look around him^ and for a moment ^ : LIFE ANp TKAVELS to. ei^ercise that foresight, which the tenor of his life proves him to have been so reluctant on most occasions to call to his aid. And, after all, he was more indebted to accident, than to his own deliberations, for the immediate events that awaited him. Dr. Wheelock, the amiable and pious founder of Dartmouth College, had been the intimate friend of his grandfather ; and, prompted by the remembrance of this tie, he invited Ledyard to enter his institution, re- cently established at Hanover, New Hampshire, amidst the forests on the banks of the Con- necticut river. This offer was accepted, and in the spring of 1772, he took up his residence at this new seat of learning, with the apfi^rant intention of qualifying himself to becotiie<>a missionary among the Indians. dJi in His mother's wishes and advice had probably much influence in guiiding him to this resolu- tion. In accordance with the religious spirit of that day, she felt a strong compassion for the deplorable state of the Indians, and it wtis among her earliest and fondest hopes :6f this her iiEivourite son, that he would be educated as a missionary, and become an approved instru- ment in the hands of Providence to bring these degraded and suffering heathen to a knowledge of a pure religion, and the blessings of civilized OF JOHN LEDYARD. life. When she saw this door opened lor the realizing of her hopes, and her son placed under the charge of the most eminent labourer of his day in the cause of the Indians, her joy was complete From the first settlement of the country much zeal and much disinterested philanthropy have been exercised, in attempts to convert the Indians to Christianity, and induce them to adopt the manners and participate the comforts of civilized men. Eliot (rightly named the apostle of the Indians), and the Mayhews, are entitled to the praises which succeeding times have bestowed on them ; and the efforts of the Society in Great Britain for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts, were prompted by motives of the noblest kind, and were bestowed with an ardour and with sacrifices, that demand « a generous tribute from the pen of history, and the grateful remembrance of posterity. For many years little had been done, however, till the popular talents and fervent zeal of David Brainerd caused the journals of his missionary toura to be read throughout the country, his labours applauded, and his success regarded as an evidence of the great work, that might be wrought by the use of proper means. About this time the Reverend Eleazer Whee- lock, who was then a settled clergyman in 10 LIFE AND TRAVELS LebatidA, Connecticut, formed the scheme of an Indian School, ^hich should have the double object of preparing young preachers for the missionary field, and of educating Indian youth, who should return to their tribes, and become teachers among their own people. Without show or ostentation Dr. Wheelock commenced the school at his own house, and almost at hii» own charge. He began with two pupils, one of whom was Sampson Occum, an Indian of the Mohegan tribe, afterwards so much celebrated as a preacher, and for his instructions to the Indians. The school gradually increased, and so benevolent an undertaking, pursued with sfttch (Singleness of purpose, could not fail to attract public notice and approbation. He wa6 aided by contributions from individuals, afed ih€ province of Massachusetts voted to pay, for a certain time, the expense of educating ^vx Indian children. Mr. Joshua Moore, who owned land6 in Lebanon, gave a portion of Ihem for the beni^t of this school, and deom Ihis eircutiistance, the seminary for the eddca"- tion of Indian boys, afterwards attached to Dartmouth College, was called Moo)^'^ Indkm School, But Dr. Wbeeiock still found, that ^ipils from the forest flocked to him faster than he ■i- ■ OP JOHN LEDYAUD. could provide for them. He thought it now time to adopt the expedient of sending to England, and soliciting assistance from the wealthy and charitable on the other side of the water. For this object Sampson Occum, and another clergyman, were sent out as agents, furnished with testimonials of their character, and certificates of approbation from eminent persons in the colonies. Occum was looked upon as a wonder in England. He was the first Indian preacher from North America, that ever had been seen in the Old World ; wherever he went, crowds gathered around him, and ii has been the lot of few speakers to address audiences so thronged. A North American Indian in a pulpit, eloquently preaching in the English tongue, was a phenomenon too nearly miraculous to pass unseen or unheard. It was said, moreover, that he exhibited in his persott and character, a practical example of what might be done With Indians, when fairly brought under the influence of instruction. All this was highly favotirable to the great ends oi the mission, and in a few months a subscriptibn Wad obtained, and money paid to the amount oC nearly ten thousand pounds. The king gave two hundred pounds, and several geatlemeA one hundred each. The money was deposited #■ i 1 LIFE AND TRAVELS ■ in the haiids of trustees in England, and drawn out as occasion required. With this addition to his resources. Dr. Wheelock began to think of enlarging the plan of his school, and removing nearer to the frontiers, both to diminish the expense of living, and to be nearer the Indians. After examining several situations, he selected Hanover, then almost a wilderness, to which place he removed in 1770, cut away the trees, and erected the institution, which he called Dartmouth College , in honour of Lord Dartmouth, who had manifested zeal and liberality in col- lecting the Indian fund in England. To this college, about two years after it was founded, Ledyard resorted, to prepare himself for the arduous office of a missionary among the Indians. The nature of a missionary's life at that time, and the prospects of the young candi- date for such a station, may be fully realized bya perusal of the letters from the Reverend Saniuei Kirkland to Dr Wheelock, written previously to the removal from Lebanon. Mr. Kirkland was a graduate of Nassau Hall, in New Jersey, and when qualified for the ministry, he under- took a mission to the Seneca Indians, the most remote and fierce of the confederate nations; He continued there morei than a year and a half, and gained the confidence of some of the O^ JOHN LEDYARD. chief persons of the tribe ; but so general was the aversion to the whites, and to the arts of civilized life, that after a thorough experiment, he despaired of any such success as would be adequate to the sacrifices he must make, and- the sufferings he must endure. Leaving the Senecas, therefore, he next proceeded to the Oneidas, with whom he took up a permanent' residence. Here poverty, and faimine, and wretchedness, stared him in the face.* Nor * During the first year of his sojourning with his tribe (1767) he wrote to Dr. Wheelock as follows : ** I am distressed to know what to do ; the present poverty of these people cries aloud for the charity of God's pec^le; two years ago their corn was cut off by the frost^last year dertroyed. by the vermin, and worms threaten the .destruction of one half, of the present c:op. Many of them for a month past have eat but once a day, and yet continue to work. From week to week I am obliged to go eeling with the Indians at Oneida Lake for my subsistence. I have feasted and starved with them, as their luck depends on wind and weather. If it should be asked, why they do not support me, the answer is ready, they cannot support themselves. They ate now half starved. Some of tiiemi have no more than two quarts of c6rn. I fear my appearing in such a servile, beggarly manner, will very much disserve the design in view ; but 1 must desist, must go down to the lake for eels this day, and return to-morrow to hill the corn and potatoes." , . ' Again, a few weeks afterwards, he wrote, ** Through the ten-^ der mercies of God, I enjoy some degree of health, amidst all my troubles and distresses, #iough my strength bezini to fisiil. # LIFE AND TRAVELS were these the worst evils with which be was obliged to contend. The capricious temper and furious passions of the savages, especially when intoxicated, frequently put his life in jeopardy, and kept him in a state of unceasing alarm. All these things were endured by Mr. Kirkland with a christian fortitude, which nothing but a deep sense of the sacred nature of his duties could have enabled him to maintain. He tri- umphed at last ; he lived many years with the Oneidas, and had the satisfaction to see that his toils were not fruitless. The Indians re- vered him as a father ; they had the wisdom ta respect and sometimes to follow his counsels ; ft visible change took place in their character and modes of life ; the rough features of the iU I cannot subsist long without relief. I have ate no flesh in my oWn house for near eight weeks. Flour and milk with a few eels have been my living. Such diet, with my hard labour abroad, doth not satisfy nature. My poor people are almost starved to death. I am grieved to the heart for them. There is one family, consisting of four, I must support after my fashion, till squashes come on, or they must perish. They have had nothing these ten days, but what I have given them. They have only each an old blanket not worth sixpence, where- with to buy anything ; and begging here at this season would be a very poor business. I would myself be glad of the oppor- tunity to fall upon my knees for such a bone as I have often seen cast to the dogs." OF JOHN LEDYARD. H savage were softened, famine and want chased away, and the comforts of life multiplied. These advantages , the sons of the forest saw and felt. No man has ever been more success^ ful than Mr. Kirkland in improving the oondi* tion of the Indians, and to the last day of his life he continued to receive from them earnest demonstrations of affection and gratitude.* To this brief sketch it is hardly necessary to add, that when the revolutionary war came on^ a check was given to the designs of the benevo- lent in behalf of the Indians. They engaged in the strife, which had been kindled by their white neighbours, and the voice of the mission-f ary was silenced by the war whoop, and the din of battle. Many of Dr Wheelock's ladian pupils, having gone through a regular course of instruction, had returned to their homes, and were beginning to scatter the light they had received ; but their influence was lost amidst * Tn speaking of this subject, the name of John Thornton should not be foi^otteni He was a wealthy English gentleman who was active in procuring donations to the Indian fund, an4 himself a large contributor ; he gave Sampson Occum a pen* sion of one hundred dollars a year, sent private aid to Dr. Wheelock and Mr. Kiikland, wrote them frequent letters of encouragement, and was never weary, either by personal ex- ertions ur charitable gifts, of promoting the cause of Indian Missions. m^ / >A LIFE AND TRAVELS the ravages of war. Much was it to be lamented, that the agency of a school, to which Dr Whee- lock had devoted the years of a long and toil- some life, and which had awakened a lively in- terest in the friends of humanity, should be so soon brought to an end, and nothing be seen in the result but a melancholy waste of time, talents, and money. ^^ Such was the condition of a missionary among the Indians, ^d such the origin and purpose of the institution, to which Ledyard resorted for an education, which should qua- lify him to enter upon his destined task. Not many memorials remain of his coUe^ life. The whole time of his residence at Dartmouth was not more than one year, and during that period he was absent three months and a half, rambling among the Indians. A classmate still living, recollects that he had then some amus- ing singularities, was cheerful and gay in convert sation, winning in his address, and a favourite with his fellow-students. His journey from Hartford to Hanover was performed in a sulky, the first vehicle of the kind that had ever been seen on Dartmouth plain, and it attracted cu- riosity, not more from this circumstance, than from the old appearance of the equipage. Both the horse and the sulky gave evident tokens % OF JOHN LEDYARD. 17 of having known better days ; and the dress of their owner was peculiar, bidding equal defiance to symmetry of proportions and the fashion of the times. In addition to the traveller's own weight, this ancient vehicle was burdened with a quantity of calico for curtains, and other articles to assist in theatrical exhibitions, of which he was very fond. From the character of this outfit we may conclude that he did not intend time should pass on heavy wings at Dartmouth. Considering the newness of the country, the want of bridges, and the bad state of the roads, this jaunt, in a crazy sulky, was thought to indicate no feeble spirit of enter- prise. The journey might have been per- formed with much more ease and expedition on horseback, but in that case his theatrical apparatus must have been left behind. ^^ As a scholar at college he was respectable, but not over-diligent; he acquired knowledge with facility, and could make quick progress, when he chose ; but he was impatient under dis- cipline* and thought nothing more irksome, than to go by compulsion to a certain place at certain times, and tread from day to day the same dull circle of the chapel, the recitation room, the commons hall, and the study. It is not affirmed, that he ever ventured to s6t up c 18 LIFE AND TRAVELS 9iiy dir^t hostility to the powers that ruled/ but he sometimes demeaned himself in a man- ner that must take from him the praise of a shining example of willing subordination. In those primitive times the tones of a bell had not been heard in the forests of Dartmouth, and the students were called together by the sound of a conch^hell, which was blown in turn by the freshmen. Ledyard was indignant at be- ing summoned to this duty, and it was his cus- tom to perform it with a reluctance and in a manner corresponding to his sense of the de- gradation. The scenic materials, brought with so much pains from Hartford, were not suffered to lie useless. The calico was manufactured into curtains, a stage was fitted up, and plays were acted, in which our hero personated the chief characters. Cato was among the tragedies brought out upon his boards,and in this he acted the part of old Syphax, wearing a long grey beard, and a dress suited to his notion of the costume of a Nuroidian prince. His tragedies were doubtless comedies to the audience, but they all answered his purpose of amusement, and of introducing a little variety into the sober tenor of a student's life. At this period he was much addicted to reading plays, and OF JOHN LEDYARD. 1$ his passion for the drama probably stole away many hours, that might have been more profitably employed in preparing to exhibit himself before his tutors. ^" * " ^^-'^ He had not been quite four months in college, when he suddenly disappeared without pre- vious notice to his comrades, and apparently without permission from the president. The full extent of his travels during his absence cannot now be known, but he is understood to have wan- dered to the borders of Canada, and among the Six Nations. It is certain, that he ac- quired in this excursion a knowledge of Indian manners and Indian language, which was after- wards of essential service to him in his inter- course with savages in various parts of the world. His main object probably was to take a cursory survey of the missionary ground, which he was contemplating as the theatre cf his future career : and, judging from what fol- lowed, we may suppose that this foretaste put an end to all his anticipations. Nothing more is heard of his missionary projects, although it is not clear at what time he absolutely aban- doned them. When three months and a half had expired, he returned to college and re^ sumed his studies. If hisdramatic performances were not revived, c 2 20 LIFE AND TRAVELS as it would seem they were not, his erratic spirit did not sink into a lethargy for want of expedients to keep it alive. In midwinterj when the ground was covered with deep snow, Ledyard collected a party whom he persuaded to accompany him to the summit of a neigh* bouring mountain, and there pass the night. Dr. Wheelock consented to the project, as his heart was bent on training up the young men to be missionaries among the Indians, and he was willing they should become inured to hard- ships, to which a life among savages would fre- quently expose them. The projector of the expedition took the lead of his volunteers, and conducted them by a pathless route through the thickets of a swamp and forests, till they reached the top of the mountain, Justin time to kindle a fire, and arrange their encampment on the snow before it was dark. The night, as may be supposed, was dreary and sleepless to most of the party, and few were they who did not greet the dawn with gladness. Their leader was alert, prompt at his duty, and pleased with his success. The next day they returned home, all perfectly satisfied, unless it were Ledyard, with this single experiment ai their hardihood, without being disposed to make another similar trial. He had a pro- 1 OF JOHN LEDYARD. 21 pensity for climbing mountains, as will be seen hereafter, when we meet him at the Sandwich Islands. h After abandoning his missionary schemes he began to grow weary of college, and the more so, probably, as his unsettled habits now and then drew from the president a salutary admo- nition on the importance of a right use of time, and a regard for the regulations of the establish- ment. Such hints he conceived to be an in- dignity, and fancied himself ill treated. That there was value in rules of order and discipline he did not pretend to deny, but seemed at a loss to imagine why they should apply to him. That the whole subject might be put at rest, without involving any puzzling questions of casuistry, he resolved to escape. On the margin of the Connecticut river, which runs near the college, stood many ma- jestic forest trees, nourished by a rich soil. One of these Ledyard contrived to cut down. He then set himself at work to fashion its trunk, into a canoe, and in this labour he was assisted by some of his fellow-students. As the canoe was fifty feet long and three wide, and was to be dug out and constructed by these unskilful workmen, the task was not a trifling one, nor such as could be speedily executed. Opera- # 22 LIFE AND TRAVELS tions were carried on with spirit, however, till Ledyard wounded himself with an axe» and was disabled for several days. When recovered, he applied himself anew to his work ; the canoe was finished, launched into the stream, and, by the further aid of his companions, equipped and prepared for a voyage. His wishes were now at their consummation, and, bidding adieu to these haunts of the muses, where he had gained a dubious fame, he set off alone, with a light heart, to explore a river, with the navi- gation of which he had not the slightest ac- quaintance. The distance to Hartford was not less than one hundred and forty miles, much of the way was through a wilderness, and in several places there were dangerous falls and rapids. - ' With a bearskin for a covering, and his canoe well stocked with provisions, he yielded himself to the current, and floated leisurely down the stream, seldom using his paddle, and stopping only in the night for sleep. He told Mr. Jef- ferson, in Paris, fourteen years afterwards, that he took only two books with him, a Greek Testament, and Ovid, one of which he was deeply engaged in reading when his canoe ap- proached Belows's Falls, where he was suddenly roused by the noise of the waters rushing among OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 23 the rocks through the narrow passage. The dan- ger was imminent, as no boat could go down that fall without being instantly dashed in pieces. With difficulty he gained the shore in time to escape such a catastrophe, and through the kind assistance of the people in the neighbourhood, who were astonished at the novelty of such a voyage down the Connecticut, his canoe was drawn by oxen around the fall, and committed again to the water below. From that time, till he arrived at his place of destination, we hear of no accident, although he was earried through several dangerous passes in the river. On a bright spring morning, just as the sun was rising, some of ]VJr. Seymour's family were standing near his house, on the high bank of the small river that runs through the city of Hartford and empties itself into the Connecti- cut river, when they espied at some distance an object of unusual appearance moving slowly up the stream. Others were attracted by the singularity of the sight, and all were conjectur- ing what it could be, till its questionable shape assumed the true and obvious form of a canoe ; but by what impulse it was moved forward none could determine. Something was seen in the stern, but apparently without life or motion. At length the canoe touched the shore direetly 24 LIFE AND TRAVELS in front of the house ; a person sprang from the stern to a rock in the edge of the water, threw off a bearskin in which he had been enveloped, and behold John Ledyard, in the presence of his uncle and connexions, who were filled with wonder at this sudden apparition, for they had received no intelligence of his intention to leave Dartmouth, but supposed him still there dili- gently pursuing his studies, and fitting himself to be a missionary among the Indians. p. However unimportant this whimsical adven- ture may have been in its results, or even its objects, it was one of no ordinary peril, and illustrated in a forcible manner the character of the navigator. The voyage was performed in the last part of April or first of May, ^md of course the river was raised by the recent melt- ing of the snow on the mountains. This cir- cumstance probably rendered the rapids less dangerous, but it may be questioned whether there are many persons at the present day, who would willingly run the same hazard, even if guided by a pilot skilled in the navigation of the river. , We cannot look back to Ledyard, thus launch- ing himself alone in so frail a bark, upon the waters of a river wholly unknown to him, with- out being reminded of the only similar occur- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 25 ,'€i1 m'A^a rence which has been recorded, the voyage down the river Niger, by Mungo Park; a name standing at the very head of those most renowned for romantic and lofty enterprise. The melan- choly fate, it is true, by which he was soon arrested in his noble career, adds greatly to the interest of his situation, when pushing from the shore his little boat Joliba, and causes us to read his last affecting letter to his wife with emotions of sympathy, more intense, if possible, than would be felt, if the tragical issue were not already known. In many points of character there was a strong resemblance between these two distinguished travellers, and they both pe- rished martyrs in the same cause, attempting to explore the hidden regions of Africa. i.i- ii, .T n '^-^■-■-'V't^di i. UTT^ ' J 2ft LIFE A\D TRAVi:LS , t .. - » " , ^1 ';U : ■ .' * CHAPTER II. ' -^ ^'^'^^;^^ (lii singular letters to President Wbeelock.— Commences the study o£ Theology. — His embarrassments on this occasion.^Visits several cler- gymen on Long Island, and pursues his studies there for a short time. — Proposes tesdung a school.— Returns to Connecticnt, and meets vitk disappointment in his hopes oi being settled as acleigyman. — ^Abandons his purpose of studying divinity. — Sails from New London on a voyage to Gibraltar.— Enlists there as a soldier into the regular servfce.««* Released by the solicitation of the captain of the vessel in which he sailed. — Returns home by way of the Barbary Coast and the West Indies. — Resolves to visit England, and seek for his wealthy fiunily ' iTonnexiona in that country.— Sails from New York to PlyuMnpA/-* Travels thence to London in extreme poverty.— Realizes none of his expectations.— Enlists in the naval service. — Gains an acquamtance \ with Captain Cook, and embarks with him on his last voyage round At world, in the opacity of corporal of marines. ^ As Ledyard left Hanover when Dr. Wheelock was absent, this was probably seized upon by him as a fit opportunity for taking his departure. A few days after his arrival in Hartford, his uncle thought proper to show him some of Dr. Wheelock*s letters, in which were very just complaints of his conduct, his disregalrd of discipline, and particularly his thoughtless waste of the small means he possessed, which his friends flattered themselves might, y^h good economy, be made to pay the expenses of his education. These letters of the presi- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 27 dent were apparently written, not so much by way of accusation as to vindicate himself from any charge of neglect that might be made against him, on account of the ill success of his efforts to manage a young man, whom he had no other motive for taking under his parti- cular care, than good will for the grandson of his deceased friend, and regard for his family. Ledyard was much incensed at these letters, and replied to them under the impulse of feel- ings not the most kindly or respectful. From his nature he was extremely impatient of re- proach, and ever deemed it an unpardonable offence in any one to question his motives, or insinuate that he could act deliberately and intentionally wrong. His foibles he could bear to have touched with a gentle hand, but no one ventured a suspicion of his integrity, or of the kindness of his heart, with impunity. He often lamented the failure of purposes caused by his fondness for change, and love df adventure ; but at no time did he allow himself to think, that he was not pursuing great and worthy objects, and such as would redound to his honour, and the good of mankind. With thii^ disposition, and this confidence in himself, it was natural that he should sometimes regard the opinions which others entertained of his ■f . 28 LIFE AND TRAVELS conduct, with stronger feelings of disapproba- tion than the merits of the case required. In reading the following extracts from a letter to Dr. "Wheelock, these particulars should be kept in mind ; and it should moreover be remem- bered, that, whether right or wrong, he really fancied himself not well treated at Dartmouth. " When I sit down to write," says he, " I know not where to begin, or where to end, or what to say, especially since I have the contents of two of your letters concerning my affairs. What do I see ? Who is this that assumes the port of compassion, kindness, benevolence, charity, and writes as he writes ? You begin. Sir, with a surprise that my legacy was so much exhausted. Justly might you. Sir, but not more so than my unfortunate self; and if truth has not turned liar, if any protestations, any declarations of honesty, uprightness, or any thing else can avail, I now, under the most sacred obligations, bond Jide, declare, I was not aware of it ; and when I saw the letters and account, I was so much ashamed of my inadvertency, and so justly culpable before you, that I could not compose myself to come before you, and answer for my misconduct. But from that moment, with much anxiety and care, I studied to remedy the matter. This, I OF JOHN LEDYARD. m declare, was the honest purpose of my heart ; and to make you reparation still is ; and, under Heaven, you shall say you are satisfied. Then, Sir, you say, a little after, that you could have no confidence in me, after the character given of me by Mr. Seymour. I am sorry. Sir, you ' could not. " I take what you have said, in regard to my pride, very ill-natured, very unkind in you. So far as I know myself, I came to your college » under influences of the good kind, whether you. Sir, believe it or not. The acquaintance I have gained there is dearer than I can possibly ex- press. Farewell, dear Dartmouth. Doctor, my heart is as pure as the new fallen snow. Farewell, and may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bless you and yours. I am, ho- noured and reverend Sir, though sorely beset, your obliged and dutiful young servant." Here end all the particulars which have come to my knowledge respecting Ledyard's college life. He next appears before us in the charac- ter of a student in divinity. Within a month after mooring his canoe at the river's bank in Hartford, he is found at Preston, in Connecti- cut, advising with the Reverend Mr. Hart, a clergyman of that town, on the subject of his theological studies and prospects, and also with / 30 LIFE AND TRAVELS the Reverend Dr. Bellamy, at that time a preacher of wide fame in Connecticut. Both of these clergymen gave him such encourage- ment that he resolved to apply himself imme- diately to a preparation for discharging the sacred functions of a divine, and turn the ruffled tenor of his life into the quiet and grateful occu- pation of a parish minister. He speaks of his anticipations on this occasion with a heartiness and enthusiasm which show, at least, that he imagined himself sincere, and that in the future he fancied he had only to look for the unalloyed blessings of tranquillity, competence, and peace. Such was his haste to realize these precious hopes, that he had not patience to wait the usual term required of young candidates, who had not been graduated at a college. To facili- tate the attainment of this end, his advisers recommended that he should go to Long Island, «nd there pass through his initiatory studies, where, it was said, smaller attainments were required for admission to the desk ; and when once admitted, he might return and procure a settlement wherever there should be an opening. With this scheme he was well satisfied ; and being furnished by the above gentlemen with suitable letters of recommendation, he mounted his horse and set off for Long Island, with OF JOHN LEDYARD. the same buoyancy of spirits, as when, two months before, he entered his canoe at Dart- mouth, and with a purpose much more definite, and higher expectations. In describing this tour, I shall let him speak ' in his own language, as contained in a letter to a friend at the time. " Equipped with my credentials, I embarked for Long Island. The next day I fortunately . arrived at Southold, surprised my mother with a visit, and after remaining with her twenty-four hours, I rode to the eastward. With another recommendatory letter from the Reverend Mr. Storrs, I crossed Shelter Island ferry, and thence to East Hampton, where I met with a kind reception from the Reverend Mr. Buell; moderator of the Synod, an influential man, and a glorious preacher. Here I was introduced to a very large library, and, in company with another young candidate, I spent about a month with intense application to study. But this was only an interregnum. Mr. Buell let me know, that the presbytery here proceed in these mat- ters with a perfect extreme of deliberation ; and since my circumstances were as they were, he advised me to comply with the dispensations of Providence, and seek a school, and study under some divine. I knew his advice to be as that from a father to a son, and, without a t . -H*/ •.•»>^ 32 LIFE AND TRAVELS moment's hesitation, wiping the sweat of care from my brow, I bestrided my Rosinante with a mountain of grief upon my shoulders, but a good letter in my pocket. I jogged on groan- ing, but never desponding, passed -^to Bridge- town, thence to Southampton, and through many little villages to Sataucket Quorum, then to Smithtown, Fireplace, Oyster Bay, and so on, visiting and making acquaintance with the clergy wherever I went. . ^_ . ; : .; . " At length, after a ride of almost one hun- dred mi^fs, by crossing the island I arrived at Huntingdon, a large town about forty miles from New York, where I visited the minister of the place, old Mr. Prime. Afler about twelve days' feasting upon his great library, and a quickly made friendship with the ingeni- ous Dr. Prime, formerly of New York, and a fruitless attempt to get a school, I was return- ing, but stopped to become acquainted with the excellent Irishman, the Reverend Mr. Caldwell, of Elizabeth Town, and the popular Dr. Rogers, of New York ; and, after some cordials of consolation and encouragement, they bade me go on, and God speed me. They told me that the sufferings I met with, and the contemptuous ideas the people where 1 was born and educated had of me, were nothing strange, but reflected honour on me — that a OF JOHN LEDYARD. prophet is hardly accepted in his own country, and the like. * '- " I returned after a very fatiguing journey to Mr. Bueli's, and staid a short time with that hermit, where and with whom I longed to be buried in ease ; but I scorned to be a coward, and chose to die in front of battle, if anywhere. We advised together anew, and it was resolved* that since I was so disappointed I should pro- ceed with renewed vigour. Accordingly, with warm letters I came again to the continent, where I arrived in the evening, but tl^ought it most prudent not to stop there ; no, not where I was bom. I dropped a tear upon the occa* sion, and rode on toward Preston till eleven at night, when, feeling quite exhausted, for I had been severely sea-sick, I dismounted, left my horse to graze, looked up to heaven, and under its canopy fell asleep. The next morning I rode to my cousin Isaac*s house, and being re* freshed, I advanced once more to Mr. Hart's, where I was again handsomely and kindly re- ceived.*' Thus disappointed in his expectations on Long Island, his ardour was somewhat damped, but his resolution remained unshaken. He made up his mind to apply again to his old friends, and seek their sympathy and couniiel. 5 34 LIFE AKD TRAVELS As they had expressed themselves warmly in his favour, and recommended him in flattering terms to the Long Island clergy, he was san- guine in the faith, that they would not, when things came to an extremity, he<ate to do, on their own part, what they had encouraged so earnestly in their brethren. "With some confi- dence^ therefore, he repeated his solicitations to Mr. Hart. The result shall likewise be givea in his own words. :.i;vi " We have advised together, and read the aforesaid letters. The amount of all is this, * Don't be discouraged, Mr. Ledyard ; you will think the better of fair weather after thi» storm. My private sentiments, and my public conduct in your case, are two things. I don't doubt one single instant of your probity and well-meaning. What the world does, I cannot say ; but as I officiate in a public character, I must deal with you as so officiating, and for that reason, as well as securing your future tranquillity in the ministry, by making a good beginning, I by all means advise, first, that you write speedily to the Reverend Mr. Whitman, and get him to write to us respecting you what he can, as you have lived long under him ; secondly, that you write 9lso to Dartmouth, to procure a regular dismission from the president. When we have OF JOHN LEDVARD. 35 these, we shall proceed with confidence in the face of all men, and not be ashamed to introduce you any where.* Nov, Sir, though but very brief, I have given you an exact ac- count of my situation, and the fatigues of my pursuits. You see what bars my sitting directly down. ..ff As Dartmouth is at such a distance, the clergy here do not insist on a return from that place as soon as from Hartford, but the sooner I have an answer from Mr. Whitman, the sooner will my mind be at rest. There are four ministers that stand ready to advance me the moment this is done, among whom the famous Dir. Bellamy is one. The clergy are very exact in. these things, and I have sometimes thought that they meant to keep me humming around them till I was tired, and so get clear of an ab- solute refusal, or» as Dr. Young expresses it. ^•".■■tj^»i^}t.!fll to? " * Fright me, with terrors of a world unknown, • ' ^» From joys of this, to keep them all their own.' ■'» Th6y have found me affliction-proof, if this was their motive ; but I plainly see they mean it for my honour— and their own too. The request in short, which I make of you is, that you will please to wait on Mr. Whitman with my letter, D 2 . >■' 36 LIFE AND TRAVELS hurry him for an answer, and send it to me by the earliest opportunity." That such an answer never came, may be inferred from the fact, that he was never licensed as a preacher, and the judgment of his friends, the clergymen, is not to be so much censured in this, perhaps, as in the unjustifiable encouragement they held out to him. They could not suppose him qualified for the clerical office, with the limited knowledge and expe- rience he possessed, and it was wrong to delude him with the notion, that they would, under any circumstances, publicly approve him as such, merely upon receiving two letters, which at most could testify only to his general charac- ter. His attainments were afterwards to be made. He was doubtless importunate, and Mr. Hart and Dr. Bellamy were good-natured ; but their kindness would have been better applied, especially on a mind like that of Ledyard's, if they had been more frank and decided in the outset. His sensibility was keenly touched by the disappointment, which, as much as any thing, perhaps, drove him, somewhat disgusted, from prosecuting his theological studies. That he engaged in them with considerable ardour, no one can doubt, after reading his remarks above ; that he would have continued long of '«■ n OF JOHN LEDYARD. 37 the same miDd, is not very likely ; but it was a mistaken exercise of benevolence to foster hopes which there was no chance of seeing ri- pened into realities, and thus enticing him into a profession for which he was hardly in any one respect fitted. As a further proof, that he was in earnest at the beginning, it may be men- tioned, that he not only applied himself assi- duously to study, but was accustomed to de- claim in the woods and retired places, that he might discipline his voice, and prepare himself for public speaking. ^ 7^'W> r.%.. i*ji ^.f But his studies in theology were of short duration. He was mortified at the ill success of hii» application to the clergy for being ap- proved as a candidate, and other circumstances, concurred to annoy and wound him. The effect of these on his feelings will appear in the fol- lowing postscript to a letter, written three months after the one last quoted. " I send you this from Groton, even the little Groton, where it seems I must at last hide my head, and relin- quish all the glorious purposes I had in view. •Tis hard. Do you not %onder that I still live, when there is such inquiry about the strange man in Hartford ; when I am the mark of impier- tinent curiosity ; when every thing around me [opposes my designs ? Do you not wonder that 38 LIFE AND TRAVELS I have my senses in so great a degree as to let you know that I am as unmoved as my obser- vers and opposers ?*' These hints are enough to show that obstacles of a serious kind, whether imaginary or real, met him in various quarters, and that a weight of corroding cares hung upon his soul. *t^J u li^ *«itl*v^*->lii.oi But we are not left long to sympathize with him in his griefs. All thoughts of divinity being now abandoned, he is ihtroduce<) to us a few weeks afterwards in a totally new charac- ter, that of a sailor on board a vessel bound to Gibraltar. Captain Deshon, who resided in New London, and sailed from that port, bad been his father's friend, and the hero of oar narrative now shipped with him for a voyage to the Mediterranean. He entered as a common sailor, but was treated by the captain rather as a friend and associate, than as one of the prdi*' nary crew ; and his good humour, suavity of manners, and comparative intelligence, made bis company highly acceptable to all on board. Hhe voyage was first to Gibraltar, next to a port on the Barbary coast for taking in a cargo of mules, and thence homeward by way of the West Indies. One incident only has been transmitted, as worthy of notice, during this voyage. While OF JOHN LEDYARD. 39 the ship was lyin^ at Gibraltar, Ledyard was all at once missing, and it was some time before any thing could be heard of him. There came a rumour at length, that he was among the sol- diery in the barracks. A person was sent to make inquiry, who descried him in the ranks, dressed in the British uniform, armed and equipped from bead to foot, and carrying himself with a martial air and attitude, which proved that to whatever vocation he might be called, he was not to be outdone by his com- rades. Captain Deshon went to his quarters, and remonstrated with him for this strange freak, and urged him to return. He said he enlisted because he was partial to the service, and thought the profession of a soldier well suited to a man of h6\iour and enterprise ; but that he would not be obstinate, and was willing to go back, if the captain insisted on it, and would procure his release. When the circum- stances were made known to the British com- manding officer, he consented to release his new recruit, who returned on board the ship and prosecuted his voyage. While at Gibraltar he wrote home a very foil and amusing account of what he saw in that place, but the letter has been lost. Within a year from the time of sailing from 4Q LIFE AND TRAVELS New London, the vessel anchored again in the same harbour, and the only profit yielded by the voyage to our young adventurer was a little experience of the hardships of a sailor's life> and knowledge of the mysteries of his profes- sion. However valuable might be this species of gain as stock on hand for future use, it had no power to satisfy immediate want ; poverty stared him in the face ; and at the age of twenty- two he found himself a solitary wanderer, de- pendant on the bounty of his friends, without employment or prospects, having tried various pursuits and failed of success in all. Neither his pride, nor his sense of duty, would suffer him to remain in this condition one moment longer* than till he could devise a method of escape from it ; yet the peculiar frame of his mind and temper was such, that nothing would have been more idle, either in himself or any other person, than to think of chaining him down to any of the dull courses of life, to which the great mass of mankind are contented to resort, as the means of acquiring a fortune, gaining a competence, or driving want from the door. That he must prwide for himself by his own efforts was a proposition too forcibly impressed upon him to be denied ; but there seemed not a single pro- pensity of his nature, which inclined him to OF'JOHN LEDYARD. 41 lirect these efforts in the same manner as other people, or to attain common ends by common leans. Poverty and privation were trifles of 10 weight with him, compared with the irksome lecessity of walking in the same path that all the world walked in, and doing things as all le world had done them before. He thought this a very tame pursuit, unworthy of a rational lan, whose soul should be fired with a nobler imbition. Entertaining such views of the objects of luman life, it is not surprising that he should feel himself hanging loosely upon society, and should discover that while he continued without >uTpo8e and without property, he would ex- libit slender claims to the respect of the com- lunity, or the confidence of his friends. Their sympathy he might have, but this was a boon rhich he disdained to accept, when elicited by lisfortunes springing from his own improvi- lence, or by evils which he had power to avoid. 'hat he had no intention of fixing himself down^ any steady occupation, is proved by a remark a letter written from Gibraltar : '' I allot to lyself," said he, *' a seven years' ramble kore, although the past has long since wasted le means I possessed." Often had he heard ^is grandfather descant on his ancestors, and ■%- 42 LIFE AND TRAVELS his wealthy connections in England ; and the thought had entered our ramblers head, that one day it might be no unwise thing for him to visit these relatives, and claim alliance with them as a hopeful branch of so worthy a stock. In this stage of his affairs he was convinced that the proper time had come, and he suffered DOW and then a bright vision to play before his fancy, of the happy change that would ensue by the aid and influence of his newly found friends in England, who would receive with joy so promising a member of their family from America. Elated with dreams like these, lie took a hasty leave of the place of his natilmty, and the associates of his youth, and made (the best of his way to New York, there to seek out a passage to the land of promise. ^^ * ^ ,;>f V The first vessel about to sail for England was bound to Plymouth, and in this lie obtained a birth, probably on condition of working as a sailor. His trip to the Mediterranean was now to yield its fruits. On his arrival in Plymouth and leaving the vessel, he was reduced to (the extreme of want, without money in his pocket, or a single acquaintance to whom he couM apply for relief. Thus situated, it behoved him to make haste to London^ where he looked for an immediate welcome and a home among the OF JOHN LEDYARD. 42 relations, whose wealth and virtues he had heard so much extolled by his grandfather. As the good fortune of the moment would have it, he fell in with an Irishman, a genuine specimen of the honesty, frankness, and good nature which characterize many of the sons of Erin ; whose plight so exactly resembled his own, that they formed a mutual attachment almost as soon as they came in contact with each other. .^There is a sympathetic power in misfortune, which is heedless of the forms of society, and acts not by any cold rule of calculation. Both the travellers were pedestrians bound to London, both were equally destitute, having nothing wherewith to procure a subsistence. They agreed to take turns in begging on the road. In this manner they travelled harmoniously together, till they reached London without having any reason to complain that Providence rhad neglected them on the way, or that' there a lack of generous and disinterested feel- ring in the human kind. Led yard's thoughts were now gay, for al- ithough in beggary, he fancied that the next I step would place him at the summit of his wishes, and open to him wide the door of pros* perity. Had he possessed the very lamp of \\ u LIFE AND TRAV£L8 Aladdin, and been endued with the Dervise's poweiv he could not have been more confident or happy. To find out his relations was now his only anxiety. By accident he saw the family name on a carriage, and he inquired of the coachman where the owner lived, and what was his occupation. The answer was, that he was a rich merchant, and the place of his resi- dence was pointed out. Our eager traveller hastened to the house, inquired for the occut pant, and ascertained that he was not at home. A son was there, however, who listened to his story, but gave him soon to understand that he put no faith in his representations, as he Md never heard of any such relations as he told of in America. He observed, moreover, thftt he resembled one of the family, who had be«n absent some years in the East Indies, and whom they were extremely anxious to see, assuring him, that if he were really the person, he wouhl be received with open arms. This was a v^ry unlucky interview, for nothing ever rais^ Led- yard 8 anger to so high a pitch, as a suspicion, expressed or implied, of his integrity and hoiUMil intentions. He seemed from that moment, der termined to prosecute his inquiry after his family connections no further, but ta shun all OF JOHN LEDVARD. 45 that bore the name. The son pressed him to remain till his father should return, but he abitiptly left the house, and never went back. Some time afterwards, when he had gained acquaintances of respectable name in London, to whom he related his story, they went with it to the same gentleman, telling him that the young man seemed honest, and they doubted not the truth of what he had stated. The gen- tleman refused at first to credit him, unless he would bring some written evidence. Upon further inquiry, however, he was better satis** fied, and ni for Ledyard to come to his house. T. > lavitation was declined in no very gracious manner; and when money was sent to him afterwards by the siame person, who had heard that he was in distress, he rejected it with great indignation, and commanded the beai'er to carry it back to his master, and tell him that be belonged not to the race of the Ledyardt. Such was the end of his dreams about his rich relations, and it tiiust be acknow- ledged, that his own haughty spirit seems to have been the chief enemy to his success. He would probably have called it magnanimous self-respect ; and^ name it as we will, tiiSBe it operated wholly a^aihll himself, he must cer* 1^* 46 LIFE AND TUAVELS >^ tainly be freed from any charge of mean motives, or selfish ends. >vfjn*r<- Hhs*i» It was just at this time diat Captain Cook was making preparation for his third and last voyage round the world. So successful had he been in his former expeditions, and so loud was the sound of his fame, that the whole country was awake to his new undertaking, and Uie general sensation was such as to inspire adven- turous minds with a wish to participate in its glory. Nothing could more exactly accord with the native genius and cherished feelings of Ledyard. As a first step towiards becoming connected with this expedition, he enlisted: in the marine service, and then by his address be gained an introduction to Captain Cook^ It may be presumed, that on an occasioliof so much moment to him, he would seti kimself forward to the best advantage; and he liad great power in recommending himself to the fevour of others, whenever he chose to pot it in action. His manly form, mild but animilted and expressive eye, perfect self-possessioDi a boldness not obtrusive, but showing a consci- ousness of his proper dignity, an independent spirit, and a glow of enthusiasm giving life to his conversation and his whole deportment — OF JOHN LED YARD. 47 these were traits which could not escape so discriminating an eye as that of Cook ; they formed a rare combination peculiarly suited to the hardships and perils of his daring enter- prize. They gained the confidence of the great navigator, who immediately took him into his service, and promoted him to be a corporal of marines. In this capacity he sailed from England, but tradition reports, on what authority I know not, that he was in due time raised to the post of sergeant. That he should have been willing to imdertake so long a voyage, in so humble a station, can be accounted for only from his burning desire to be connected with the expe- dition. His skill in nautical matters was not yet such as to qualify him for a higher place» even if he had been able to exhibit stronger pretensions through the agency and influence of friends. But he was in the midst of strangers, without any other claims to notice than such as he presented in his own person. These were his only passport to the favour of Cook» and in relying on them no one was ever deceived^ ;v .,,;}}<:*, 48 w LIFE AND TRAVELS ^* 4m (j^Mi'^r-x) Jo: •^fiiit ; CHAPTER III. iiJHV; ^^■^^■•ai M*-. -T-H.'jKt.'t ^-i * Ledyaid's journal of his voyage with Captain Coolc^Teatinumy in his favour by Ci^tain Bumey. — Sails for the Cape of Good Hope. — Thence to Kerguelen's Islands and the south of New Holland.— Character of the people on Van Dieman's Land.— -Present state of the colony there. t — Arrives in Ne^ Zealand.— Account of the people, their manners and peculiarities. — Remarkable contrasts exhibited in their character. — Love adventure between an English saUor and a New Zealand girl. — Omai» the Otaheitan. — Vessels depart from New Zealand, and fell in with newly discovered islands. — Affecting stoiy of three Otaheitans found on one of them.— Arrival at the Friendly Islands. — People of Tongataboa — ^Their condition, mode of living, and amusements. — Ledyard passes a night with the King.— Wrestling and other athletic exercises described.-— Fireworks exhibited by Cook.— Propensity of the natives to thieving.— 4Vu instance in a chief called FeenoUf'and the extraordinary measures used to recover the stolen propert^.-^Departare from Tongataboo. The particulars of this voyage have been so often repeated from the official narrative, and are so well known, that any formal attempt to give a connected series of events would be superfluous and without interest. I shall, therefore, chiefly confine myself to such inci- dents as came under our traveller's observation, and to such remarks and reflections of his own, as indicate his opinions and the character of his mind. He kept a private journal of the whole voyage, but on the return of the expedition, before any person had landed, all papers of this description were taken away, from both officers fc OF JOHN LEDYARD. 49 and men, by order of the commander, and Ledyard's journal among the rest. This pre- caution was necessary to prevent an imperfect account of the voyage going abroad, before one could be issued under the sanction of the Admiralty. • - '•*•■ •^■"• Ledyard never recovered his papers; but when he returned to Hartford, more than two years after the termination of the voyage, his friends induced him to write the short account which appeared with his name. To satisfy public curiosity till a complete work could be prepared, a very brief sketch of the voyage, in a single volume, had already been published by authority in England. This volume Ledyard had pro- cured, and he relied on it for dates, distances, the courses of the vessels, and for other parti- culars serving to revive his recollection of what he had experienced and witnessed. Extracts are made without alteration in two or three instances, and several of the last pages are literally copied. With no other written mate^' rials Ledyard produced his manuscript journal, which he sold to Mr. Nathaniel Patten, pub- lisher in Hartford, for twenty guineas. It was printed in a duodecimo volume, containing a chart, and a dedication to Governor TrumbuIU expressive of the authorV gratitude for the E ^ 50 LIFE AND TRAVELS ^1 generosity and kindness which he had received from that veteran patriot. . A narrative thus drawn up must of course be in many respects imperfect : bu* the narrator makes no high pretensions ; he never taxes our faith beyond the obvious bounds of proba- bility, nor calls our attention to hearsay reports and speculations of others. He describes what he saw and heard, and utters his own senti- ments. In a few instances he varies from the accounts afterwards published in England; but these commonly relate either to occurrences as to which he had a better opportunity for personal knowledge, or concerning which, for various reasons, it was the policy of the leaders of the expedition to preserve silence. The train of events at the Sandwich Islands, which led to the death of Captain Cook, is narrated by Ledyard in a manner more consistent and natural than appears in any other account of it. The precipitancy of the officers, and of Cook particularly, or at least their want of caution, which was the primary cause of the tragical issue, was kept out of sight by the nutho- rized narrators, and a mystery long hung over that catastrophe, owmg to the absence ttf any obvious coherency between causes and effects. On this point Ledyard's narrative is fiiU tud OF JOHN LEDTARD. satisfactory, as will be seen in its proper place. rf : . >: — f^ The ships being moored in this bay, called byTasman, who discovered it, Frederic Henry's Bay, the sailors were sent out in parties to procure wood, water, and grass, all of which existed there in great plenty. No inhabitants appeared, although columns of smoke had been seen here and there, rising through the woods at some distance, affording a sign that people were in the neighbourhood. After a day or two, the natives came down to the beach in small parties, men, women, and children ; but y they seemed the most wretched of human beings, wearing ^no clothes, and carrying with them nothing but a rude stick about three feet long, and sharpened at one ^nd. Their skin was black, hair curly, and the ueards of the men, OF JOHN LEDVARD. 67 as well as their hair, besmeared with a red oily substance. They were inoffensive, nei- ther manifesting fear, nor offering annoyance to their visitors. When bread was given them, it was thrown away without being tasted, al- though they were made to understand that it was to be eaten ; the same they did with fish, which had been caught in the harbour ; but they accepted birds, and intimated a fondness for that kind of food. When a gun was firod> they all ran off like wild deer to the woods, and v/ere seen no more that day ; but their fright was not of long duration, for they came again the next morning with as little unconcern as ever. In all respects these people appeared in the lowest stage of human advancement. "They are the only people," says Ledyard, " who are' known to go with their persons entirely naked, that have ever yet been dis- covered. Amidst the most stately groves of wood, they have neither weapons of defence, nor any other species of instruments applicable to the various purposes of life ; contiguous to the sea, they have no canoes ; and, exposed from the nature of the climate to the incle* mency of the seasons, as well as to the annoyf ances of the beasts of the forest, they have no houses to retire to, but the temporary shelter 58 LIF£ AXD TRAV£LS of a few pieces of old bark, laid transversely over some small poles. They appear also to be inactive^ indolent, and unaffected with the least curiosity.'.' Cook remarked, that the natives liere resembled those whom he had seen in his former voyage on the north part of New Holland ; and from this and other circumstances it was inferred, that New Holland from that point northward was not divided by any strait. Subsequent discoveries overthrew this con- jecture ; and it has since been made known, that Van Diemen's Land is an island, separated from New Holland by a passage, or strait, nearly one hundred miles broad, and containing many small islands. It is remarkable, that no resemblance has been discovered between the language of the natives here, and that spoken by the New Hollanders. On Van Diemen's island are now some of the most flourishing settlements in the British dominions. The wilderness is disappearing before the strong arm of enterprise, and under the htind of culture the hills and valleys yield in abundance all the products common to similar latitudes in the north. Emigrants from England annually flock to that country, invest their capital in lands, and engage in agricultural pursuits. Towns have been built, and com- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 59 merce established. Whsat, maize, wool, cattle and other articles, are largely exported ; and there is hardly recorded in history an instance of a new colony having increased so rapidly in numbers and wealth. The wild men, like our North American Indians, retreat, and leave their native soil to a better destiny. '» .-v. When Cook had provided his ships with wood and water, they were unmoored, and their course directed to New Zealand, where they entered a cove in Queen Charlotte's Sound. Here they remained a month, which afforded time for observations, and for laying in such provisions as were found in the country. New Zealand consists of two islands, which are situate between parallels of latitude on the south of the equator, nearly corresponding with those of the United States on the north, thus having a variable climate, and a soil suited to most of the productions of temperate regions. In the character of the inhabitants are exhibited contrasts never perceived in any other people. They are cannibals, devouring human victims with eagerness and delight, ferocious beyond example in their wars, deadly in their revenge, and insatiable in their thirst for the blood of their enemies; yet they have many of the opposite traits, strong attachment to friends. 60 LII-E AND TRAVELS with a quick sensibility to their sufferings, and grief inconsolable at the death of a relative ; nor are they devoid of generosity, or unsuscep- tible of the tender passion. Living as they do in a temperate climate, they are an athletic, hardy race of people, whose progress in refine- ment bears no proportion to their natural powers of body and mind ; and thus no proper balance being maintained, the contending ele- ments of human nature, the propensities, pas- sions, and affe(itions, shoot forth into the wildest extremes. How they should differ so entirely from their neighbours, the New Hollan- ders, who are in nearly the same external con- dition, is a question upon which the curious may speculate, but will hardly come to a satis- factory conclusion. Plausible reasons may nevertheless be adduced to prove, that the New Zealanders and New Hollanders, not- withstanding their proximity, have originated from stocks widely remote. .vWhile the ships lay at anchor in Queen Charlotte's Sound, a singular love adventure occurred between a young English sailor and a New Zealand girl, the particulars of which are related in Ledyard's journal, as they are also in Cook's Voyages, and which prove the softer sex among savages, even the daughters OF JOHN LEDYARD. ei of cannibals, to be capable of deep affection and strong attachment. An intimacy was con- tracted between a sailor and a native girl about fourteen years of age, which grew stronger from day to day, till at length all the time he could spare from his duties was devoted to her society. He furnished her with combs to de- corate her hair, and with ornaments for her person ; and, to make himself more attractive in her eyes, he submitted to be tattooed accord- ing to the custom of the country. His passion was reciprocated in the most ardent and artless manner by the maiden, Gowannahee, whom no conventional rules had taught to conceal the emotions of nature ; and although they under- stood not each other's language, yet love whis- pered in accents, which they found no difficulty in comprehending. Thus their days and hours flew rapidly away, till the time of separation approached. Gowannahee was much distressed when such an event was hinted at; she would throw her irms around her lover's neck, and insist that he should not go; and such were the alluring arts she used, and such the willing- ness of the youth to be led by them, that he resolved to desert from the ship and remain behind. He contrived to remove his clothing and other effects on shore, and to escape by 62 LIFE AND TRAVELS the stratagem of dressing himself in the cos> tume of the natives and mingling in the crowd, just as orders were given to sail, and the New Zealanders were required to leave the ships. When the roll- was called to ascertain if all bands were on board, his absence was dis- covered. The cause was easily apprehended, and some of the oflScers were disposed to let such an instance of true love have its reward, and not to disturb the enamoured sailor in his dreams of future felicity among the savages of New Zealand. The less sentimental Cook was not moved by these mild counsels; he saw mischief in such a precedent, and he was in- flexible : a guard of marines was despatched to search for the truant, and bring him back to duty. He had proceeded to the interior, and secreted himself with his faithful Gowannahee ; but his hiding-place was at last discovered. As soon as she perceived their intention to take bim away, she was overwhelmed with anguish ; and at the parting scene on the beach she yielded herself up to expressions of grief and despair, which the stoutest heart could not witness unmoved. The young sailor was ex- amined and tried for his misdemeanor; but Code was so much amused with the schemes he had devised for himself, and the picture he 01' JOHN LEPYARD. had drawn t)f his future prospects and great<» ness, as the husband of Gowannahee, and a chief of renown, that he forbore to aggravate the pains of disappointed hope by any formal punishment. -^r. . -^* Recent observations have confirmed all that was said by Cook and his companions of the New Zealanders. English missionaries have for some years past been stationed among them, and possessed the means of becoming perfectly acquainted with their character and habits. They have witnessed their banquets of human flesh, their extremes of passion, their savage b'urbarity at one time, and their docile, affectionate temper, and keen sensibility at another. War is their highest delight, and in pursuing an enemy, nothing of the human being seems left, except his reason, maddened with revenge, and making him adroit in the work of death. In several instances, boatS' and ships' crews have been cut off and devoured by them. Yet these people are superstitioua and full of religious fear, imagining themselves to be surrounded by invisible spirits, who have power over them, and who must be conciliated by prayers and ceremonies ; who controul the elements, bring rain on the land, and rousgc^ the winds and waves at sea. The miatiomuriei \\ 64 LIFE AND TRAVELS «t have known persons become so frftntic, at the death of a near relation, as to commit suicide ; and it is a common thing for them to wound and mangle their bodies in a frightful manner on such occasions. When Mr. Marsden made his second missionary tour to these islands, after having been away two or three years, his old acquaintances burst into tears in talking of their friends who had died during his absence. History does not acquaint us with more eminent examples of humanity and pious efforts, of resolution and self-denial, than are manifested in the missionaries, who have forsaken even the common comforts of civilized life, and settled down with a determination to pass their days in this region of moral darkness and human debasement. While Cook was at New Zealand he was greatly assisted in his intercourse with the people by Omai, a native of the Society Islands, whom he had taken to £ngland on a former voyage, and who was now returning to his country, loaded with presents from the king, and other persons whom curiosity had drawn around him in Great Britain. Although Omai had never before seen a New Zealander, yet the language so much resembled his own, that he could easily converse with the inhabitants. As OF JOHN LEDVARD. 65 he knew English, he thus became a ready inter- preter. This was an advantage which Cook had never been able to enjoy on any former occasion. ^ The vessels weighed anchor and departed from Queen Charlotte's Sound, destined to Otaheite, or, as it is now called, Tahiti^ the largest of the Society Islands, and about fifteen hundred miles distant from New Zealand. Head winds and boisterous weather forced them out of their course ; grass and water for the cattle, as well as fresh provisions for the men, began to fail ; and it was thought best to bear away for the Friendly Islands, where a supply could be at once obtained. On this passage they fell in with several islands never before discovered, but their shores were so closely bound with coral reefs as to prevent the approach of the ships. The natives came off in canoes, and brought hogs and fruit, which they gave in ex- change for articles of little value. A small party, consisting of Mr. Burney, three or four other officers, and Oroai, landed on one of these islands called Watteeoo, where I they were immediately plundered of everything they had about them, and detained through the day. Great crowds gathered around, and annoyed them much, but no violence was offered to \\ M LIFE AND TRAVELS their persons. Here Omai was astonished to find three of his own countrymen. Their story was affecting. Several years before they had set off in a lar^e canoe with a party of about twenty persons, men, women, and children, to pass from Otaheite to Ulietea, a neighbouring island. A storm overtook them, and, after continuing three days, drove them so far out to sea, that they knew not where they were, nor what course to steer. Some of the women and children had perished in the storm, and others were so much exhausted as to survive no longer. The canoe was carried along by the current from day to day ; water and pro- vision failed ; some of the survivors died of hunger and fatigue ; others in the frenzy of despair jumped overboard and were drowned ; and after thirteen days, when the canoe was discovered by the natives of Watteeoo, it con- tained but four men, and these so much reduced by famine and suffering, as to be unconseious of their situation, and scarcely to be distin- guished from the dead bodies with which they V ere promiscuously lying, in the bottom of the boat. They were taken on shore, and by kind treatment they gradually recovered their con- sciousness and strength. One had since died, but the other three said they were happy in ■ 'a »ii n »., OF JOHN LEDYARD. 67 their adopted country, and declined Omai's invitation to return wiih him to their native islands, adding that their nearest relatives had perished before their eyes on the disastrous voyage, and it would only be renewing their grief to visit again the places in which they had formerly known them. I ; f;c The distance between Otaheiie and Wat- teeoo is more than fifteen hundred miles, and this voyage of a canoe affords an important fact in solving the great problem, which has so long perplexed geographers and speculating philosophers, as to the manner in which the innumerable clusters of islands in the Pacific Ocean have been peopled. We here have proof incontestible, that a communication between remote islands was possible, even by such means only as the natives themselves possessed. This single fact, in short, is enough to settle the question. After touching at Anamoca, and remaining some days at the Happaee Islands, Cook came to anchor in a harbour of Tongataboo, on the ninth of June. Here they staid twenty-six days, collecting a great abundance of provisions, and living on social and friendly terms with the natives. This island is exceedingly fertile, covered with forests and luxuriant herbage. F 2 * \ 68 LIFE AND TRAVELS Agriculture and the arts of life were carried to a much greater extent here than at New Zea- land, or indeed most of the South Sea Islands, The kind disposition of the people had given to Tongataboo, and the cluster of islands in its neighbourhood, the name of the Friendly Is- lands. Later experience has proved, that they had a smaller claim to this distinction than was at first supposed. It is very probable, how- ever, that their acquaintance with civilized men was the principal cause of their apparent change of character. They learnt new vices faster than they acquired a knowledge of their crimi- nality, or the moral power of resisting tempta- tion. Nowhere have the missionaries found their situation more uncomfortable, or their task more difficult, than at the Friendly Islands. When visited by Cook, the people were com- paratively amiable, simple, and happy, addicted to the weaknesses, but not to the grosser crimes of the savage state ; accustomed to warlike enterprises, but not making them, as did the New Zealanders, the chiefsource of their plea- sure, and the great business of their lives. Oil the contrary, they had amusements of an intio- cent kind, as well as curious religious ceremo- nies, which occupied much of their time, and were suited to a state of peace and tranquillity. • OF JOHN LEDYAIID. 69 These were often exhibited, and obviously as much with a desire to please their visitants, as to show oft* their skill to advantage, or promote ,aeir own gratification. The king, or great chief, whose name was Poulaho, treated Cook with marked respect, and caused all his people to do the same, as far as he could exercise his power to that end. Ledyard describes in an agreeable manner the scenes that came under his observj^tion at Tongataboo. The day after landing it was his duty to be on shore, and he passed the night with Poulaho, who had de- clined Cook's invitation to go with him on board. > " It was just dusk," says Ledyard, *' when they parted^ and as I had been present during a part of this first interview, and was detained on shore, I was glad he did not go oft*, and asked him to my tent ; but Poulaho chose rather to have me go with him to his house, where we went and sat down together without the entrance. We had been here but a few minutes, before one of the natives advanced through the grove to the skirts of the green, and there halted. Poulaho observed him, and told me he wanted him, upon which I beckoned to the Indian, and he came to us. When he ap^ proached Poulaho, he squatted down upon his 70 LIFE AND TRAVELS hams, and put his forehead to the sole of Pou- laho's foot, and then received some directions from him, and went away, and returned again very soon with some baked yams and fish, rolled up in fresh plantain leaves, and deposited in a little basket made of palm leaves, and a large cocoa-nut shell full of clean fresh water, and a smaller one of salt water. These he set down, and went and brought a mess of the same kind, and set them down by me. Poulaho then de- sired 1 would eat ; but preferring salt, which I had in the tent, to the sea water which they used, I called one of the guard, and had some of that brought me to eat with my fish, which was really most delightfully dressed, and of which I ate very heartily. i ** Their animal and vegetable food is dressed in the same manner here, as at the souihern and northern tropical islands throughout these seas, being all baked among hot stones laid in a hole, and covered over first with leaves and then with mould. Poulaho was fed by the chief who waited upon him, both with victuals and drink. After he had finished, the remains were carried away by the chief in waiting, who returned soon after with two large sepa- rate rolls of cloth, and two little low wooden »touls. The cloth was for a covering while OF JOHN LED YARD. 711 asleep, and the stools to raise and rest the head on, as we do on a pillow. These were left within the house, or rather under the roof, one side being open. The floor within was com- posed of coarse dry grass, leaves, and flowers, over which were spread large well wrought mats. On mis Poulaho and I removed and sat down, while the chief unrolled, and spread out the cloth, after which he retired, and in a few minutes there appeared a liae young girl about seventeen years of age, who, approaching Poulaho, stooped and kissed his great toe, and then retired, and sat down in an opposite part of the house. It was now about nine o'clock, and a bright moonshine ; the sky was serene, and the winds hushed. Suddenly I heard a number of their flutes, beginning nearly at the same time, burst from every quarter of the sur- rounding grove ; and whether this was meant as an exhilarating serenade, or a soothing so- porific to the great Poulaho, I canrot tell. Immediately on hearing the music he took me by the hand, intimating that he was going to sleep, and showing me the other cloth, which was spread nearly beside him, and the pillow, invited me to use it." * - After describing the occupations of the natives, thi. 't traffic, articles of trade, and some 72 LIFE AND TRAVELS of their customs, he speaks of their amuse- ments. . " The markets being over, there were gene- rally an hour or two, and those before dark, in which the natives, to entertain us and exhibit their own accomplishments, used to form matches at wrestling, boxing, and other athletic exercises, of which they were very vain, and in which they were by far the best accomplished of all the people we ever visited before or after. These exercises were always performed on the green within the circle, and among the Indian spectators there were a certain number of elderly men, who presided over and regulated the exercise. When one of the wrestlers, or combatants, was fairly excelled, they signified it by a short sonorous sentence, which they sung, expressing that he was fallen, fairly fallen, or that he was fairly conquered, and that the victor kept the field. From this there wag no appeal, nor indeed did they seem to want it, for among their roughest exercises I nerer i&aw any of them choleric, envious, maUcious, or revengeful; but preserving their tempers, or being less irascible than we generally are, they quit the stage with the same good nature with which they entered it. «< When they wrestle, they seize each other OF JOHN LEDYARD. by a strong plaited girdle, made of the fibres of the cocoa-nut, and worn round the waist for that purpose ; and they describe nearly the same operations in this contest that we do in what we call hugging or scuffling. In boxing their manoeuvres are different. They had both hands clenched, and bound round separately with small cords, which perhaps was intended to prevent their clenching each other when closely engaged, thus preventing foul play ; or it might be to preserve the joints of the fingers, and especially the thumb, from being dislocated. Perhaps the best general idea I can convey of their attitudes in this exercise, is to compare them with those of the ancient gladiators of Rome, which they much resembled. " They are very expert and intrepid in these performances, but as they are mere frier d!v efforts of skill and prowess, they coDliniv i o longer than till the purposes of such a ccLien- tion are answered ; and the combatant, n^t soon as he finds that he shall be conqu&rt'J, is seldom such an obstinate fool, as to be btdt out of his senses to be made sensible he is so. but retires most commonly with a whole skin. But the exercise of the club is not so, and as these contests are very severe, and even dangerous, they are seldom performed. We never saw u 74 LIFE AND TRAVELS but one instance of it, but it was a most capital one, as the performers were cBpital characters ; and though we expected the exhibition to be very short, yet it lasted nearly twenty minutes, protracted by the skill of the combatants in avoiding each other's blowa, some of which were no less violent than artful. After being pretty well buffeted about the body, a fortui- tous blow upon the head of one decided the matter, and the conquered was carried off, while the victor, elated with success, stood and enjoyed the subsequent shouts of praise, that proceeded from the spectators. When these shouts ended, the young women round the circle rose, and sang, and danced a short kind of interlude in celebration of the hero." Not to be outdone by the monarch of the Friendly Isles in politeness and attempts to please. Cook got up a brilliant exhibition of fireworks, with which Poulaho and all his people were greatly astonished and delighted. The mathematical and astronomical instru- ments, which had been fitted up in tents on shore, were also matters of curiosity and wonder. The natives were particularly amused, likewise, with the horses, cows, sheep, goats, and other animals, which Ledyard said, on leaving the Cape of Good Hope, made the ship resemble OF JOHN LEDYARD. 2& JNoah's ark. As dogs and hogs were the only animals found on the islands, and of course the only ones ever before seen by the inhabitants, they seemed completely puzzled to know what to make of these new orders of the creation. The sheep and goats they called birds ; but the horses, cows, cats, and rabbits, were nonde- scripts for which no place had been assigned in their scientific arrangement. .,..>. Thus agreeably passed the days at Tonga- taboo ; the good-natured people omitted nothing which was in their power, to gratify their visitors, whether by supplying them with the best provisions the islands afforded, or by amusing them with innocent pastimes. One thing only marred the harmony of their in- tercourse. These simple, hospitable people, each and all, from the highest rank down- wards, were incorrigible thieves ; iliat is, they made no scruple to take whatever they could lay their fingers upon, and ap- propriate it to their own use. This habit was prevalent throughout all the South Sea Islands, but nowhere had the voyagers been so much annoyed by it, as in these islands of friendship. Cook resorted to summary ard severe measures to teach the natives what he thought of this vice, and sometimes inflicted punishments little \^ 76 LIFE AND TRAVELS 9uited to the moral light of the people whom he arraigned as transgressors. It does not appear that pilfering was deemed a crime, or a disreputable offence, and indeed the historian of Cook's Voyages declares, that ** the inhabi- tants of the South Sea Islands in their petty larcenies were actuated by a childish dispo- "^ition, rather than a thievish one." In this view of the subject, it can hardly be imagined that there was any natural right in the civilized visitors to inflict harsh punishment on their ignorant and kind entertainers : on the contrary, it was cruel and unjust ; it was the last way to gain friends, or to inspire the natives with a love of the moral code. Ledyard speaks with warmth of some examples of this kind, which came under his notice, but adds, alluding to Cook, ** It must be remembered that the ability of performing the important errand before us, depen(?'vid very much, if not entirely, upon the prer .fious supplies we might procure from these and other pucb islands, and he must of consequence be very anxic^is and solicitous in this concernme!\t ; but perhaps no considera- tion will excuse the severity which he some- time used towards the natives on these occa- sions ; and he would probably have done better to consider, that the full exertion of extreme power OF JOHN LEDYARD. 71 is an argument of extreme weakness ; and nature seemed to inform the insulted natives of the truth of this maxim, for before we quitted Tongata- boo, we could not go anywhere into the country upon business or pleasure without danger." *i<*> One instance is related with more particu- larity than others, as it occurred in high life, and was made a state concern. In Tongataboo was a chief called Feenou, a man of fine per- sonal appearance, graceful and commanding in his carriage, frank in his disposition, generous, enterprising, and bold ; in short, he was the idol of the people, and throughout all the isles there was no chief whose renown was so loudly and so heartily trumpeted as that of Feenou. He was the man whom the great Poulaho delighted to honour above others. When the strangers came, Feenou was their early and devoted friend, and his attachment and kind offices held out to the last. " If they lost any goods, and these were carried either to the interior of Tongataboo, or to any of the detached islands, their only confidential resource was Feenou ; or if any other emergency required despatch f policy, courage, or force, Feenou was the man to advise and act/' Such were the character and deeds of this chief. He could subdue the hearts of men, f ad the strength of ^ u 78 LIFE AND TRAVELS an enemy, but he could not conquer the tyranny of habit. From day to day he had gazed with inward raptures. upon the gaudy plumage of the peacocks, which had been brought with much care and trouble from England ; their charms were irresistible ; just as the vessels were about to sail, the peacocks disappeared; Feenou was also out of the way; he had stolen the birds, and concealed himself with his booty. The affront was resented by Cook in an ex- traordinary manner. He immediately ordered Poulaho, the king, to be arrested, and placed a guard over him in his own house, giving him to understand that he should be held a prisoner till the peacocks were restored. This was a novel mode of making a king answerable for the acts of his subjects. Much disorder en- sued ; the chiefs felt the insult offered to their sovereign, and began to assume a warlike atti- tude, and threaten the guard ; but Poulaho ad- vised them to desist, and preserve peace till a reconciliation should be attempted ; and when Cook appeared, the king saluted him with dignity and respect, but with a manifest sense of the injustice that was practised upon him. His coolness and counsel kept the people from offering violence to the guards, who surrounded him with fixed bayonets ; and the next day OF JOHN LEDYARD. 79 Feenou himself came forward, entreated for the release of the king, and assured Cook that the birds should be returned to him before suuset. Thus the affair was happily terminated, leaving a much stronger proof of the firmness than the prudence of the great navigator. The reconci- liation was followed by magnificent presents of red feathers and provisions, on the part of Feenou, and others equally valuable from Cook. He gave Poulaho some of the domestic animals which he had brought from England for the purpose of distributing among the islands. All parties separated mutually satisfied with each other, and with as warm tokens of friendship from the natives, as could be expected after the recent transactions. s? V- .-*■•'*' -4 ><*«ii>** >-?'Vvfi;5> ■■'■ 'Hi U' 'I X~"-ISS: ''If^tki iJlt.-il! ..iivV 'M.''- h 80 LIFE AND TRAVELS .:r^'-Mr ■ . ' ■ ' ^^6^-fll;.'*>r •*'?..>•. r CHAPTER IV. Society Islands. — Otaheite.— Ledyard's description of the language, cnt- toms, religion, laws, and govemment of the natiTes.->-Thpir probable faith in the doctrine of transmigration.— Remarks on his mode of rea- soning on this subject— His theory of the origin of customs and superstitions.-'Notions of a Deity among the Otaheitans.— Conduct of ^Uttai.— Difficulties attending the efforts to civilize savage8.-~8andwich Islands, discovered. — ^The vessels proceed to the American continent, and anchor in Nootka Sound. — Appearance and manners of the people. —Indian wampum.— T%e abundance of furs.— Cannibalism. — Carious digression on the origin and practice of lacrificeSii— Captain Cook passes Behring's Straits, explores the northern ocean till stopped by the ice, and returns to the Island of Onalaska.— Sends Ledyard with two Indiims in search of a Russian establishment on the coast— His account of this adventure. — In what manner he was transported in a canoe. — Village of Russians and Indians. — Hot baths. — Their habitations and ( manner of living described. — Behring's vessel.— Ledyard returns to / the ships, and reports to Captain Cook. — ^Expedition returns to the Sandwich Islands. '^We shall next join our navigators at the Society Islands, where they arrived on the four- teenth of August. Many of the officers and seamen, who had been there on a former voyage, were recognised by the natives, and received with great cordiality; the day of landing at Otaheite was given up to festivity and mutual congratulations between old acquaintances. The occurrences during iheir atay at these Islands, are related in a lively manner by Led- OF JOHN LEDYARD. yard. He describes the natural productions of the Society Islands, the appearance and con- dition of the natives, their food, clothing, and houses, their language, customs, religion, laws, and government. From the minuteness with which he speaks on most of these subjects, it is evident that the principal points in the essay mentioned by Mr. Burney were still fresh in his memory, and moreover that he was jlose and inquisitive observer of every thing which came within his reach or knowledge. " The inhabitants," he remarks, '* are of the largest size of Europeans ; the men are tall, strong, well limbed, and fairly shaped. The women of superior rank among them are also in general above our middle size, but those of the inferior rank are far below it ; some of them are quite small. Their complexion is a clear olive, or brunette, and the whole contour of the face quite handsome, except the nose, which is generally a little inclined to be flat. Their hair is black and coarse ; the men have beards, but pluck the greatest part of them out; they are vigorous, easy, graceful, and hberal in their deportment, mid of a courteous, hospitable dis- position, but shrewd and artful. The women cut their hair short, and the men wear theirs long. They have a custom of staining their ■\\''. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I Z U& 12.0 •Hlftu 11.25 ■ I \ I us; ■ 1.6 -^ V Hiolographic Sdmoes CarpoFation ^ 4^ n WMT MAIN STRMT WIMTI*,N.V. UIM (n*)l79-4MM ^^^ <^>^ ^4^. V ^ 82 \\ LIFK AND TRAVELS bodies in a manner that is universal among all those Islands, and is ct^lled by them tattooing ; in doing this they prick the skin with an instru- ment of small sharp bones, which they dip as occasion requires into a black composition of coal dust and water, which leaves an indelible stain. The operation is painful, and it is some days before the wound is well. " Their clothing consists of a cloth made of the inner rind of the bark of three di£Ebrent kinds of trees, the Chinese paper mulberry, the bread-fruit tree, and a kind of wild fig tree, which, in the formation of different kinds of cloth, «re differently disposed of by using one singly, or any two, or all of them together. The principal excellences of this cloth are its coolness and softness ; its defects are its being pervious to water and easily torn. They some- times, especially if it is wet, wear fine mats, of which they have a great variety. '* Their amusements are music* dancing, wrestling, and boxing, all which are like those of Tongataboo. ** As to the religion, laws, and government of these people, much has been said about them by former voyagers; and in truth too much, especially about their religion, which tbey ar9 not fond of discovering, and therefore, OF JOHN LE0YARP, 83 when urged on the matter, they have often, rather than displease those who made the iiji- quiry, told not only different accounts, but such as were utterly inconsistent with what we knew to be true from ocular demonstration. They assured us, for instance, that they never sacrificed human bodies, but an accident hap- pened, that contradicted it, and gave us the full proof of it, the operation and design^ " They believe in the inunortality of the soul, at least its existence in a future state ; but how it exists, whether as a mere spiritual substance, or whether it is united again to a corporeal or material form, and what form, is uncertain. It is supposed they have notions of transmigration. Our conjectures originate from observing that universal, constant, and uniform regard, which they pay in a greater of less degree to every species of subordinate beings, even to the minutest insect, and the roost inaignii&cant reptile. This was never esteemed a philosophical sentiment, nor a mere dictate of nature, because the people who eiv tertain these notions are not led to embrace them by the Mbiassed im^pulses of nature, which would leaa them to regard their own species more than aay other. It must, therefore, be from other motives, and I know of none so o 2 \ i 84 LIFE AND TRAVELS probable as religion or superstition, which are indeed synonymous terms when applied to these people ; besides, it is well known to have been a religious sentiment among many other people, both ancient and modern, who have claimed the appellation of civilized. It exists now among several Asiatic sects, both east and west of the Ganges, particularly among the Banians, who abrtain from all animal food. Tt is well known, that some tribes in Asia have built hospitals for certain species of subordinate beings." " - — - • * The author's reasoning here about the doctrine of transmigration is somewhat curious, but his inference that the natives believed in it, -because they showed a regard for inferior animals, is at least questionable. He goes on to enforce his opinion, however, by remarking that they eat little animal food, and abstain from the flesh of some kinds of birds altogether. In killing animals, also, they are careful to inflict as little pain as possible ; they are ex- tremely indulgent to rats, with which they are much infested, and rarely do them any harm ; when stung by flies or muaqiiitoes, they only frighten them away. This lenity towards ' animals, however commendable in those who practise it, will hardly prove their faith in the OF JOHN LED YARD. 85 doctrine of transmigration, or that these savages refrained from crushing a fly or musquito,' because they apprehended a spirit, which had once animated a human form, had been doomed to an existence in one of these insects. It is a favorite theory of the author, at which he hints on several occasions, that such habits and su- perstitions of a people as are woven into their character and history, must have come down from some very remote time, and not have sprung out of casual or local circumstances, of which any knowledge exists. He says, "all the customs of mankind appear to be derivative and traditionary." How far he would carry back the tradition, he does not add ; but this doctrine of transmigration he traces to Asia, and supposes it to have found its way to the islands of the Pacific with the first settlers, who came from that quarter, and to have kept its place through all subsequent cb&nges among the superstitions of their descendants. "Their notions of a Deity," he continues, " and the speculative parts of their religion, are involved even among themselves in mystery, and perplexed with inconsistencies ; and their priests, who alone pretend to be informed of it, have, by their own industrious fabrications and the addition of its traditionary fables, shut *h 86 LIFE AND TllAVELS H themselves up in endless mazes of inextricable labyrinths. None of them act alike in their ceremonies, and none of them narrate alike when inquired of concerning the matter ; there- fore, what they conceive respecting a Qod we cannot tell ; though we conclude lipon the whole that they worship one great Supreme, the author and governor of all things; but there seems to be such a string of subordinate gods intervening between him and the least of those, and the characters of the whole so atm^ trasting, whimsical, absurd, and ridiculous, that their mythology is very droll, and repre- sents the best of the group no better than a harlequin. '* The government of Otaheite resembles the early condition of every government, which, in an unimproved and unrefined state, is ever a kind of feudal system of subordination, sectoring licentious liberty to a few, and a dependant servility to the rest." Having above spoken of Omai, the native of the Society Islands^ whom Cook had taken with him to England on a former voyage, and who had received every possible advantage for becoming acquainted with the habits, arts, and enjoyments of civilized life, the reader may be curious to know in what manner he demeaned OF JOHN LED YARD. 87 4i. himself when he returned to his native countiy, and what were the prospects of his being bene* fited bj his acquisitions and experience. In this case, as in many others, it will be seen, that the attempt to enlighten the ignorance and change the character of the savage was unsuc- cessful. *' On landing at Otaheite/' says Ledyard» '' we had a number of visitors, among whom was a sister of Omai, who came to welcome her brother to his native country again, but the behaviour of Omai on that occasion was con- sonant to his proud, empty, ambitious heart, and he refused at first to own her for his sister ; the reason of which was, her being a poor, obscure girl, and as he expected to be nothing but king, the connection would disgrace him." In a few days the vessels sailed over to Hue- heine, the native island of Omai, at which he was finally to be left. Here a small house was built for him, in which his effects were depo- sited. About an acre of ground adjoining the house was purchased of the natives, surrounded with a ditch, and converted into a garden, in which various European seeds were planted. Several of the live animals brought from England, were also put on shore, and left under his charge. ** When ready to sail. Captain Cook made an 88 \ \ LIFE AND TRAVELS entertainment on behalf of Omai, at his little house; and in order to recommend him still further to the chiefs of the island, he invited them also. Every body enjoyed himself but Omai/ who became more dejected as the time of his taking leave of us for ever approached ; and when he came finally to bid adieu, the scene was very affecting to the whole company. It is certainly to be regretted, that Omai will never be of any service to his country by his travels, but perhaps will render his country- men, and himself too, the more unhappy ."i/ The subsequent fate of Omai is not known, but had his knowledge, his efforts, or his ex- ample produced any valuable effects in his native island, the monuments of them would have been obvious to future voyagers. There has never been a more idle scheme of philan- thropy, than that of converting a savage into a civilized man. No one attempt, it is believed, has ever been successful. Even Sampson Occum, before his death, relapsed into some of the worst habits of his tribe, and no North American Indian of unmixed blood, whatever pains may have been taken with his education, has been known to adopt the manners of civi- lized men, or to pass his life among them. The reason is sufficiently plain, without resorting to OF JOHN LEDVARD. 89 natural instinct. In a civilized community, a man who has been a savage, must always feel himself inferior to those around him ; this feeling will drive him to his native woods, where he can claim and maintain an equality with his associates. This is the universal sen- timent of nature, and none but a slave can be without.it. When a man lives with savages,: he will assume the habits of a savage, the light of education will be extinguished, and his mind and his moral sense will soon adopt themselves to his condition. • .>a "pii^Ts^mHii The; vessels at length departed from the Society Islands, and took a northerly course, with the intention of falling in with the coast of America, at about the fortieth degree of north latitude. After sailing six weeks, with- out approaching any other land than an un- inhabited island, consisting chiefly of a bed of coral rocks, and abounding in .. rtle of a fine quality, the mariners were greeted with a view of high land at. a distance, which was not marked on the charts. It proved to . be a new discovery, and was one of the group of islands, named afterwards by Cook the Sandwich Islands, A safe harbour was found and en- tered, in which the vessels were no sooner an- chored, than they were surrounded by canoes 90 \ \ LIFE AND TRAVELS filled with the natives^ who regarded the new coiners with inexpressible surprise, though not with apparent fear. A source of astonishment to the navigators was, that the people shoidd speak a language differing but little from those of the Society Islands and New Zealand, which were distant, the first nearly three thousand, and the other four thousand miles, with an ocean intervening. The wide extent of the Polynesian dialects was not then known. Al- though very shy at first, the natives^were not long in summoning courage to go on board. They looked with veonder upon the objects around them, examined the hands, faces, and clothes of the sailors, and inquired if they could eat. When satisfied on this head, by seeing them devour dry biscuit, the simple islanders were eager to show their hospitality, and pre- sented them with pigs, yams, sweet potatoes, and plantains, thus verifying a declaratioor of Ledyard on another occasion, that " all uncivi- lized men are hospitable.'' A friendly inter- course was established, and provisions were given in barter for old iron, nails, and other articles of little intrinsic value, but important to the natives. Cook remained ten days only at these islands, and then sailed for the American coast, intend- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 91 ing to visit them again on his return from the north in the following winter. It was now the first of February, and no time was to be lost in hastening his voyage to the northward, for his plan was to proceed along the American shore, and nm through Bering's Strait^ so as to ex- plore the polar latitudes at the proper season. Without any remarkable accident or adven- ture he reached the continent, and anchored in Nqotka Sound. This is an extraordinary bay, extending several leagues into the country, and completely land-locked. On the first night the ships were anchored in water nearly five hundred feet deep, and in other parts it was more than six hundred. A convenient harbour was found the next day. The bay is sur- rounded by lofty hills, and the shore is so bold, that the ships v^re secured by ropes fastened to trees. Our wanderer was now on his native conti- nent, and although more than three thousand miles from the place of his birth, yet he could not resist the sensations kindled by the remem- brance of home. ** All the deep emotions," says he, " incident to natural attachments, and early prejudices, played around my heart, and I in- dulged them.'* The feeling was spontaneous and genuine. Ledyard saw in the inhabitants, u- 02 \ \ LIFE AND TRAVELS likewise, indications of an affinity between them and the Indians whom he had visited in his native country. In all his travels he mani- fests a remarkable acuteness in observing the human character in its various gradations of improvement, and particularly in detecting resemblances between uncivilized people of different regions. Whether among the South Sea Islands, on the Northwejst Coast of Ame- rica, in Kamtschatka, Siberia, or Egypt, re- marks of this sort escape him continually. He seems to have had in his mind a scale upon which he graduated the nations of men, and which he studied so carefully, that he could assign to each its proper place. His observa^ tionswere not restricted to one class of qualities or circumstances, but they extended to all that constitute individual and national peculiarities, to the intellect, physical characteristics, modes of living, dress, warlike implements, babi^a- tiQns,r furniture, government, religion, social state, and domestic habits. Nor was he merely observing and inquisitive; he was addicted to thought and reflection. His theories were raised on the basis of facts; his results were sustained by reasons, satisfactory at least to himself. He was fond of pursuing analogies, especially in regard to the origin. OF' JOHN LEDYAilD. 03 customs, and characters of the various races of men; and here the wide compass of his inquiries supplied him with so many materials not ac- cessible to others, that he sometimes came to conclusions less obvious to those who follow him, than they were to his own mind. His description of the people of Nootka is here in* serted. '^ V; i''-'?; '{?v: ''I had no sooner beheld these Americans, than I set them down for the same kind of people, that inhabit the opposite side of the continent. They are rather above the middle stature, copper-coloured, and of an athletic make. They have long black hair, which they generally wear in a club on the top of the head ; they fill it, when dressed, with oil, paint, and the down of birds. They also paint their, faces with red, blue, and white colours, biit from whence they had them, or how they were pre- pared, they would not inform us, nor could we tell. Their clothing generally consists of skins, but they have two other sorts of garments; the one is made of the inner rind of some sort of bark twisted and united together like the woof of our coarse cloths; the other very strongly resembles the New Zealand toga, and is also principally made with the hair of their dogs. 94 LIFE AND TRAVELS wliich are mostly white and of the domestic kind. Upon this garment is displayed, very well executed/the manner of their catching the whale ; we 4saw nothing so w^U done by a savage in our travels. Their garments of all kinds are worn mantlewise, and the botders of them ?T'e fringed, or terminated with some particular kind of ornament. Their richest skins, when converted to garments, are edged with a great curiosity. This is nothing less than the very species of wampum, so well known on the opposite side of the continent. It is identically the same; and this wampum was not only found among all the aborigines we saw on this side of the continent, but even exists unmntilated on the opposite coasts of North Asia. We saw them make use of no coverings to their feet or legs, and it was seldom they covered their heads. When they did, it was with a kind of a basket covering, made after the manner and form of the Chinese and Chinese Tartars' hats. Their language is v^ guttural, and if it were possible to reduce it to our ortho- graphy, it would very much abound wtlh con- sonants. In their manners they resemble the other aborigines of North America. They are bold and ferocious, sly and reserved, not easily ? OF JOHN LEDYARb. 95 provoked, but revengeful ; we saw no signs of religion or worship among them, and if they sacrifice, it is to the god of liberty." The fact here stated, respecting wampum, is curious, and confirms a remark of the author, that the diflfusive power of commerce extended at that time throughout the whole continent of North America. " Nothing,*' says he, " can impede the progress of commerce among the uninformed part of mankind, but an intervention of too remote a communication by water.*' Civilized nations may impose restrictions, or adopt regulations, under the name of protecting laws, and thereby embarrass commerce^ but when left free to move in its own channels, there is no obscure nook of human society whkh it will not pervade. Ledyard discovered, among the natives, on the Northwest coast, copper bracelets and knives, which could only have come to them across the continent from Hudson's Bay. Clapperton found articles of English manufacture in the heart of Africa ; and the Russian embassy to Bukaria met with others from the same source in central Asia. The wampum of the North American Indians has been an article of traffic, and probably passed as a kind of currency among all the tribes, from time immemorial. ,..,.. 96 LIFE AND TRAVELS • Ledyard's views of the commercial resources of iVootka Sound, and other parts of the North- west Coast, must not be overlooked in this place, because they were the foundation of many important succeeding events^ of his life, in suggesting to him the benelits of a trafficking voyage to that coast. It will be seen hereafter, that he was the first, whether in Europe or America, to propose such a voyage as a mer- cantile enterprise, and that he persevered against numerous obstacles for several years, though with fruitless endeavours, to accomplish his object. The furs, purchased of the natives for a mere trifle, were sold in China at an enormous advance, which had not been antici- pated, but which gave ample proof of the advan- tages of such a commerce, undertaken upon a large scale. After enumerating some of the productions of the soil, he adds, ** The light in which this country will appear most to advan- tage respects the variety of its animals, and the richness of their furs. They have foxes, sables, hares, marmosets, ermines^ weazles, bears, wolves, deer, moose, dogB, otters, beavers, and a species of weazle called the glutton. The skin of this animal was sold at Kamtschatka, a Russian factory on the Asiatic coast, for sixty rubles, which is near twelve guineas, and had OF JOHN LEDYARD. it been sold in Gfaina, k would have beeti wx>rth thirty guineas. We purchased while here about fifteen hundred heaver, besides other skins, bat took none but the best, having np thoughts at that time of using them to any other advantage, than converting them to the purposes of clothing ; but it afterwards happened that skins, which did not cost the purchaser sixpence sterling, sold in China for one hundred dollars. Neither did we purchase a quarter part of the beaver and other fur skins we might have done, and most certainly should have done, had we known of meeting the opportunity of disposing of them to such an astonishing profit." At Nootka Sound, and at the Sandwich Islands, Ledyard witnessed instances of canni- balism. In both places he saw human flesh prepared for food« but on one occasion only at each ; for, he says, the sailors expressed such a horror at the sight, that the natives never ventured to repeat the act in their presence. In this part of his narrative he makes a digression on sacrifices, which I shall quote, not so much for its originality, or the conclusiveness of its reasoning, as to show his manner of considering I the subject. His notion is, that cannibalism, or the custom of eating human flesh, which has I by no means been uncommon among savage ^.- 98 \\ LIFE AND TRAVELS tribes, had its origin in the custom of sacrificing human victims. There is good evidence, that other tribes of North American Indians, besides those at Nootka, have been cannibals, if they are not so even at the present day. There was a time, when some philanthropists professed to doubt the existence of this habit, so shocking to humanity : but the mass of testimony brought to light since Cook's first voyage is such, as to conquer the most obstinate reluctance to con- viction. Let the sceptic look at New Zealand, and cease to doubt. " The custom of sacrificing is very ancient The first instance we have of it is in the lives of Cain and Abel. Their sacrifices consisted in part of animal flesh, burnt upon an altar dedicated to God. This custom exists now among all the uncivilized and Jewish nations, in the essential rites requisite to prove it analo- fpous to the first institution. The only material change in the ceremony is, that the barbarous nations have added human flesh. M^hether this additional ingredient in the oblation took place at a remote subsequent period* by the antecedent intervention of any extraordinary circumstance independent of the original form, does not appear, unless we place the subse- quent period bdow the time of Abraham, or | perhaps below the time of Jephthah. The I OF JOHN LED YARD. circumstance of Abraham*s intended sacrifice of Isaac, to which he was enjoined by the Deity, though he absolutely did not do it, yet was sufficient to introduce the idea, that such a sacrifice was the most pleasing to God, and as it was an event very remarkable, it probably became an historical subject, and went abroad among other tribes, and was handed down among them by tradition, and liable to all the changes incident thereto ; and in time the story might have been, that Abraham not only offered, but really did sacrifice his own son. But perhaps the story of Jephthah, judge of Israel, is more to the point. It is said, he sacrificed his daughter as a burnt-ofiering to the god, who had been propitious to him in war ; which does appear to be an act indepen- dent of custom, or tradition, as it was per- formed wholly from the obligations of a rash vow, made to the Deity in the fulness of a heart surcharged with hopes and fears. It is also a fact, that after this, particularly in the reign of the wicked Ahaz, it was a general custom, especially among the heathen, to make their children ' pass through the fire ; by which I suppose it is understood, that they were sacri- ficed with fire. " It seems, then, that the circumstance of BIBLIOTHCCA Pttavl«n»»« 100 t \ LIFE AND THAVELS adding human flesh in the ceremony of sacri- ficing did take place in the years antecedent to Christ, and most probably from the example of Jephthah. After this, we find it shifting places, attending the diffusive emigrations of the tribes, and commixing with mankind in general, but especially with those disunited from the chosen descendants of the great Abra- ham ; whose descendants, being constantly favoured with civil and religious instructions from Heaven itself, were not only preserved from superstition and barbarity themselves, but were the means of furnishing the detached heathen with a variety of customs and ceremonies, that, from the mere light of nature, they never could have thought of; nor could they preserve them pure and uncorrupt after they had adopt- ed them. Even the favoured Israelites Were perpetually deviating into schisms and cabals, and frequently into downright idolatry, and all the vanity of superstition and unbridled non- sense, from the imbecility of human policy, when uninfluenced by heavenly wisdom ajid jurisprudence. No wonder, then, that the separate tribes from the house of Abraham, though they primarily received many of their I principles of civil and religious government from a pure fountain, should debase and con- 1 vV OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 101 taminate them by the spurious conjunction of things derived firom their own imaginations. And this seems to have been the course of things to this day. There hath always been a part of mankind conspicuous for knowledge, superior in wisdom, and favoured by Heaven, from whom others are separated ; and these, like the moon, have only shone with borrowed light. Some customs may be local and indi- genous to particular times and circumstances, both in the civilized and uncivilized world ; but far the greater part are derivative, and were originally bestowed on roan by his supreme Governor ; those that we find among the civi- lized and wise, measured on a philosophic scale, are uncorrupted, while those that we And existing in parts remote from civilization and knowledge, though they have a resem- blance, which plainly intinmtes from whence they came, are yet debased, mutilated, and by some hardly known. But who, that had seen a human body sacrificed at Otaheite to their god of war, would not perceive an analogy to ancient custom on those occasions, and attri- bute it rather to such custom, than to any other cause whatever. And the custom is not confined to Otaheite alone ; it pervades the stands throughout the Pacific ocean. It was 102 LIFE AND TRAVELS the case with the ancient Britons. The Mexi- cans depopulated society by this carnivorous species of sacrifice. This could not be the effect of accident, want, or caprice. It may be worthy of notice to remark, furthermore, that in the time of Ahaz, these sacrifices were made in high places. It was so in Mexico, and is so at Otaheite and other islands. The Mexi- cans flung their victims from the top of their temple, dedicated to their god of war. The Otaheitans and the other islanders prepare those oblations on their Morais." Captain Cook remained a few days only at Nootka Sound, and then sailed northward, coasting along the American shpre, and making various geographical discoveries till he came to Benng's Strait, which separates Asia from America. In passing through this Strait, Led- yard says both continents were distinctly seen at the same time. Cook traversed the polar seas in the month of August, as far north as the \ce would permit, in search of a northwest passage, but without success. As the season advanced, he returned to the south, intending to renew his attempts the next year. Few occurrences are recorded in the voyage back to the Sandwich Islands. There is one, however, which merits particular attention in OF JOHN LED YARD. 103 this narrative, since our hero was the chief actor. The adventure is mentioned in Cook's Voyages, and by Captain Burney, as highly- creditable to the enterprise and discretion of Ledyard. It happened at the island of Ona- laska, on the northwest coast. Ledyard him- self wrote a particular description of it, which hardly admits of abridgment, and which, may best be given, therefore, in his own words. " I have before observed, that we had no- ticed many appearances to the eastward of this, as far almost as Sandwich Sound, of an Euro* pean intercourse, and that we had at this island in particular met with circumstances, that did not only indicate such an intercourse, but seemed strongly to intimate, that some Euro- peans were actually somewhere on the spot. The appearances that led to these conjectures were such as these. We found among the inhabitants of this island two different kinds of people : the one we knew to be the aborigines of America, while we supposed the others to have come from the opposite coasts of Asia. There were two different dialects also observed, and we found them fond of tobacco, rum, and snuff. Tobacco we even found them possessed of, and we 'observed several blue linen shirts and drawers among them. But the most 104 LIFE AND TRAVELS remarkable circumstance was a cake of rye meal, newly baked, with a piece of salmon in it, seasoned with peppier and salt» which was brought and presented to Co<^ by a cotnely young chief, attended by two of those Indians, whom we supposed to be Asiatics. The chief seemed anxious to ex(>lain to Cook the meao- mg of the present, and the purport of his visit ; nd he was so far successful as to persuade him, that there were some strangers in the coiintry, who were white, and had come over the great waters in a vessel somewhat like ours, and, though not so large, was yet much larger than theirs. ^ ;- '* In consequence of this. Cook was deter- mined to explore the island. It was difficult, however, to fix upon a plan, that would at once answer the purposes of safety and expedition. An armed body would proceed slowly ; and if they should be (5ut off by the Indians, the loss in our present circumstances would be irre- parable; and a single person would entirely risk his life, though he would be much more expeditious, if unmolested, and if he should be killed the loss Would be only one. The latter iseemed the best, but it was extremely hard to single out an individual, and command him to go npon such an expedition ; aiid it was there- •■'5}l OF JOHN L£DYARD. 105 fore thought proper to send a voliinteer» or none. I was at this time, and indeed ever after, an intimate friend of John Gore, first lieutenant of the Resolution, a native of Ame- rica as well as myself, and superior to me in eommand. He recommended me to Captain Cook to undertake the expedition, with which I immediately acquiesced.* Captain Cook '. ;a\ I -. *»i»*v *iii .uj * The following biographical sketch has been furnished from a source which gives it a claim to confidence. ;? Captain John Gore was born about the year 1730, in the Colony of Virginia. It may be reasonably inferred, that he was brought up to the sea, as he served a long time on board the Windsor man-of-war, during the contest which preceded the American Revolution. In the successive voyages of the Dolphin, under Byron and Wallis, he served as a master's mate, and dn his return to England widi the latter, was promoted to a lieutenancy. The Endeavour was then preparing for a similar expedition, and having been appointed her second lieutenant, he accompanied Captain Cook in his first voyage roiind the world. In the fol- lowing year, 1772, he was appointed to the command of a merchjmt-ship, which had been engs^ed by Sir Joseph Banks for the purpose of visiting Iceland and the Hebrides ; and did not return again until after the departure of the Rs8oli^tiQ{|,ajPid Adventure. -^ • .« In the last voyage of Captain Cook, he served as first lievt* tenant of the Resolution, and on the death of the navigator, and of Captain Clerke, he respectively succeeded to the captaincy of the Discovery, and to the chief command. On his arrival in England, he was immediately promoted to the rank of Post 106 LIFE AND TRAVELS assured me, that he was happy I had under* taken it, as he was convinced I should perse- vere ; and after giving me some instructions how to proceed, he wished me well, and de- sired I would not be longer absent than a week if possible, at the expiration of which he should )%-)iiJi#^.'^h >;n '*\"-) n^A.^V/'^iftt^iX^ ii^.- Captain, and shortly after to the station in Greenwich Hospital, which was to have been resumed by Captain Cook, in the event of his having returned. He remained in this honourable retire- ment till his death, which is recorded in a publication of the time, in the following words : — ' ' '' ' "August 10, 1790 — ^At his apartments in Greenwich H(»pi- tal, sincerely regretted by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. Captain John Gore, one of the Captains of Green- wich Hospital, a most experienced seaman, and an honour to his profession. He had sailed four times round the world ; first with Commodore Byron ; secondly, with Captain Wallis, and the two last times with Captain James Cook.'* In the theoretical attainments of his profession. Captain Gore may have been equalled by many, but as a practical navigator ' he was surpassed by none. As an officer, he appears to have blended a proper degree of prudence with the most unshaken intrepidity ; and his illustrious commander declares, that he ever reposed the fullest confidence in his diligence and ability. In his disposition he was benevolent ; and his generosity (as is remaiked by Captain King) was manifested on all occasions. But the character of a <*very worthy man," ascribed to him by Van Troil, in his letters on Iceland, will comprise the enume- ration of his virtues. Of his particular kindness and attention to his countrymen, we have a striking proof in the caie of Ledyard. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 107 expect me to return. If I did not return by that time, he should wait another week for me, and no longer. The young chief before-men* tioned, and his two attendants, were to be my guides. I took with me some presents adapted to the taste of the Indians, brandy in bottles, and bread, but no other provisions. I went entirely unarmed, by the advice of Captain Cook. The first day we proceeded about fifteen miles into the interior part of the island, without any remarkable occurrence, until we approached a village just before night. This village consisted of about thirty huts, some of them large and spacious, though not very high. The huts are composed of a kind of slight frame, erected over a square hole sunk about four feet into the ground; the frame is covered at the bottom with turf, and upwards it is thatched with coarse grass ; the whole village was out to see us, and men, women, and children crowded about me. I was conducted by the young chief, who was my guide, and seemed proud and assiduous to serve me, into one of the largest huts. I was surprised at the behaviour of the Indians, for though they were curious to see me, yet they did not express that extraor- dinary curiosity, that would be expected had they never seen an European before, and I was 108 LIFE AND TRAVEJCS glad to perceive it, as it was an evidence in favour of what I wished to find true, namely, that there were Europeans now among them. The women of the house, which were almost the only ones I had seen at this island, were much more tolerable than I expected to find them ; one, in particular, seemed very busy to please me ; to her, therefore, I made several presents, with which she was extremely well pleased. As it was now dark, my young chief intimated to me, that we must tarry where we were that night, and proceed further the next day ; to which I very readily consented, being much fatigued. Our entertainment, the sub- sequent part of the evening, did not consist of delicacies or much variety ; they had dried fish, and I had bread and spirits, of which we all participated. Ceremony was not imrited to the feast, and nature presided over the enter, tainment. -^ '^^'^ ^ '''^^^ ^ " At daylight Perpheela (which was the name of the young chief that was my guide) let me know that he was ready to go on ; upon which I flung off the skins I had slept in, put on my shoes and outside vest, and arose to accompany him, repeating my presents to my friendly hosts. We had hitherto travelled in a northerly direction, but now went to the west- or JOHN LEDYAUD. 109 ward and southward. I was now so much tie*- lieved from the apprehension of any insult or injury from the Indians, that my journey would have been even agreeable, had I not been taken lame, with a swelling in the feet, which ren- dered it extremely painful to walk ; the country was also rough and hilly, and the weather wet and cold. About three hours before dark we came to a large bay, which appeared to be four leagues over. Here my guide, Perpheela, took a canoe and all our baggage, and set off, seem- ingly to cross the bay. He appeared to leave me in an abrupt manner, and told me to follow the two attendants. This gave me some un- easiness. I now followed Perpheela's two attendants, keeping the bay in view, but we had not gone above six miles before we saw a canoe approaching us from the opposite side of the bay, in which were two Indians ; as soon as my guides saw the canoe, we ran to the shore from the hills and hailed them, and find- ing they did not hear us, we got some bushes and waved them in the air, which they saw, and stood directly for us. This canoe was sent by Perpheela to bring me across the bay, and shorten the distance of the journey. ** It was beginning to be dark when the canoe came to us. It was a skin canoe, after no LIFE AND TRAVELS the Esquimaux plan, with two holes to ac- commodate two sitters. The Indians that came in the canoe talked a little with my two guides, and then came to me and desired I would get into the canoe. This I did not very readily agree to, however, as there was no other place for me but to be thrust into the space between the holes, extended at length upon my back, and wholly excluded from see- ing the way I went, or the power of extricating myself upon an emergency. But as there was no alternative, I submitted thus to be stowed away in bulk, and went head foremost very •wift through the water about an hour, when I felt the canoe strike a beach, and afterwards lifted up and carried some distance, and then set down again ; after which I was drawn out by the shoulders by three or four men, for it was now so dark that I could not tell who they were, though I was conscious I heard a language that was new. I was conducted by two of these persons, who appeared to be strangers, about forty rods, when I saw lights and a number of huts like those I left in the morning. As we approached one of them, a door opened, and discovered a lamp, by which, to my joy and surprise, I discovered that the two men, who held me by each arm, were OF JOHN LEDYARD. Ill Europeans, fair and comely, and concluded from their appearance they were Russians, which I soon after found to be true. As we entered the hut, which was particularly long, I saw, arranged on each side, on a platform of plank, a number of Indians, who all bowed to me; and as I advanced to the farther end of the hut, there were other Russians. When I reached the end of the room, I was seated on a bench covered with fur skins, and as I was much fatigued, wet, and cold, I had a change of gar- ments brought me, consisting of a blue silk shirt and drawers, a fur cap, boots, and gown, all which I put on with the same cheerfulness they were presented with. Hospitality is a virtue peculiar to man, and the obligation is as great to receive as to confer. As soon as 1 was rendered warm and c9mfortable, a table was set before me with a lamp upon it ; all the Russians in the house sat down round me, and the bottles of spirits, tobacco, snuff, and whatever Perpheela had, were brought and set upon it ; these I presented to the company, intimating that they were presents from Commodore Cook, who was an Englishman. One of the company then gave me to understand, that all the white people I saw there were subjects of the Empress Catherine of Russia, and rose and 112 LIFE AND. TRAVELS ■9 kissed my hand, the rest uncovering their heads. I then informed them, as well as I could, that Commodore Cook wanted to see some of them, and had sent me there to con- duct t^em to our ships. ^ ,0 i ;i>rf? /-:!t • These preliminaries over, we had supper, which consisted of boiled whale, halibut fried in oil, and broiled salmon. The latter I ate, and they gave me rye-bread, but would eat none of it themselves. They were very fond of the rum, which they drank without any mixture or measure. I had a very comfortable bed composed of different fur-skins, both under and over me, and being harassed the preceding day, I went soon to rest. ARer I had lain down, the Russians assembled the Indians in a v€ry silent manner, and said prayers after the manner of the Greek church, which is much like the Roman. I could not but obsilrve with what particular sati^aclion the Indians per- formed their devoirs to God, through the me- dium of their little crucifixes, and with what pleasure they went through the multitude of ceremonies attendant on that sort of worship. I think it a religion the best calculated in the world to gain proselytes, when the people are either imwilling or unable to speculate, or when they cannot be made acquainted with the history <^ OF JOHN LEDYARD. 113 and principles of Christianity without a formal education. ^'"'^ *f^ ..-. . ,.. | . . ,.f^ j., ** I had a very comfortable night's rest, and did not wake the next morning until late. As soon as I was up, I was conducted to a hut at a little distance from the one I had slept in, where I saw a number of platforms raised about three feet from the ground, and covered with dry coarse grass and some small green bushes. There were several of the Russians already here, besides those who conducted me, and several Indians who were heating water in a large copper cauldron over a furnace, the heat of which, and the steam which evaporated from the hot water, rendered the hut, which was very tight, extremely hot and suffocating. I soon understood this was a hot bath, of which I was asked to make use in a friendly manner. The apparatus being a little curious, I con- sented to it, but before I had finished undressing myself, I was overcome by the sudden change of the air, fainted away, and fell back on the platform I was sitting on. I was, however, soon relieved by having cold and lukewarm water administered to my face and different partsof my body. I finished undressing, and proceeded as I saw the rest do, who were now all undressed. The Indians, who served '^■t 114 LIFE AND TRAVELS US, brought us, as we sat or extended ourselves on the platforms, water of different tem- peratures, from that which was as hot as we could bear, to quite cold. The hot water was accompanied with some hard soap and a flesh- brush ; it was not however thrown on the body from the dish, but sprinkled on with the green bushes. After this, the water made use of was less warm, and by several gradations became at last quite cold, which concluded the cere- mony. We again dressed and returned to our lodgings, where our breakfast was smoking on the table ; but the flavour of our feast, as well as its appearance, had nearly produced a relapse in my spirits, and no doubt would, if I had not had recourse to some of the brandy I had brought, which happily saved me. I was a good deal uneasy, lest the cause of my discomposure should disoblige my friends, who meant to treat roe in the best manner they could. I therefore attributed my illness to the bath, which might possibly have partly occa- sioned it, for I am not very subject to fainting. I could eat none f the breakfast, however, though far from wanting an appetite. It was mostly of whale, sea-horse, and bear, which, though smoked, dried, ?n and they adopt- ing the Italian. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 119 in his account of the death of Captain Cook, than most narrators, and as he describes only what came within his own knowledge, it may be worth while to dwell a little upon these topics. x = ^-v /".'-^ -■ • "''■■-<:■'' ;,^':,;-flKj>'- :f:^iU' %•) f'^aftV f'--'--'^:^^- ■ :• -V iiii,i M> )' r ■• "v^,« ., 'f, r. i!ii ' -;.vii> lilA- ■ * > I , V \ '■/.■•,•■■',' .*'*■>?<•,. *y 5.1 f'jj a ;? J-i 120 LIFE AND TRAVELS CHAPTER V. The ships anchored in Kearakekua bay. — First interview with the natives.— Reverence with which they regarded Cook. — ^Tents erected for astronomical observations. — Ceremonies of the meeting of Cook with the old king. — Ledyard forms the project of ascending the high mountain in Hawaii, called by the natives Mouna Roa. — Description of his ascent, and cause of his ultimate failure. — ^The natives begin to show symptoms of uneasiness at the presence of the strangers, and to treat them with disrespect.— Offended at the encroachment made on their Morai. — Cook departs from Kearakekua bay, but is compelled to return by a heavy storm, that overtakes him, and injures his ships.— Natives receive him coldly. — They steal one of the ship's boats, which Cook endeavours to recover. — Goes on shore for the purpose.— Is there attacked by the natives and slain. — ^Ledyard accompanied him on shore, and was near his person when killed.— His description of the event.— Expedition sails for Kamtschatka, explores again the Polar seas, and returns to England.— Ledyard's opinions respecting tiie first peopling oi the South Sea Islands.— Other remarks relating to this subject, founded on the analogy of languages, and manners of the people. — Characteristics of Ledyard's journal.— Estimation in which he held Captain Cook. ' ; . - ^ ,-*• The ships were several days among the islands, sailing in different directions, before a harbour was discovered, in which they could anchor with safety, and where water and pro- visions could be procured. At length they entered a commodious bay on the south side of Hawaii, extending inland about two miles OF JOHN LEDYARD. 121 and a half, having the town of Kearakekua on one side, and Kiverua on the other. These towns contained fourteen hundred houses. The crowds of people that flocked to the shore, as the vessels sailed in and came to anchor, were prodigious. They had assembled from the in- terior and the coast. Three thousand canoes were counted in the bay, filled with men, women, and children, to the number of at least fifteen thousand, besides others that were swimming and sustaining themselves on floats in the water. The scene was animated and grotesque in the extreme. " The beach^ the surrounding rocks, the tops of houses, the branches of trees, and the adjacent hills were all covered ; and the shouts of joy and admira- tion, proceeding from the sonorous voices of the men, confused with the shriller exclama- tions of the women, dancing and clapping their hands, the oversetting of canoes, cries of the children, goods afloat., and hogs that were brought to market squeaking, formed one of the most curious" prospects that can be ima- gined." But amidst this immense concourse, all was peace, harmony, hilarity, and good nature. Many of the natives were contented to gaze and wonder ; others, by their noise and actions, gave more imposing demonstrations of 122 LIFE AND TRAVELS their joy and admiration ; while others were busy in bartering away hogs, sweet potatoes, and such provisions as they had, for articles that pleased their fancy, t : Cook's first visit to the shore was attended with a good deal of ceremony. Two chiefs, with long white poles as ensigns of their authority, made a passage among the canoes for his pinnace, and the people, as he was rowed along, covered their faces with their hands. When he landed, they fell prostrate on the beach before him, and a new set of officers opened a way for him through the crowd. The same expressions of awe were manifested, as he proceeded from the water's edge. " The people upon the adjacent hills, upon the houses, on the stone walls, and in the tops of the trees, also hid their faces, while he passed along the opening, but he had no sooner passed them, than they rose and followed him. But if Cook happened to turn his head, or look behind him, they were down again in an instant, and up again as soon, whenever his face was reverted to some other quarter. This punctilious per- formance of respect 'in so vast a, throng, befhig regulated solely by the accidental turn of one man's head, and the transition being sudden and short, rendered it very difficult even for an OF JOHN LEDYARD. 123 individual to be in proper attitude. If he lay prostrate but a second too long, he was pretty sure not to rise again until he had been trampled upon by all behind him, and if he dared not to prostrate himself, he would stumble over those before him who did. This produced a great many laughable circumstances, and as Cook walked very fast to get from the sand into the shades of the town, it rendered the matter still more difficult. At length, how- ever, they adopted a medium, that much bet- ter answered a running compliment, and did not displease the chiefs ; this was to go upon all fours, which was truly ludicrous among at least ten thousand people." This confusion ceased, however, before long, for Cook waf conducted to the Morai, a sacred enclosure, which none but the chiefs and their attendants were allowed to enter. Here he was unmolested, and the presents were distributed. His first object was to procure a situation on shore to erect tents, and fit up the astro- nomical instruments. A suitable spot was granted, on condition that none of the seamen should leave the place after sunset, and with a stipulation on the part of the chiefs, that none of their people should enter it by night. To make this effectual, the ground was marked out 124 LIFE AND TRAVELS by white rods, and put under the restriction of the tabuy which no native dared violate, being restrained by the superstitious fear of offending the atuas, or invisible spirits of the island. This caution surprised Cook a little, as he had not witnessed it among the natives of the other South Sea Islands. It appeared reasonable, and he consented to it, not foreseeing the mis- chiefs to which it would ultimately lead. Ledyard considers it the origin of all the disas- ters that followed. Restrictions were imposed, which could not be enforced ; they were vio- lated secretly at first, then with less reserve, and at last openly. The men in the tents were the first to transgress, by going abroad contrary to the agreement. The native women were tempted by them to pass over the prescribed limits, although they shuddered at the appre- hension of the consequences which might fol- low such a disregard of the tabu. When they found, however, that no harm came upon thero from the enraged atuas^ their fears by degrees subsided. This intercourse was not such as to raise the Europeans in the estimation of the islanders. It was begun by stealth, and pro- secuted in violation of the sacred injunction of the tabu ; and as no measures were taken to prevent it, the chiefs naturally considered it an OF JOHN LEDYARD. 125 infraction of the agreement. LedyarA was himself stationed on shore, with a guard of marines, to protect the tents, and enjoyed the best opportunity for seeing and knowing what passed in that quarter. ^r. ; * v^vr u-*'^ Harmony and a good understanding, among all parties, prevailed for several days. Cook went through the ceremony of being anointed with cocoa-nut oil, by one of the chief priests, and of listening to a speech half an hour in length, on the occasion, from the same high dignitary. When Teraiobu, the king, a feeble old man, returned from one of the other islands, where he had been on a visit, there was ano- ther ceremony, conducted with great form, at his meeting with Cook. Entertainments suc- ceeded, and good cheer and good humour were seen everywhere. Cook first invited Teraiobu and his chiefs on board to dinner. They were temperate, drinking water only, and eating but little. The old king satisfied himself entirely with bread-fruit and water, but the younger chiefz comprised in their repast the luxury of pork and fowls. They all went away well pleased, and the king invited Cook to dine with him the next day at his royal residence. The invitation was accepted ; and when the hour came, the navigator and his officers were sump- 126 LIFE AND TRAVELS tuously feasted on baked hog and potatoes, neatly spread out on green plantain leaves, and, for beverage, they were supplied with cocoa- nut milk. The day was closed with gymnastic exercises, wrestling and boxing, ordered by the old king for the amusement of his guests. On the next evening. Cook in his turn exhibited fire- works on shore, much to the amazement of the beholders, who had never before seen such a display. Many laughable incidents occurred. When the first sky-rocket was discharged, the multitude was seized with the greatest conster- nation. Cook and his officers " could hardly hold the old feeble Teraiobu, and some elder ladies of quality that sat among them ; and before they had recovered from this paroxysm, nearly the whole host, that a moment before surrounded them, had fled." Some were too much frightened to return any more, but others came back as their fears abated, and had the courage to keep their ground through the re- mainder of the exhibition. Thus all things were proceeding, as Ledyard expresses it, " in the old Otaheite style ;" the visitors and the islanders were mutually pleased with each other, kind offices were reciprocated, abundant stores of provisions were carried on board, and prospects were favourable. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 127 While affairs were in this train, Ledyard formed the design of ascending the high peak, which rises from the centre of the island, and is called by the natives Mouna Roa. Although this mountain stands on an island only ninety miles in diameter, yet it is one of the highest in the world. Its elevation has been estimated to be about eighteen thousand feet, and its summit is usually covered with snow. From his sta- tion at the tents, Ledyard sent a note on board the Resolution to Captain Cook, asking per- mission to make this jaunt, for the double purpose of exploring the interior, and, if pos- sible climbing to the top of the mountain. The request was granted. The botanist, and the gunner of the Resolution, were deputed by the commander to accompany him. Natives were also engaged to carry the baggage, and serve as guides through the woods. A tropical sun was then pouring its rays on them at the bay of Kearakekua, but the snows visible on the peak of Mouna Roa warned them to provide ad» ditional clothing, and guard against the effects of a sudden transition from heat to cold. ^ The party at length set off. On first leaving the town their route lay through enclosed planta- tions of sweet potatoes, with a soil of lava, tilled in some places with difficulty. Now and 128 LIFE AND TRAVELS then a patch of sugar-cane was seen in a moist place. Next came the open plantations, con- sisting chiefly of bread-fruit trees, and the land began to ascend more abruptly. ^ f j* : *' We continued up the ascent," he writes, *' to the distance of a mile and a half further, and found the land thick covered with' wild fern, among which our botanist found a new species. It was now near sunset, and being upon the skirts of these woods, that so remark- ably surrounded this island, at a uniform dis- tance of four or five miles from the shore, we concluded to halt, especially as there was a hut hard by, that would afford us a better retreat during the night, than what we might expect if we proceeded. When we reached the hut, we found it inhabited b^^ an elderly man, his wife, and daughter, the emblem of innocent, uninstructed beauty. They were somewhat discomposed at our appearance and equipment, and would have left their house through fear, had not the Indians, who accom- panied us, persuaded them otherwise, and at last reconciled them to us. We sat down together before the door, and from the height of the situation we had a complete retrospec- tive view of our route, of the town, of part of the bay, and one of our ships, besides an ex* OF JOHN LEDYAftD. 129 tensive prospect on the ocean, and a distant view of three of the neighbouring islands. • <' As we had proposed remaining at this hut through th€ ni^ ht, and were willing to preserve what provisions we had ready dressed, we pur- chased a little pig, and had him dressed by our host, who finding his account in his visi- tants, bestirred himself and soon had it ready. After supper we had some of our brandy di- luted with the mountain water, and we had so long been confined to the poor brackish water : at the bay below, that it was a kind of nectar to us. As soon as the sun was set, we found a considerable difference in the state of the air. At night a heavy dew fell, and we felt it very chilly, and had recourse to our blankets, not- withstanding we were in the but The next morning, when we came to enter the woods, we found there had been a heavy rain though none of it had approached us, notwithstand- ing we were within two hundred yardg of the skirts of the forest. And it seemed to be a matter of fact, both from the informa- tion of the natives and our own observations, that neither the rains nor the dews descended lower than where the woods terminated, unless at the equinoxes or some periodical conjunc- ture, by which means the space between the K 130 LIFE AND TRAVELS woods and the shore is rendered warm, and fit for the purposes of culture, and the vegeta- tion of tropical productions. We traversed these woods by a compass, keeping a direct course for the peak, and was so happy the first day as to find a foot path that tended nearly our due course, by which means we travelled by estimation about fifteen miles, and though it would have been no extraordinary march had circumstances been different, yet, as we found them, we thought it a very great one ; for it was not only excessively miry and rough, but the way was mostly an ascent, and we had been unused to walking, and especially to carry, ing such loads as we had. Our Indian compa- nions were much more fatigued than we were, though they had nothing to carry, and, what displeased us very much, would not carry any- thing. Our botanical researches delayed us somewhat. The sun had not set when we halted, yet meeting with a situation that pleased us, and not being limited as to time, we spent the remaining part of the day as humour dictated, some in botanizing, and those who had fowling- pieces, with them in shooting. For my part, I could not but think the present appearance of| our encampment claimed a part of our attention, and therefore set about some alterations and I amendments. It was the trunk of a tree, that OF JOHN LEDYARD. 131 had fallen by the side of the path, and lay with one end transversely over another tree, that had fallen before in an opposite direction ; and as it measured twenty-two feet in circumference, and lay four feet from the ground, it afforded very good shelter except at the sides, which defect I supplied by large pieces of bark, and a good quantity of boughs, which rendered it very commodious. We slept through the night under it much better than we had done the preceding, notwithstanding there was a heavy dew, and the air cold. " The next morning we set out in good spirits, hoping that day to reach the snowy peak ; but we had not gone a mile, before the path, that had hitherto so much facilitated our progress, began not only to take a direction southward of west, but had been so little fre- quented as to be almost effaced. In this situ- ation we consulted our Indian convoy, but to no purpose. We then advised among ourselves, and at length concluded to proceed by the nearest route without any beaten track, and went in this manner about four miles further, finding the way even more steep and rough, than we had yet experienced, but above all impeded by such impenetrable thickets, as rendered it impossible for us to proceed any k2 132 LIFE AND TRAVELS further. We therefore abandoned our design, and returning in our own track, reached the retreat we had improved the last night, having been the whole day in walking only about ten miles, and we had been very assiduous too. We found the country here, as well as at the seashore, universally overspread with lava, and also saw several subterranean excavations, that had every appearance of past eruption and fire. Our botanist to-day met with great success, and we had also shot a number of fine birds of the liveliest and most variegated plumage, that any of us had ever met with, but we heard no melody among them. Except these we saw no other kind of birds but the screech-owl; neither did we see any kind of quadruped, but we caught several curious insects. The woods here are thick and luxuriant, the largest trees being nearly thirty feet in the girth, and these with the shrubbery underneath, and the whole intersected with vines, render it very umbra- geous. ... ** The next day, about two in the afternoon, we cleared the woods by our old route, and by six o'clock reached the tents, having penetrated about twenty-four miles, and, we supposed, within eleven of the peak. Our Indians were ex- tremely fatigued, though they had no baggage."* • This mountain was never ascended to the top, till very re- OF JOHN LKDYARD. 133 Were we to follow the author closely in his narrative, we should here introduce his des- cription of the island of Hawaii, and of the various objects that attracted his notice. He speaks of the geological structure of the island, its soil, productions, climate, and animals ; the customs of the natives, their superstitions, go- vernment, and criminal offences ; their way of living, and the remarkable differences between them and the other islanders of the. South Sea. On some of these topics his remarks are ori- ginal and striking, but we must pass over them, and hasten to particulars of higher in- terest. Before two weeks had expired, the natives began to show symptoms of uneasiness at the presence of the foreigners, and to treat them with diminished respect. In truth, very little pains were taken to preserve "their good opi- nion, or to keep alive their kind feelings ; and one untoward event after another was per- petually occurring to lessen the admiration, which novelty had excited, and to alienate them from their newly made friends. Ledyard mentions several incidents of this description, cently. Mr. Goodrich, one of the American Missionaries on the island, was the first person, who persevered in reaching the summit. He ascended on a side of the mountain nearly oppo- site to that where Ledyard made the attempt. ( .; ; 134 LIFE AND TRAVELS which are not alluded to in the authorised account of Cook's last voyage. Some of them, probably, were not known to the writer, and others were omitted from motives of policy, as being rather evidences of neglect or injudicious management, than of cautious or discreet mea- sures. The natives first began to practise slight insults, which seemed to proceed rather from a mischievous, than a malignant temper. The master's mate was ordered to take on board the rudder of the Resolution, which had been sent ashore for repairs. It was too heavy for his men to remove, and he asked the na- tives to assist them. Fifty or sixty immediately caught hold of the rope attached to the rudder, and began to pull. But whether in sport or by design, they caused only embarrassment and disorder. " This exasperated the mate, and he struck two or three of them, which being ob- served by a chief that was present, he inter- posed. The mate haughtily told the chief to order his people to assist him, and the chief, as well as the people, having no intention but of showing their disregard and scorn, which had long been growing towards us, laughed at him, hooted him, and threw stones at him and the crew, who taking up some trunnels that were lying by, fell upon the Indians, beat many of them much, and drove the rest several rods OF JOHN L£DYARD. 135 back ; but the crowd collecting at a little dis- tance, formed, and began to use abusive lan- guage, challenge our people, and throw stones, some of which came into our encampment." Ledyard's guard of marines was ordered out, " at least to make a show of resentment," and the commanding officer at the tents went out himself to quell the disturbance; but they were all pelted with stones, and retired, leaving the field to the natives till night, when the rudder was taken on board. " Instances of this kind, though of less apparent importance, had happened several times before this on shore ; but on board hardly a day passed after the first week, that did not produce some petty disturbance in one or both of the ships, and they chiefly proceeded from thefts perpetrated by the natives in a manner little short of robbery. Cook and Teraiobu were fully employed in adjusting and compro- mising these differences, and as there was really a reciprocal disinterested regard between him and this good old man, it tended much to faci- litate these amicable negociations. But in the midst of these measures, Cook was insensible of the daily decline of his greatness and impor- tance in the estimation of the natives ; nay, so confident was he, and so secure in the opposite 136 LIFE AND TRAVELS opinion, that on the fourth of February he came to Kearakekua, with his boats, to purchase and carry off the fence round the Morai, which he wanted to wood the ships with. When he landed, he sent for the Priest Kikinny, and some other chiefs, and offered them two iron hatchets for the fence. The chiefs were asto- nished, not only at the inadequate price, but at the proposal, and refused him. ** Cook was as much chagrined as they were surprised, and, not meeting with the easy ac- quiescence he expected to his requisitions, gave immediate orders to his people to ascend the Morai, break down the fence and load the boats with it, leading the way himself to enforce his orders. The poor dismayed chiefs, dreading his displeasure, which they saw approaching, followed him upon the Morai to behold the fence that enclosed the mansions of their noble ancestors, and the images of their gods, torn to pieces by a handful of rude strangers, without the power, or at least without the resolution, of opposing their sacrilegious depredations. When Cook bad ascended the Morai, he once more offered the hatchets to the chiefs. It was a very unequal price, if the honest chiefs would have accepted of the bribe ; and Cook offered it only to evade the imputation of taking their OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 137 property without payment. The chiefs again refused it. Cook then added another hatchet, and kindling into resentment, told them to take it or nothing. Kikinny, to whom the offer was made, turned pale, and trembled as he stood, but still refused. Cook thrust them into his garment, that was folded round him, and left him immediately to hasten the execution of his orders. As for Kikinny, he turned to some of his menials, and made them take the hatchets out of his garment, not touching them himself. By this time a considerable concourse of the natives had assembled under the walls of the Morai, where we were throwing the wood down, and were very outrageous, and even threw the wood and images back as we threw them down ; and I cannot think what prevented them from proceeding to greater lengths ; how- ever, it so happened that we got the whole into the boats, and safely on board.*' This story is told differently by Captain King, who wrote that part of Cook's Third Voyage, which relates to the Sandwich Islands. As he represents it, no objection was made to the proposal for taking away the enclosure of wood, that surrounded the Moral, and even the images were tumbled down and carried off, uuder the eyes of the priests, without any resist- 138 LIFE AND TRAVELS ance or disapprobation on their part. This would seem improbable. The Morai was the depositary of the dead, a place where the images of the gods were kept, and solemn ceremonies performed. It is not easy to re- concile the two accounts, but Ledyard was employed with others in removing the fence, and he manifestly describes what he saw. He may not have been so well acquainted with the manner and conditions of the purchase, as Cap. tain King, yet in the detail of occurrences in which he was engaged, and their effects on the people around him, it is hardly possible that he should have been mistaken. Again, h writes, ''-" ^^ ■" -''-'^ '■'■>;■(•■-'* vi'r/ •j-^hv' ,'' '* ** On the evening of the fifth, we struck our tents, and everything was taken on board, and it was manifestly much to the satisfaction of the natives. A little after dark an old house, that stood on a corner of the Morai, took fire and burnt down ; this we supposed was oc- casioned by our people's carelessly leaving their fire near it, but that was not the case. The natives burnt it themselves, to show us the resentment they entertained towards us, on account of our using it without their con- sent, and indeed manifestly against it. We had made a sail-loft of one part of it, and an I OF JOHN LKDYARD. 139 hospital for our sick of the other, though it evidently was esteemed by the natives as holy as the rest of the Morai, and ought to have been considered so by us." * • \* They had now been nineteen days in Keara- kekua bay ; the ships had been repaired, the seamen recruited after their long toils, provisions for several months laid in, and nothing more was wanting to enable them to go again to sea, but a supply of water. This was not to be had at Kearakekua, except of a brackish quality, and it was resolved to search for it on some of the other islands. For this object the vessels were unmoored, and sailed out of the harbour. No sooner had they got to sea, than a violent gale came on, which lasted three days, and injured so seriously the Resolution's foremast, that Cook was compelled to return speedily to his old anchorage ground, and make repairs. Our voyager is so circumstantial in his account from this point, till the tragical death of Captain Cook, that I shall not mar his narrative by curtailing it. The only thing necessary to be premised is, that he was one of the small party who landed with the unfortunate navigator on the morning of his death, and was near him during the fatal contest, although this does not appear from his own statement. 140 LIFE AND TRAVELS "Our return to this bay was as disagreeable to us, as it was to the inhabitants, for we were reciprocally tired of each other. They had l),een oppressed, and were weary of our pros- tituted alliance, and we were aggrieved by the consideration of wanting the provisions and refreshments of the country, which we had every reason to suppose, from their behaviour antecedent to our departure, would now be withheld from us, or brought in such small quantities as to be worse than none. What we anticipated was true. When we entered the bay, where before we had the shouts of thousands to welcome our arrival, we had the mortifica- tion not to see a single canoe, and hardly any inhabitants in the towns. Cook was chagrined, and his people were soured. Towards night, however, the canoes came in, but the provi- sions, both in quantity and quality, plainly informed us, that times were altered ; and what was very remarkable was the exorbitant price they asked, and the particular fancy they all at once took to iron daggers or dirks, which were the only articles that were any ways cur- rent, wi.a the chiefs at least. It was also equally evident from the looks of the natives, as well as every other appearance, that our former friendship was at an end, and that we OF JOHN LKDYARD. 141 had nothing to do but to hasten our departure to some diflerent island, where our vices were not known, and where our extrinsic virtues might gain us another short space of being won- dered at, and doing as we pleased, or, as our tars expressed it, of being happy by the month. "Nor was their passive appearance of dis- gust all we had to fear, nor did it continue long. Before dark a canoe with a number of armed chiefs came along-side of us without provisions, and indeed without any perceptible design. After staying a short time only, they went to the Discovery, where a part of them went on board. Here they affected great friendship, and unfortunately overacting it, Gierke was suspicious, and ordered two sentinels on the gangways. These men were purposely sent by the chief, who had formerly been so very intimf.vC with Gierke, and afterwards so ill treated by him, with the charge of stealing his jolly-boat. They came with a determination of mischief, and effected it. After they were all returned to the canoe but one, they got their paddles and everything ready for a start. Those in the canoes, observing the sentry to be watchful, took ofi* his attention by some con- versation, that they knew would be pleasing to him, and by this means favoured the designs of 142 LIF£ AND TRAVELS the man on board, who watching his oppor- tunity snatched two pairs of tongs, and other iron tools that then lay close by the armourers at work at the forge, and mounting the gang- way-rail, with one leap threw himself and his goods into the canoe, that was then upon the move, and, taking up his paddle joined the others ; and standing directly for the shore, they were out of our reach almost instantane- ously even before a musket could be had from the arms-chest to fire at them. The sentries had only hangers. This was the boldest ex- ploit that had yet been attempted, and had a bad aspect. Gierke immediately sent to the commodore, who advised him to send a boat on shore to endeavour at least to regain the goods, if they could not the men who took them ; but the errand was as ill executed as contrived : and the master of the Discovery was glad to return with a severe drubbing from the very chief, who had been so maltreated by Gierke. The crew was also pelted with stones, and had all their oars broken, and they had not a single weapon in the boat, not even a cutlass, to defend themselves. When Gook heard of this, he went armed himself in person to the guard on shore, took a file of marines, and went through the whole town demanding restitution, and OF JOiiN LEDYARD. 143 threatening the delinquents and their abettors with the severest punishments ; but not being able to effect anything, he came off just at sun- set highly displeased, and not a little concerned at the bad appearance of things. But even this was nothing to what followed. ^ " On the thirteenth, at night, the Disco- very's large cutter, which ^^as at her usual moorings at the bower buoy, was taken away. On the fourteenth the captains met to consult what should be done on this alarming occa- sion ; and the issue of their opinions was, that one of the two captains should land with armed boats and a guard of marines at Kiverua, and attempt to persuade Teraiobu, who was then at his house in that town, to come on board upon a visit, and that when he was on board he should be kept prisoner, until his subjects should release him by a restitution of the cutter ; and if it was afterwards thought proper, he, or some of the family who might accompany him, should be kept as perpetual hostages for the good behaviour of the people, during the re- maining part of our continuance at Kearakekua. This plan was the more approved of by Cook, as he had so repeatedly on former occasions to the southward employed it with success. Gierke was then in a deep decline of his health, and too feeble to undertake the affair, though -4^ 144 LIFE AND TRAVELS it naturally devolved upon him, as a point of duty, not well transferable ; he therefore beg- ged Cook to oblige him so much as to take that part of the business of the day upon himself in his stead, "^his Cook agreed to, but previous to his landing made some additional arrange- ments, respecting the possible event of things, though it is certain, from the appearance of the subsequent arrangements, that he guarded more against the flight of Teraiobu, or those he could wish to see, than from an attack, or even much insult. The disposition of our guards, when the movements began, was thus. Cook in his pinnace with six private marines ; a cor- poral, sergeant, and two lieutenants of marines went ahead, followed by the launch with other marines and seamen on one quarter, and the small cutter on the other, with only the crew on board. This part of the guard rowed for Kearakekua. Our large cutter and two boats from the Discovery, had orders to proceed to the mouth of the bay, form at equal distances across, and prevent any communication by water from any other part of the island to the towns within the bay, or from those without. Cook landed at Kiverua about nine o'clock in the morning, with the marines in the pinnace, and went by a circuitous march to the house of Teraiobu, in order to evade the suspicion of OF JOHN LEDYAKD. 145 any design. This route led through a consider- able part of the town, which discovered every symptom of mischief, though Cook, blinded by some fatal cause, could not perceive it, or, too self-confident, would not regard it. "The town was evacuated by the women and children, who had retired to the circum- jacent hills, and appeared almost destitute of men ; but there were at that time two hun- dred chiefs, and more than twice that number of other men, detached and secreted in dif- ferent parts of the houses nearest to Teraiobu, exclusive of unknown numbers without the skirts of the town, and those that were seen were dressed many of them in black. When the guard reached Teraiobu's house. Cook ordered the lieutenant of marines to go in and see if he was at home, and if he was, to bring him out ; the lieutenant went in» and found the old man sitting with two or three old women of distinc- tion, and when he gave Teraiobu to understand that Cook was without, and wanted to see him, he discovered the greatest marks of uneasiness, but arose and accompanied the lieutenant out, holding his hand. When he came before Cook, he squatted down upon his hams as a mark of humiliation, and Cook took him by the hand from the lieutenant, and conversed with him. ^^ 146 LIFE AND TRAVELS *' The appearance of our parade, both by water and on shore, though conducted with the utmost silence, and with "as little ostenta- tion as possible, had alarmed the towns on both sides of the bay, but particularly Kiverua, where the people were in complete order for an onset; otherwise it. would have been a mat- ter of surprise, that though Cook did not see twenty men in passing through the town, yet before he had conversed ten minutes with Teraiobu, he was surrounded by three or four hundred people, and above half of them chiefs. Cook grew uneasy when he observed this, and was the more urgent in his persuasions with Teraiobu to go on board, and actually per- suaded the old man to go at length, and led him within a rod or two of the shore ; but the just fears and conjectures of the chiefs at last interposed. They held the old man back, and one of the chiefs threatened Cook, when he attempted to make them quit Teraiobu. Some of the crowd now cried out, that Cook was going to take their king from them and kill him, and there was one in particular that ad- vanced towards Cook in an attitude that alarmed one of the guard, who presented his bayonet and opposed him, acquainting Cook in the meantime of the danger of his situation, and that the Indians in a few minutes would ' \ * OF JOHN LEDYARD. 147 attack him ; that he had overheard the man, whom he had just stopped from rushing in upon him, say that our boats which were out in the harbour had just killed his brother, and he would be revenged. Cook attended to what this man said, and desired him to show him the Indian, that had dared to attempt a combat with him, and as soon as he was pointed out. Cook fired at him with a blank. The Indiati, perceiving he received no damage from the fire, rushed from without the crowd a second time, and threatened any one that should op- pose him. Cook perceiving this, fired a^ ball, which, entering the Indian's groin he fell, and was drawn off by the rest. " Cook perceiving the people determined to oppose his designs, and that he should not succeed without further bloodshed, ordered the lieutenant of marines, Mr. Phillips, to with- draw his men and get them into the boats, which were then lying ready to receive them. This was effected by the serjeant: but the instant they began to retreat. Cook was hit with a stone, and perceiving the man who threw it, shot him dead. The officer in the boats observing the guard retreat, and hearing this third discharge, ordered the boats to fire. This occasioned the guard to face about and fire, l2 -- --/,.- *• 148 LIFE AND TRAVELS and then the attack became general. Cook and Mr. Phillips were together a few paces in the rear of the guard, and, perceiving a general fire without orders, quitted Teraiobu, and ran to the shore to put a stop to it ; but not being able to make themselves heard, and being close pressed upon by the chiefs, they joined the guard, who fired as they retreated. Cook, having at length reached the margin of the water, between the fire of the boats, waved with his hat for them to cease firing and come in ; and while he was doing this, a chief from behind stabbed him with one of our iron dag- gers, just under the shoulder-blade, and it passed quite through his body. Cook fell with his face in the water, and immediately expired. Mr. Phillips, not being able any longer to use bis fusee, drew his sword, and engaging the chief whom he saw kill Cook, soon despatched him. His guard in the mean time were all killed but two, and they had plunged into the water, and were swimming to the boats. He stood thus for some time the butt of all their force, and being as complete in the use of his sword, as he was accomplished, his noble achievements struck the barbarians with awe ; but being wounded, and growing faint from loss of blood and excessive action, he plunged into the sea with his sword in his hand, and swam to OF JOHN LEDVARD. 149 the boats ; where, however, he was scarcely taken on board, before somebody saw one of the marines, that had swum from the shore, lying flat upon the bottom. Phillips, hearing this, ran aft, threw himself in after him, and brought him up with him to the surface of the water, and both were taken in. ' ■' '* *' The boats had hitherto kept up a very hot fire, and, lying off without the reach of any weapon but stones, had received po damage, and, being fully at leisure to keep vp an unre- mitted and uniform action, made great liavoc among the Indians, particularly amoig the chiefs, who stood foremost in t!c crowd and were most exposed ; but whethjr it was from their bravery, or ignorance of the real cause that deprived so many of them of life, that they made such a stand, may be questioned, since it is certain that they in general, if not universally, understood heretofore, that it was the fire only of our arms that destroyed them. This opinion seems to be strengtheii(;d by the circumstance of the large, thick mats, they were observed to wear, which were also constantly kept wet ; and, furthermore, the Indian that Cook fired at with a blank discovered no fear, when he found his mat unburnt, saying in their language, when he showed it to the bystanders, that no fire had touched it. This may be supposed at least to 160 LIFE AND TRAVELS have had some influence. It is, however, cer- tain, whether from oiie or both these causes, that the numbers that fell made no apparent impression on those who survived ; they were immediately taken off, and had their places supplied in a constant succession. " Lieutenant Gore, who commanded as first lieutenant, under Cook in the Resolution, which lay opposite the place where this attack was made, perceiving with his glass that the guard ou shore was cut off, and that Cook had fallen, immediately passed a spring upon one of the cables, and, bringing the ship's starboard guns to bear, fired two round shot over the boats into the middle of the crowd ; and both the thunder of the cannon, and the effects of the shot, ope- rated so powerfully, that it produced a most precipitate retreat from the shore to the town. " Our mast that was repairing at Kearakekua, and our astronomical tents, were protected only by a corporal and six marines, exclusive of the carpenters at work upon it, and demanded im- mediate protection. As soon, therefore, as the people were refreshed with some grog, and reinforced, they were ordered thither. In the mean time the marine, who had been taken up by Mr. Phillips, discovered returning life, and seem d in a way to recover, and we found Mr. . i m\ t^ h- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 151 Phillips's wound not dangerous, though very bad. We also observed at Kiverua, that our dead were drawn off by the Indians, which was a mortifying sight; but after the boats were crone they did it in spite of our cannon, which were firing at them several minutes. They had no sooner effected this matter, than they retired to the hills to avoid our shot. The expedition to Kiverua had taken up about an hour and a half, and we lost, besides Cook, a corporal and three marines. ^ • - - -.uu-\ <* Notwithstanding the dispatch that was used in sending a force to Kearakekua, tlie small party there were already attacked before their arrival, but by an excellent manceuvre of taking possession of the Morai, they defended themselves without any material damage, until the succours came. The natives did not at^ tempt to molest the boats in their debarkation of our people, which we much wondered at, and they soon joined the others upon the Morai, amounting in the whole to about sixty. Mr. Phillips, notwithstanding his wound, was pre- sent, and in conjunction with Lieutenant King, carried the cliief command. The plan was to act only defensively, until we could get our mast into the water, to tow off, and our tents into the boats ; and as soon as th^t was effect- 162 LIFE AND TRAVELS ed, to return on board. This we did in about an hour's time, but not without killing a num- ber of the natives, who resolutely attacked us, and endeavoured to mount the walls of the Morai, where they were lowest ; but being opposed with our skill in such modes of attack, and the great superiority of our arms, they were even repulsed with loss, and at length retreated among the houses adjacent to the Morai, which affording a good opportunity to retreat to our boats, we embraced it, and got off all well. Our mast was taken on the booms, and repaired there, though to disadvantage." This account is the more valuable, as having been drawn up by one, who had a personal knowledge of all that passed. Neither Captain King, nor Captain Burney, each of whom has described the transactions^ was on shore with Cook. Nor indeed, as hinted above, can it be inferred with certainty from anything Ledyard says, that he was in that part of the fray. But the confidence and particularity with which he sp^taks would seem to indicate actual observa- tion. We have Captain Bumey's testimony, moreover., which may be deemed conclusive. He says, that " Cook landed with Lieutenant Molesworth Phillips of the marines, Serjeant OibioD, Corporals Thomas and Ledyard, and OF JOHN LEDVARD. 153 six private marines, being in the whole eleven peioOiiS."* It follows, that Ledyard must have been near Cook from the time he left the ship till he was killed, and that he heard and saw distinctly all that happened. Four marines were killed, three wounded, and three escaped unhurt, of which last number he was one. After this melancholy catastrophe, the ships remained six days in the harbour, till the defec- tive mast was repaired, and a supply of water obtained. This latter was efifected with diffi- culty, however, as the watering parties were repeatedly assailed by the natives, and skir- mishes ensued. It may well be imagined, therefore, that the hour of departure was hailed with joy by all on board. They passed ten days more among the islands, and, the water on board being bad, a fresh supply was procured at the island of Atui. The season being now advanced, and everything in readiness, they launched out again into the great ocean, pur- suing a northerly course, , with the design of making a second attempt to explore tbe polar regions in search of a northwest pas- sage. In six weeks they approached the shore of Kamtschatka, and anchored in the *Chronologic«l History of Nonh-eastera Voyages of Discoveiy, p. 360. t^' 154 LIFE AND TRAVELS harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul. The result of the expedition is well known. They passed through Bering's Strait, and groped among islands of ice in a high latitude, but with no better success than the year before. They touched again at Kamtschatka on their return, and, proceeding by the way of China and the Cape of Good Hope, they reached England, after an absence of four years and three months. Many facts and speculations in our traveller's journal, not a little curious in themselves, have been omitted in the preceding sketch, because they would occupy a space not consistent with the nature or limits of the present memoir. I am tempted, however, in this connection, to quote his remarks on the mode in which the South Sea Islands were probably first peopled. The subject has since been much discussed by philosophers and geographers, but no one before him had examined it with views so much enlarged by experience and observation ; and it is believed he was the first to advance the opinion, that the inhabitants of those inlands, scattered as they are through an ocean of vast extent, ** were derived from one common origin." Of this he will not allow that there is any room for doubt, and* the only OF JOHN LEDVARD. 155 question is, whether they came from Asia or America. Whichever way this question may be answered, there will remain objections not easy to be removed, if we attempt to find out a resemblance in every peculiarity of character and manners, or to explain obvious differences. He does not pretend to solve the problem, but only to throw out such hints illustrative of the subject as occurred to him, and as tend to establish the possibility, that an emigration from either of the continents might have reached to all the islands, without any other means of transportation, than such as the people themselves possessed. -•?*." 7^, -. ^ " The New Zealanders say their ancestors came from an island called Hawyjee ; now Owyhee, as we carelessly pronounce it, is pro- nounced by its inhabitants Hawyhee. This is a curious circumstance, and admits of a pre- sumption, that the island of Owyhee, or Hawy- hee, is the island from which the New Zea- landers originally emigrated. It supersedes analogical evidence. But Owyhee is in twenty north, and New Zealand is in forty south, and not above three hundred leagues distant from the southern parts of New Holland, and is besides situated in the latitudes of variable winds, which admit of emigrations from any 156 LIFE AND TRAVELS quarter. On the other hand, the languages of Owyhee and New Zealand were originally the same, and as much alike as that of Otaheite and New Zealand ; not to mention other cir- cumstances of the like kind. Whereas the languages at New Zealand and New Holland have very little or no resemblance to each other. This difference, with many others, between New Zealand and New Holland, cannot be reconciled ; but the difficulties that may arise from considering the distance between New Zealand and Owyhee may be, as there are clusters of islands that we know of, and there may be others unknown, that occupy, at no great distance from each other, the interme- diate ocean from Owyhee to New Zealand. The obvious reasonings, that would be used to conclude the New Zealanders emigrants from Owyhee, would be, first, to suppose them from the Friendly Isles, then the Society Isles, and then the Sandwich Isles ; and the gradation thus formed is very rational and argumentative, because all their manners and customs have the same cast. Suppose, then, that the islands we have mentioned were peopled from Owy- hee, and suppose it to be the first island settled, the second and ultimate question is, from which of the continents, America or Asia? Its situa- OK JOHN LKDYARD. 157 tion respecting America, and the trade winds, strongly intimate from that continent, for it is twice the distance from Asia that it is from America ; and a ship., fitted for the purpose at China, which is in a parallel latitude, would be more than two months in reaching it, and we must suppose the emigrations that respect these people to have been merely fortuitous ; but a canoe, driven by stress of weather from the southern part of California, or the coast of New Galicia, the opposite parallel, would reach Owyhee in a direct course in half the time or less. The distance is about nine hundred leagues, and we saw people at the island Watteeoo, \7ho had been driven from Otaheite there, which is five hundred leagues. - ? '* But if we suppose Owyhee peopled from South America, we shall be somewhat disap- pointed in supporting the conjecture by argu- ments, that respect their manners and customs, and those of the Californians, Mexicans, Peru- vians, or Chilians. There is but a faint analogy, compared with that which we should find on the southeastern coasts of ^sm in these respects. Let us then, without attending to the few analogical customs, that subsist be- tween the Owyheeans and the South Ameri- cans, reverse our system of emigration, Sup- 168 LIFE AND TRAVELS pose the inhabitants of the 8andwioh Islands to have come from the Society Islands, and those from the Friendly Isles,, and t;he New Zealanders from them; the inhabitants of the Friendly Isles from New Caledotiiai from the New Hebrides^ Nel^v Guinea, Celebes; Borneo, Java, or Sumatra^ and finally from the couti. nent at Malacca. Srupposing the emigration we are now speaking of to have taken this course, the most apparent argument in its favour is, the Jiroximity of the several islands to each other, frotn the Friendly Isles to the continent; but its sufficiency will abate, if we consider emigrations, as I think they are, oftener the effects of accident than previous intention, especially when out of sight of land. Besides^ it is evident from ocular proof, that, though New Guinea and New Holland are very near to each other, there has nev^r been any intercourse between them ; and yet, from many appearances, there seems Uf have been one between New Guinea, the Ne^ Hebrides, and the Friendly Isles, although farther distant from each other. There is indeed no remark- able similarity in the people, customs, and manners of New Guinea and the Friendly Isles, but an exact conformity between the domestic animals and vegetable productions of OF JOHN LEDTARD. 159 both countries. Some fruits, that we call tro- pical, are peculiar to all places within the tropics but bread-fruit is nowhere known, but among these islands and the islands fur- ther northward on the coast of Asia. It is ndt known at New Holland, but it is at New Guinea. Therefore, wherever I can find this bread-fruit in particular, I shall suppose an intercourse to have once subsisted, and the more so, when I find a correspondent agreement between the animals of different places ; and it ought to be remembered also, that there are no other animals throughout those islands, unless they are near the continent; those remote islands have no other. It is the same with their vegetables. The remote islands have no water melons, guavas, and such other fruits. ''These observations will essentially apply to the circumstances of emigration. A canoe» in passing along its own coast, or visiting a neighbouring island, would take on board a hog, a dog, a fowl, and bread fruit, for subsis* tence, in preference to a monkey, a snake, or a guava ; and if the canoe is driven acciden- tally on some foreign island, they turn to greater advantage." •• t^? Since these remarks were written, there have been many opportunities for further discovery, but very little has been added to the stock of v» 160 LIFE AND TRAVELS ^ knowledge on the subject. The missionaries, during a residence of thirty years in the Society Islands, have found nothing among the tradi- tions or customs of the people, from which their origin can be deduced. It was supposed for a time, that the languages of the islanders in the Pacific Ocean would afford a clue, that might lead to a solution of the difficulty ; but hitherto all inquiries in this quarter have failed, and contributed rather to confirm than diminish the uncertainty which existed at first. It is proved, that in all the islands, constituting that portion of the globe denominated in recent geography Polynesia, a multitude of dialects prevail, which have so near an afiinity to each other, as to make it demonstratively certain, that they all sprang from the same stock. It is moreover remarkable, that none of these dialects, which has as yet been examined, bears any analogy to other known languages, except those in use among the natives of these islands. It is true, that in the Friendly Is- lands, New Zealand, and some others border, ing on the Asiatic islands, a few Malayan words are intermixed with the Polynesian, but so sparingly as to make a very small part only of the whole, and with characteristics plainly indicating their foreign origin* If we 'jiiJ I m ooiij V OF JOHN LEDYAUJ). 161 may judge from the grammars prepared by the missionaries, as well as from their own decla* rations, very few languages are more widely different in their principles, structure, and vo- cabulary, than the Malayan and Polynesian. No argument, therefore, drawn from the ana- logy of languages, any more than from striking traits of character in the people, can be urged to prove the Polynesians to have come origi- nally from the islands on the south of Asia. The same may be said in regard to northern Asia, and South America. No resemblances in language have been discovered, and very slight ones only in prevailing customs ; and these, after all, may be accidental. Malte- Brun is opposed to the theory of an emigration from South America, on the ground, that the islands nearest the coast are not inhabited* But this reason has very little weight. In the first place, these islands are small, and would thus be the less likely to be met by canoes, floating at random over the ocean, which was undoubtedly the condition of the first emi- grants ; and in the next place, they are sterile, and might not have afforded subsistence to people landing on them. Again, these islands are not in clusters, but scattered remotely from each other^ and many casualties may be imt<^ ■» ■ ■ ■ - 162 LIFK ASV T: AVtLb gined by which settlers ..:. them might have been cut off, even if accident had thrown them there. In short, little can be said, as to the mode of the first peopling of the Polynesian islands, with any approach to certaJ -y. The study of the language, which the missionaries are now prosecuting, will open a new channel of investigation, from which some favourable results may be hoped. Nothing will proba- bly put the question beyond controversy, but the discovery of a language among some of the tribes of Asia, or America, which bears a close resemblance to the Polynesian. As no written memo?^als of the languages of these tribes re- main, if it should have happened, that the nation from which the islanders descended has become extinct, together with its language, which is most likely to be the case, the prob- lem must go down to future ages, a theme only for ingenious conjecture and speculation. When the prevalence of the trade wind is con- sidered, always setting towards the west, the probability of a migration from America is much stronger, than of one from Asia. Led- yard considers the emigration to have been comparatively recent, because the islands are volcanic, having been formed by violent erup- tions from the earth ; and many centuries must OF JOHX LED YARD. 163 have elapsed after such an event, before they could be habitable. . r^ih The journal » which has now passed under our notice, can in no respect be regarded as a complete narrative of Cook's Third Voyage. It was written, as heretofore stated, under many disadvantages, in haste, and without the aid of the author's original notes ; and to all appearance the manuscript was printed with- out his correction and supervision. Tlie part prepared by himself breaks o^, indeed, more than a year before the end of the voyage, and was probably filled out by the publisher from the brief account before printed in England. Led* yard's descriptions agree in the nUain, however, with those contained in the large work, which afterwards appeared under the authority of the Admiralty. Occasional differences will of course naturally be expected, when we take into view the different circumstances uhd^r which the commanding officer, and a corporal of marines, would observe the objects and events they described. The latter was ofttn in situations to witness and Contemplate oc- currences, which could not come to the know- ledge of the former, and which, to a mind acute and observing like his, would make impres- M 2 164 LIFE AND TRAVELS sions worthy to be recorded. Nor is it any disparagement of the other writers to say, that several of Ledyard's descriptions of the man- ners and peculiarities of the natives, are written with a vivacity, discrimination, and force, which they have not equalled. He utters his own sentiments with a boldness, and expresses him- self with a confidence, that convince us of his sincerity, honest zeal, and mental vigor, even when we cannot assent to his opinions. He sometimes censures his superiors in office with a freedom not altogether commendable, and imagines them to have been actuated by mo- tives, which could scarcely exist. This may be perceived in the tone which pervades some of the extracts quoted above. His sta- tion was not one in which he could be ac- quainted with the views and plans of the com- mander, and yet his inquisitive temper, and high sense of his dignity as a man, prompted him to think for himself, and put much reliance in the conclusions of his own mind. When these were thwarted, as they often would be, it was natural that he should suppose his supe< riors in an error, especially if ill consequences resulted from their measures. He was accustomed to speak with high res- OF JOHN LEDYAHD. 165 pect of* Captain Cook, although he thought his proceedings towards the natives sometimes rash, and even unjustifiable. But this was no more than has been thought by many others. Nobody has ever doubted the purity of Cook's intentions, or his humanity, but he adopted a system of conduct towards the savages, espe- cially in punishing slight offences, the policy and good effects of which were less obvious to others than to himself. Pilfering was so uni- versal in all the South Sea islands, that it was hardly recognised in the moral code of the natives as an offence, much less a crime ; yet he invariably punished transgressions of this kind with severity. A long course of expe- rience had confirmed the navigator in this sys- tem, and he practised it usually with success. We have seen how he applied it in the case of Feenou, who stole the peacocks at Tongata- boo, and many similar instances might be cited. It was his rigid adherence to this course, in fact, which at last caused his death ; for he landed at Kiverua with the express purpose of enticing the old king on board, that he might retain him there as a hostage, till the stolen boat should be given up. The opinions of Ledyard on this head, therefore, though sometimes expressed with earnestness, argue no disrespect or want 166 LIFE AND TRAVELS of esteem for the commander, whom he honour- ed for the high station to which his merits had raised him, and whom he admired for his many great and good qualities. ^ ./^ 'i.. . . iix i ,*■'./?;,■ "5 '• ?:!' M,ii<' ) ■ • ) OF JOHN LtDYAllD. 167 , • j/» -,»JXK ' ■ ' i'. \:u': CHAPTER VI. Ledyard returns to America. — Interview with his mother after an absence of eight years.— Passes the winter in Hartford, and writes his Journal of Cook's Voyage. — Visits New York and Philadelphia to concert with the merchants a plan of a commercial expedition. — Robert Morris agrees to engage in a trading voyage, under his direction, to the North- west Coast. — Proceeds to Boston, and afterwards to New London and New York, to procure a vessel for the purpose.— Failure of the enter- prise, after a year had been spent in fruitless attempts to carry it into effect. — Letters to his mother.— Makes a trial in New London to enlist the merchants of that place in his scheme. — Was the first to propose a voyage for a mercantile adventure to the Northwest Coast. — Sails for Cadiz. — Letters from that city containing political ; cmarks. — Sails for L'Orient. — Makes an agreement with a company of merchants there to aid him in such a voyage as he had proposed in America.— After eight months' preparation it is given up.— Goes to Paris. During the two years succeeding our tra- veller's arrival in England from Cook's last expedition, he continued in the navy , I ut what rank he held, or ou v/isat st.itionF he served, cannot now he ascf^rtj.iiied. I is only known, that he refused ti be attacr ed to any of the squadrons, which c:?li' out to AifH^rica, giving as a reason, that he would not appear in arms against his native cjantry. Growing weary, however, of a mode of life little suited to his disposition, unless on some v venturous enter- prise, like that from which he had lately re- 168 LIFE AND TRAVELS turned, his thoughts began to wander homeward, and to dwell on the scenes of his youthful days. Apparently conquering the scruples, which he had hitherto urged as the motives of his reluc- tance, he sought the first opportunity to be transferred to the American station, and in December, 1782, we find him on board a British man-of-war in Huntington Bay, Long Island Sound. It was natural that his first impulse should be to visit his mother, who lived at Southold. Ostensibly for this purpose he obtained permis- sion of seven day?' absence from the ship, but evidently intending to return no more. Long Island was then in the possession of the British. He remained but a short time among his old acquaintances at Huntington, where, it will be recollected, in his theological tour ten years before, he had " feasted twelve days on Mr. Prime's great library." From this place he hastened to Southold, and the first interview with his mother is represented as affecting. She kept a boarding-house, which was at that time occupied chiefly by British oflScers. He rode up to the door, alighted, went in, and asked if he could be accommodated in her house as a lodger. She replied that he could, and showed him a room into which his baggage was 01 JOHN LED YARD. 169 conveyed. After having adjusted his dress, he came out and took a seat by the fire, in com- pany with several other officers, without making himself known to his mother, or entering into conversation with any person. She frequently passed and repassed through the room, and her eye was observed to be attracted towards him with more than usual attention. He still re- mained silent. At last, after looking at him steadily for some minutes, she deliberately put on her spectacles, approached nearer to him, begging his pardon for her rudeness, and telling him, that he so much resembled a son of hers, who had been absent eight years, that she could not resist her inclination to view him more closely. The scene that followed may be ima- gined, but not described ; for Ledyard had a tender heart, and affection for his mother was among its deepest and most constant emo- tions. As he had already resolved to quit the British service, being persuaded that no principles of justice or honour could make it his duty to act with the enemies of his country, he thought it prudent, before the seven days had expired, to leave his mother's house, and go over to the continent. The recollections of his childhood detained him a short time at New London and ..^►^ 170 I.IFE AND TRAVELS Grotoii, and he then proceeded to Hartford, where, after a ten years' wandering in the remo- test corners of the globe, he received the cordial greetings of his early friends, and found a kind home under the roof of his uncle and former guardian. His feelings on this occasion will be understood from his remarks in a letter, written shortly after he reached Hartford, " You will be surprised to hear of my being at Hartford ; I am surprised myself. I made my escape from the British at Huntington Bay. I am now at Mr. Seymour's, and as happy as need be. I have a little cash, two coats, three waist- coals, six pair of stockings, and half a dozen ruffled shirts. I am a violent whig and a vio- lent tory. Many are my acquaintances. I eat and drink when I am asked, and visit when I am invited ; in short, I generally do as T am bid. All I want of my friends is friendship; possessed of that, I am happy." In writing to other persons he expresses similar satisfaction, and although, in alluding to the toils and suffer- iags he had undergone, he declares himself to iiave heen worn dov/n by them to such a de- gree, as to make his person so '' perfect a con- trast to beauty or elegance, that Hogarth himseit could not deform it ;" yet he writes with a gaiety and playfulness, which show the sor- OF JOHN LED YARD. 171 rows of the past to have been forgotten in the felicity of the present, and that no gloomy anti- cipations of the future were allowed to mingle their alloy. . ^ ' rj In Hartford he remained four months, that ' is, from the first of January till about the first ^ of May, in which period he wrote the Journal of Cook's Voyage. In this occupation, and in visiting his friends, he passed the winter. His restless spirit could be tranquil no longer. He had great projects in view, which he was impa- tient to see executed. New adventures courted his fancy, and flattering hopes as usual pressed him forward with an ardent, determined, and ceaseless zeal. Bidding adieu to his friends in Hartford, he repaired to New York, where he unfolded his plans to such persons as he thought might be induced to patronize them ; but not meeting with encouragement adequate to his sanguine expectations, he hastened onward to Philadelphia. He had but just arrived in that city, when he described his condition to his cousin, Dr. Isaac Ledyard, in a manner so cha- racteristic, that no apology will be necessary for qaoling the letter in full. ** The day after I parted with you, I took the Bordenton route, and the next morning landed at the Crooked Billet, whei'e I breakfasted, and 172 LIFE AND TRAVELS sallied out to view the nakedness of things here. I first went to McClanagan ; he had no naviga. tion ; next, to two other houses, but to no pur> pose. I then went among the shipping, and examined them pretty thoroughly. I doubt that I should even be put to it to get to sea before the mast. The most of the shipping here are foreigners. Sixteen sail of seven difFe- rent maritime powers, arrived a few days ago. Fourteen sailors went out to the northward the morning I arrived, for want of employ, and numbers are strolling the docks on the same account. There is at present little home navi- gation. , ; " After ai walk of about four hours I returned to my quarters, asked for a room to change my dress, and went up and counted my cash; turned it over and looked at it ; shook it in my hand ; recounted it, and found two French crowns, half-a-crown, one-fourth of a dollar, one-eighth of a dollar, and just twelve coppers. Shall I visit H.'s ? I looked at my stockings; they will do ; — my shoes — if I look that way, my two crowns and I shall part. We did part; — I put my new pumps on, washed, shaved, and went to H.'s, where I had determined not to go. Mr. H. is now waiting for his horse ; he is going to Princeton. This will go by him. ■v^. OF JOHN LEDTARD. 173 I am at a loss whether to say anything about money here, or depend upon this letter meet- ing you at Princeton, wait the return of Mr. H., the chance he has of seeing you, or — I don't know what to do. — I am determined. Send me, either by Mr. H. or the first convey- ance— some cash. Adieu.'* ,, .. :w ;• .-^=..^.' In this state of embarrassment he continued for several days, seeking employment without success, mortified at the defeat of all his pur- poses, and chagrined that his schemes should be so coldly received by those whom he had fondly hoped would understand and promote them. By another letter, however, written two or three weeks after the above, it would appear, that a gleam of light was breaking in upon him, and that his perseverance had not been wholly fruitless. He writes again to his cousin: ; t>- ■■ -■, . v - ,u r. ■, " It is uncertain by what medium of convey- ance this may reach you. I design it for the Amboy House, and thence to Middletown. A duplicate will be directed to Princeton. It is abundantly manifest, that this argues anxiety, and of so intense a kind too, as to prompt a wish for the possibility of the annihilation of time and distance. I have been so often the sport of fortune, that I durst hardly credit the present 174 LIFE AND TRAVELS dawn of bright prospects. But it is a fact, that the Honourable Robert Morris is disposed to give me a ship to go to the North Pacific Ocean. I have had two interviews with him at the Finance Office, and to-morrow I expect a conclusive one. What a noble hold he in* stantly took of the enterprise! I have been two days, at his request, drawing up a minute detail of a plan, and an estimate of the outfits, which I shall present him with to-morrow ; and 1 am pleased to find, that it will be two thou< sand pounds less than one of his own. I take the lead of the greatest commercial enterprise, that has ever been embarked on in this country; and one of the first moment, as it respects the trade of America. If the affair is concluded on, as I expect it will be, it is probable I shall set off for New England, to procure seamen, or a ship, or both. Morris is wrapt up in the idea of Yankee sailors. * - " - ^ / +-^- .sV.,r .;^i ^ " Necessity has overcome my delicacy. I have unbosomed myself to H. and laid my poverty open to him. He has relieved me for the present, which I have told him to draw on you fot. Send me some money, for Heaven's sake, lest the laurel, now suspended over the j brows of your friend, shotild Ml ifrecorera ittto the dust. Adieu." ». 5c >,.. i j«uJ ,7u ■ ■■■'.3' # OF * /; f^ Fiiotographic Scmies Carporatian ^. as WHT MAM triNT «MMTN,N.V. MfM (7U)«7MI0t fi, ? ** 4^' ? 176 LIFE AND TRAViiLS efforts, and at the same time gain such know, ledge and experience, as would enable them to pursue it for years with advantages superior to any that could be commanded by the compe- titors, who might be drawn into the same chan- nel of commerce. m>^> f ; < -^f . .»a ^^ So strong had grown his confidence in the accuracy of his opinions, by long reflection on the subject, and such was the eagerness of his desire to prove the truth of his tiieory by actual experiment, that he applied the whole energy of his mind and character to the task of cre- ating an interest in his project among the mer- chants, who had the means of carrying it into effect, and without whose patronage nothing could be done. In New York he was unsuc- cessful ; his scheme was called wild and ti. sionary, and set down as bearing the marks rather of a warm imagination, and sanguine temperament, than of a sober and mature judg- ment. No merchant was found willing to hazard his money, or his reputation, in as adventure so novel in its kind, and so ques- tionable in its promise, a scheme not only untried, but never before thought of. His first inquiries in Philadelphia, met with no better favour, till Mr. Robert Morris, with an eo largement of mind and purpose, which chanc* «4iftM TJ- OP JOHN LEDYARD. 177 in the Lon on of his actual energy of cre- iie mer* ' it into nothing unsuc- and ti- ! marks anguine ire judg- lUing to in u io ques- lOt only His fiwt lO better I an en charac* terized his undertakings, entered into his views, and made arrangements to furnish the outfits of & voyage, according to the plan he drew up. The first thing to be done was to procure a ship suitable for such a voyage. At that time there was none unemployed in Philadelphia, and Ledyard was despatched to Boston, where it was thought a purchase might speedily be effected, and where progress was actually made in the preparation of a vessel for this purpose ; hut, for some cause not now known, it was taken for a voyage of a different kind. He next proceeded to New London, where the Continental frigate Trumbull, was engaged for the voyage ; but this ship was afterwards di- verted to another adventure, suggested by this plan. The Count d'Artois, a large French ship, then lying in the harbour of New London, was next thought of, but was finally otherwise des- tined. Again, a ship in New York, of about three hundred tons, was provided ; but on examination it proved to be so old and defec- tive, that it was condemned as unsafe for a voyage of such length and hazard. The sea- son was by this time too far advanced, to think of prosecuting the voyage before the next spring. Meantime, Mr. Daniel Parker was employed to purchase a ship in New York, \\ 178 LIFE AND TRAVELS and to have it in readiness as soon as thefavour- able season for its sailing should arrive. A ship was procured accordingly, but the outfits were delayed from time to time, till the winter passed by, and then the spring, and at last it was sent on an adventure to Canton. Thus a year was spent, in a vexatious and fruitless struggle to overcome difficulties, which thickened as he advanced, till his patience, and thai of Mr. Morris also, would seem to have been exhausted, for the voyage was altogether aban- doned. ... ■ ■ ■. is: !/.. '-i)-f :: .. , ' While he was in New London, negociating for the ship Trumbull, after his return from Boston, he wrote a letter to his mother, from which an extract here follows : — , ''This is the first opportunity, in reality, which I have had of writing to you, since I have been in this country. My ambition to | do every thing, which my disposition as a man, and my relative character as a citizen, and, more tenderly, as the leading descendant of a broken and distressed family, should prompt me to do, has engaged me in every kind of{ speculation, which afforded the least proba- bility of advancing my interest, my happinesi, I or the happiness of my friends. These different j engagements have led me into different condi- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 179 tions ; sometimes I have been elated with hope, sometimes depressed with disappoint- ment and distress. I postponed informing you of my circumstances, indulging the constant hope of their soon being better, until which time I was determined you should not know anything particularly concerning me. If that time is now arrived, it has been more from the influence of. a kind Providence, than my own merits. My prospects at present are a voyage to the East Indies, and eventually round the world. It will be of two or three years' dura- tion. If I am successful, I shall not have occa- sion to absent myself any more from my friends ; but, above all, I hope to huve it in my power to minister to the wants of a beloved parent, and others who languish and fade in obscurity. My dear sisters engage my tenderest love, and solicitude for their future welfare. My best wish is, that they may be educated and dis- posed of, suitably to the beauty of their per- sons, and their excellent hearts, and that I could be instrumental in conferring such a kindness. I beg my brotherly salutations to them. Tell them I long to strew roses in their laps, and branches of palm beneath their feet." It ought to be recorded in this place, that I while Ledyard was in New York, anxiously N 2 180 LIFE AND TRAVELS waiting for a vessel, his embarrassments, oc- casioned by the want of money, were often relieved, in a spirit of great kindness, by Mr. Comfort Sands. This gentleman became ac- quainted with him in Philadelphia, and early approved and promoted the enterprise, which he had in contemplation ; he proposed sending an adventure by the same voyage, and during the whole preparation rendered him essential •ervices, for which it is believed he never re- ceived any other returns, than such as always attend the consciousness of benevolent acts, and of having aided the advancement of a large and useful design. ** ^ m.. r.* :r^,W V.'^fit OF JOHN LEDYARD. 185 But all the fine prospects, which he had dwelt upon in anticipation, are to be given up for the present, and we must follow him to Europe. The passage to Cadiz was favourable and expeditious. He does not seem to have had any special design in visiting Cadiz, in reference to the main object of his crossing the Atlantic. This destination probably awaited him, in consequence of an opportunity present- ing itself of a more direct passage to that port than to any other in the south of Europe. L'Orient was the city which he intended to visit, and in which he had been encouraged to look for patrons of his projected enterprise. He had been furnished with letters to wealthy and enterprising merchants there, and he made all haste to be on the spot. Various causes of delay kept him in Cadiz more than a month. This time he filled up as well as he could, in gaining information of the place, of its resources and trade, and of the manners and character of the people. He also endeavoured to drive away the melancholy thoughts, incident to the anxiety of his situation, by mingling in social circles, and contriving to be entertained by the public amusements, that were much frequented by all ranks of people. On the sixteenth of August he wrote thus from Cadiz to Dr. Ledyard :— , >fc.- 186 LIFE AND TRAVELS ** Just as I was seated, and had dated my letter, the carriage of General O'Reilly hove in view, a clumsy, gothic vehicle, dragged by five jaded mules to the bull-fight. Who is General O'Reilly ? A poor, migrating, Irish cadet ; a soldier that was scalded at the storm of Gib- raltar. O'Reilly is to Cadiz, and all within his jurisdiction, which consists of two provinces, what Czar Peter was to Russia. The reform he has made in the minutest parts of his govern, ment, as well as the most important, is looked upon as a phenomenon in this country. He has, with a boldness that characterizes an en- terprising commander and legislator, even struck at those old habits among a people, so dangerous to be meddled with. Envy is the natural concomitant of such merit, and O'Reilly has probably greater friends and enemies at the court of Madrid, than any other character in the kingdom ; and both parties had a fair oppor- tunity of contesting their ascendancy, after the miscarriage of the late descent against the Moors; but his conquering his court enemies at home fully compensated that misfortune abroad, and confirmed his fame, nay, added to its lustre.* To execute all these great matters, ' * This alludes to an attack by the Spaniards on Algiers in the year 1775. A formidable armament of six ships of the line, OF JOHN LED YARD. 187 O'Reilly is hot the man you would suppose. His education is contracted ; he is capricious, severe, and arrogant; ordinary in his person, and forbidding in his address. " The exhibition of the bull-fights is in a spacious ampitheatre, that will accommodate twelve thousand spectators. The horsemen display more skill and courage than the foot- men. But it is a barbarous amusement. There are many Irish inhabitants here, all of whom are particularly friendly to Americans. I am now writing at the house of Mr. Harrison, hand- somely situated on the side of the Alameda. I take a family dinner with him to-day, having already taken a formal one. The British con- sul also receives me with great politeness. But what I am doing among these gentry, with only half a dollar and four reals in my pocket, you must, with me, wait for time to develop. I shall soon leave this place for France, and twe!v0 frigates, a large number of smaller vessels, and twenty- five thousand men, all under the command of the Condede O'Reilly, formed that expedition. A large part of the army waft landed, and a partial battle ensued, in which the Spaniards xUtt with a rignal and most disgnaceful defeat. Severe censures were passed on O'Reilly, and a general tspirit of indignation existed against him throughout Spain ; but the weight of his talents, and his influence at court, enabled him to triumph over his enemies. and to sustain himself in the highest stations. 188 LIF£ AND TliAVELS my route will be either up the Mediterranean to Marseilles, and thence on the grand canal west to Bordeaux, or along the coast of Spain and Portugal by sea. I yesterday conversed with an Englishman, who is commissioned to treat privately with our States in behalf of the Emperor of Morocco ; but if I can persuade him to send his Arabic commission back, and join me with his cash and importance at Bor- deaux, or Nantz — . The preliminary step is accomplished, and he is now somewhere in the town, as busy in the affair as a dozen such heads as mine could be." >^^ wot ,.j Since no more is heard of this commissioner from the Emperor of Morocco, it is presumed the preliminary step was the only one taken in the business. Ledyard remained in Cadiz, apparently waiting for a passage either to Mar- seilles, or to some port in the west of France, as ichance might offer. He wrote to his friends, communicating his observations on what passed around him, but said little of his own circum- stances or prospects. The remarks now about to be quoted, are contained in a letter written to his correspondent in America, after he had been two weeks at Cadiz, and are not more curious for their singularity, than for the his- torical hints they convey, in regard to the state OF JOHN LEDVARD. 189 of knowledge and feeling, which then prevailed in the south of Europe, respecting the United States:— ■^'•v'?!'t .■- h- ^ ■-■ - . - ■ -•'••-^ " The people in this, as in other parts of Europe, are more systematic than you [Ame- ricans] are in every thing. Here the routine of life, however varied, is still uniform, whe- ther composed of virtue or vice, wisdom or folly. Before dinner, the merchant, mechanic, and ordinary labourer, are assiduously intent on their different employments. After dinner, they as regularly devote themselves to their several gratifications, which consist either of conversation or sleep. The opulent and polite adopt the first. At a polite table, therefore, you hear the very best things they are capable of saying. Here, then, I am told you err in your politics; I mean that kind of policy, which your independence has given birth to. The general disapprobation of your present govern- ment on this score, is the sentiment of those, who are subjects of other nations, as well as of this ; but I am happy to say, that I have found no character, who any otherwise thinks ill of you. This is not a negative regard, bestowed on a people they think cannot approximate their importance, and therefore deserve pity ; it is a positive one ; and you may please your- \X' 190 LIFE AND TRAVELS self with the assurance of its originating from your general conduct during the war. Another feather in your cap, and that not an obscure one, let me tell you, is the plain, affable, and honest deportment of your kinsfolk, who so- journ hereabout. Brother Jonathan is an agreeable singularity. These observations, which you are included in, did not come from the cabinet of Charles, or the Pope, who no doubt hate you very sincerely ; the one for your laws, which he fears ; and the other for your religion, which he is unwise enough to abo- minate. ' '.i^'fyr^ ii'v ;■••.• ...:;.,iili- IjvvK ** The great complaint, which people make against your government is the obscure, unim- portant, unenergetic investitures of Congress. So strongly are they impressed with the idea of the degree of power, which Congress ought to bold, compared with what they now con- ceive it to be invested with, that they declare the resolve of a Boston committee commands more immediate attention in Cadiz, than a con- gressional one would do ; observing, that al- though Congress claims more respectability, it only demands what it ought to have, and not what it is possessed of. They further add, that whatever embarrassments may attend the pro- gress of a young nation, and however excusable ■> OF JOHN LfiDYAKD. 191 some exigencies may have rendered some parts of your conduct, yet surely the leading pre- liminaries, the first strong outlines, that form the basis of a great republic, cannot be thus lost sight of without reflecting on your councils. Have you formed even a treaty of friendship with that pestilential meteor in power, Hamet, Emperor of Morocco ? No. Have you in your own right a Mediterranean passport? No. What security have you then for your Straits- men ? The savage, Hamet, knows no medium in such kind of friendship ; never dreamt of such a thing as an independent neutrality. What will you do then ? Eat all your flour, cod, spars, and potash, or ransom your cap- tivated countrymen at fifteen hundred pounds a head, and lose your produce ? Hamet wants your alliance. Give the snarling mastiff a bone, and while he is gnawing it you can do as you please. It is certain, that your unorganized system of government is here much talked of, and you know the consequence of these mat- ters being much talked of. Your paltry state schisms are considered to be such vulgar errors, as a people aiming at the most refined system of government could not commit, without the imputation of perfect insanity. But adieu, poHtios. Indeed I know not what humour ■*'^y^. (9 >!•• 192 LIFE AND TRAVELS prompted me to offer my advice to you in this way. -'--' ^'''- ** If the incongruity of my letter bespeaks a perturbation of mind, it will not deceive you. It is a cloudy day with me. However, my hobby tells me it will be fair weather to-mor- row ; and I believe it, because I wish it. You will probably next hear from me in France. In the meantime, let me make sure of one circum- stance, and if to-morrow bring its misfortunes, they will be less severe when I reflect on having said, to those I know will believe me, that no evil, till that which is esteemed the last of evils, can ever obliterate, or even obscure, that lasting affection and esteem, which I have for you and your best of brothers. My other re- membrances I commit to your care." .-^ He remained in Cadiz but a few days after this letter was written, when he somewhat unexpectedly procured a passage for Brest, on board the French ship Bourbon. It wras rare for him to be out of health, but in Cadiz he was attacked with a fever, which had scarcely left him when he went to sea. While on board, he writes : ** My fever was in conse- quence of a slight cold originally, and heigh- tened by a fit of uncommon melancholy ; but I am getting about again, and excepting a slight OF JOHN LEDYARD. 193 debility, and some of Cook's rheumatism in my bones, I am well." His spirits were not un- frequently oppressed, when the various turns in his affairs left him inactive, with precarious means of support, and uncertain as to the future ; but he took great pains to conceal the symptoms of gloom from his friends. They are occasionally discovered in his letters, rather from his forced attempts to be cheerful and gay, when it is evident by the general tenor of his thoughts, that his heart is sad, than from any formal complaints of his ill fortune, or re- pinings at the will of Providence. He was now visiting Europe, in the prosecution of what he deemed a noble and important enterprise; but he was going among strangers, who could only be induced to listen to his proposals, by motives of interest, and whom he must inspire with some portion of his own enthusiasm, be- fore they could be expected to favour his schemes, or even comprehend his views. The task thus presented to him wa» disheartening. But however despondency might sometimes give a hue to his thoughts, he never suffered it to weaken his resolution, or repress his ardour. The great object of pursuit was never lost sight of, while his way to its accomplishment was lighted by a gleam of hope. The whole force w 194 LIFE AND TRAVELS of his mind was now bent upon a voyage of trade and discovery to the Northwest Coast. He was powerfully impressed with the belief that such an enterprise would redound to the honour of those engaged in it, and confer new benefits upon the commercial world ; and was not a little chagrined at the small encourage, ment which his strenuous exertions had received in his own country. In this state of mind, it is no wonder that he should express himself in the following lan- guage on his voyage to Brest: — "I saw an English gentleman at Cadiz, who assured me, that about six months past, a ship of seven hundred tons, commissioned by the Empress of Russia, was fitted out in the English Thames on a voyage to the back parts of America ; that she was armed, and commanded by a Russian, and that some of her officers were those who had been with Cook. You see the business deserves the attention I have endeavoured, and am still striving to give it; and had Morris not shrunk behind a trifling obstruction, I should have been happy, and America would this moment be triumphantly displaying her flag in the most remote and beneficial regioDs of commerce. I am tired of my vexations." He arrived, after a short passage, at Brest, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 195 and set off by land through Quimper to L'Orient. " I am now at Quimper," he writes, " and to-morrow, if my horses please, I will be in L'Orient. * What will you do there V The best I can. Brest is a naval arsenal, but not so respectable as I had imagined. Monsieur de Kerguelen, the great navigator, lives within nine miles of me, but a Holland consul has me by the button, and I cannot see him. The dialect of Bretagne has some resemblance both to the Irish and Welsh. But, good night ; I must sleep. Tired nature will have it so.*' From Quimper he proceeded to L'Orient, where he immediately began to put his affairs in train. " * •' "''' "'"' ^^ The letters he brought with him from re-- spectable sources, procured him a speedy acquaintance with gentlemen of the first cha- racter in the place : and his plan was received with so much approbation, that within twelve days he completed a negociation with a com- pany of merchants, and a ship was selected foi' the intended voyage. Mutual engagements were entered into by the parties, and every thing seemed to wear the most promising aspect. So unaccustomed had he been to such good for- tune, that he could hardly realize at first the happy issue of events as they then stood. " I o 2 196 LIFE AND TRAVELS have been so much the sport of accident," said he, "that lam exceedingly suspicious. It is true, that in this L* Orient negociation, I have guarded every avenue to future disappointment, with all possible caution ; yet this head I wear is so much a dupe to my heart, and, at other times, my heart is so bewildered by my head, that in matters of business I have not muchconfi- dence in either." He then speaks of the point to which the negociation had been brought, and adds, " but here comes a buU — ah, these huts ; pray Heaven they may not hut the modi- cum of brains out of mv head, which Morris has left there. The hut is this. I have arrived so late in the season, that the merchants have procrastinated the equipment until next summer, and requested me to stay here till then, allowing me genteelly for that purpose; and were I but certain^ that no cruel misfor- tune would eventually happen, I should be quite happy, for present appearances could not be better. Upon any consideration, it is for my interest to await the event ; and as I hourly perceive the folly of repining at a disap- pointed wish, or, indeed, of suffering what I may happen to call misfortune, whether present or anticipated, to meet any other reception from me, than the most undaunted which my M t) OF JOHN LEDYARD. 197 experience can enable me to meet it with, I am determined to sit down, not despondingly, dejectedly, or supinely — what a vile row of adverbs! — but contemplatively, cheerily, and industriously. It seems decreed by somewhat, that I shall be driven about the world in a most untraversable way; but in whatever clime I may alight, my ardent desire is, that the friend- ship of my friends may greet me well. This done, I have drunk my cordial, and there is not a richer in France — and only in America one, which perfumed the air from M — to Amboy House."- ''^*^ ''" ^ ■■'•»■ ^''■'''''«^- ^vv. . I;.. .•.-.-. *-..-*.-.,.^ All things being thus arranged to his mind, and having nothing to regret but the procras- tination of his voyage, which he perceived to be unavoidable, he resolved to spend the win- ter in L'Orient, and be in readiness to com- mence preparations the moment that the season would admit. It was now October, and the opinion of the merchants was, that a suitable vessel could not be obtained and properly fit- ted out before the succeeding August. Ten months for such an object seemed a long period to Ledyard, as well indeed they might : but ex- perience had taught him patience ; and the fair prospects held out by this negociation, together with the consideration, thot, by leaving France 198 LIFE AND TRAVELS at the close of summer, he would pass round Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean at the most favourable season, reconciled him to the delay. In the meantime, being supplied with a liberal income by the mercantile company mentioned above, he frequented the best society in L'Orient, to whom his extensive knowledge of the world, his general intelligence, unpretend- rag manners, and frank and generous temper, always made him acceptable. Nothing oc- curred to interrupt his happiness, or darken his hopes, during the four months that followed, except occasional reflections on the time that had been lost in his fruitless endeavours, and the glory that others were reaping in the field of discovery, which he ought to have been the first to explore, j _ un . ** \ wrote you last," says he, ** that a Russian ship had been sent into that part of the vast Pacific Ocean. Four nights ago, I saw a Russian gentleman from Petersburgh, who informed me of two ships having been sent thither. In your yesterday's papers, it is said, that the ship Seahorse, belonging to the English Hudson's Bay Company, had made a voyage thither, and returned well. You see what honourable testimonies daily transpire, to evince, that I am no otherwise the mad, roman- OF JOHN LEDYARD, 199 tic, dreaming Ledyard, than in the estimation of those who thought me so. The flame of en- terprise, that I kindled in America, terminated in a flash, that bespoke little foresight or reso- lution in my patrons. Perseverance was an effort of understanding, which twelve rich merchants were incapable of making ; and whether I now succeed or not, the obstacles I have surmounted, to reach my present attain- ment, infer some small merit, which I do not blush to own, among my private pleasures." The winter soon passed away, and near the end of February, measures began to be taken for equipping the vessel for sea. It was in- tended, that a commission from the king should be obtained to sail on a voyage of discovery. Some advantages, it was supposed, would thus be derived to the mercantile interests of the voyage, as the vessel would be clothed with a public character, and from this circumstance ensure a greater respect from any foreigners she might fall in with, as well as enable the owners to claim, in the name of the king bf France, any islands or unknown regions that might be actually discovered. A memorial, and other suitable papers, were sent to the king*s mi- nisters, applying for such a privilege, and for letters of recommendation to the European 200 LIFE AND TUAVELS public agents residing in those parts of the world, at which the vessel would probably touch. On the twenty-third of February, 1785, Ledyard wrote to his brothers from L'Orient : ** My affairs in France are likely to prove of the greatest honour and advantage to me. I have a fine ship of four hundred tons, and in August next, I expect to sail on another voyage round the world, at the end of which, if Heaven is propitious to me, I hope to see you. In the meantime, may the God of Nature spread his mantle over you all. If I never see you more, it shall be well ; if I do, it shall be well ; so be happy and of good cheer." From this tone of his feelings, it is evident that his heart was light and his hopes high. Up to this point all things had proceeded according to his expectations and wishes ; he had passed an agreeable winter in a social and refined circle of friends, and he began now to enjoy in anticipation the triumphs of his zeal and perseverance, ^'-itii^m f» : - But unfortunately this flattering vision was soon to be dissipated, like the many others by which he had been elated and deceived ; again was he to be made, in his own phrase, ** the sport of accident;" again was the burden of a cruel disappointment to weigh on his spirits^ and disturb bis repose, A^ter the date of the OF JOHN LEDYAllD. 201 above letter, we hear no more of the L'Orient negociation, except that it failed. Whether this result, so desolating to the hopes of our adventurer, was produced by the caprice of the merchants, who had united with him in the undertaking, or by any sudden change in their affairs, which took from them the ability of fulfilling their contract, or by the refusal of the government to grant such a commission as was expected, or by all these combined, is not known. It is enough, that the voyage was entirely abandoned, and Ledyard was left with no other recompense for this new vexation, than his own mortified feelings, and the pros- pects of a future, too gloomy even for him to contemplate unmoved. The slender stock of money, with which he landed in Europe, was completely exhausted ; he could expect no more from the L'Orient merchants, nor from any other quarter ; and, what aflflicted him more severely than all the rest, the last resort for carrying into effect his darling plan of North- western discovery and trade, had been tried in vain. No consolation remained for his baffled purposes and wasted zeal. Yet fifteen years' experience, in buffeting the rough and sometimes perilous current of life, had taught him other lessons than those of despondency, and nerved 202 LIFE AND TRAVELS t faim for other deeds than a tame submission to the controul of untoward circumstances. His bewildering doubts, as to what course he should pursue, detained him a short time in L'Orient. He looked to Paris, as the theatre on which he would be most likely to better his fortunes ; CLnd after his concerns relative to the voyage were closed, he hastened to that capital rH'!' ri. -^ 1 ■ ■ _ . . ■■■ i i^^f t i < ; , :. <-■ . ;■ < / * t,,\)i ■' . ]:;'j;.i '*. ' ' ' >^) ,i. . Ji. , 1 • :•'.[■' < ■ ' - , 1 i J '. ' > ^ i J ■ ., t ' - e ■ . , , - i ;.-.'■' . " ! ' . . .1:1 ' . ■. " i ' J''' t -'.„..,;; .' .. ' ■ . '• ; . - ' .i >t H^;-/ i . 1 „tK» 0> ' • ■>:• \ >','.' I V J. 3! : . i>:j. i-j.: =.. ' . * . . i /> Iv 'vH ill 4:i,iii ft OF JOHN LEDYAttD. Ji- >i.j J.i;iJ> \jJ\U;t.\ V '>■ ■• '.it ',.'•:.■ ^ ..'..,■•'.' ,' *-' - 203 CHAPTER VII. ^v?- Meets with Mr. Jefferson at Paris. — ^Project of a voyag^e to the Northwest Coast with Paul Jones, for the pnrpose of establishing a trading factory there.— Proposes travelling across the continent from Nootka Sound to the United States.— Thinks of going to Africa with Mr. Lamb. — Re- marks on Paris, and various objects that came under his notice. — The King at Versailles.— Mr. Jefferson and Lafayette.-~The Queen aC St Cloud. — Application through Baron Grimm to the Empress «f Russia, to obtain permission for him to travel across her dominions to Bering's Strait — C!oloneI Humphreys. — Contemplates going to Peters- burg, before the Empress's answer is received. — Curious anecdote of Sir James Hall.— Visit to the hospitals in Paris. — Tour in Normandy. — Proceeds to London, where he engages a passage on board a vessel just ready to sail for the Northwest coast-^Cobnel Smith's letter to Mr. Jay.— The voyage defeated. — ^Resolves anew to go to Russia. — Sir Joseph Banks and other gentlemen contribute funds to aid him in his travels. At this time Mr. Jefferson was minister from the United States at the court of France. That patriot, equally ardent in the love of science, and friendly to every enterprise, which had for its object the improvement of his coun- try, received Ledyard with great kindness, and approved most highly his design of an expe- dition to the Northwest Coast of America. He perceived at once the advantages that would flow from such a voyage, not merely in its immediate mercantile results, but in its 204 LIFE AND TRAVELS bearing on the future commerce and political interests of the United States. No part of that wide region had then been explored, nor any formal possession taken of it, except the few points at which Cook's vessels had touched, and others where the Russians pos- sessed small establishments for the prosecution of the fur trade with the Indians. These latter were also probably confined to the islands. To a statesman like Mr. Jefferson it was evi- dent, that a large portion of that immense country, separated from the United States by no barrier of nature, would eventually be em- braced in their territory. He was convinced of the propriety, therefore, of its being explored by a citizen of the United States, and regretted the failure of Ledyard s attempts in his own country to engage in a voyage before the same thing had been meditated anywhere else. These views were deeply impressed on the mind of Mr. Jefferson, and in them originated the journey of Lewis and Clark over land to the Pacific Ocean, twenty years afterwards, which was projected by him, and prosecuted under his auspices. ' : o. .;-. -j i Ledyard had not been many days in France, before he became acquainted with Paul Jones, at that time acting under a commission from OF JOHN LEDYAIID. 205 the Congress of the United States, to demand the amount of certain prizes, which he had taken during the war, particularly in the fa- mous capture of the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough, and sent into French ports. This intrepid adventurer, being now unem- ployed in any military or public service, eagerly seized Ledyard's idea, and an arrange- ment was closed, by which they agreed to unite in an expedition, on a scale somewhat larger than Ledyard had before contemplated. Two vessels were to be fitted out, and, if pos- sible, commissioned by the king. Jones was to use his influence at court, to persuade the government to enlist in the enterprise, or at least to furnish the vessels and the requisite naval armament. If this could not be effected, it was resolved that the outfits should be re- duced within the limits of Jones's private means, and the two partners would act wholly on their own responsibility and risk. If it should be found necessary to pursue the enterprise, on their private account alone, the two vessels were to proceed in company to the Northwest coast, and commence a factory there under the American flag. The first six months were to be spent in collecting furs, and I looking out for a suitable spot to establish a 206 LIFE AND TRAVELS post, either on the main land, or on an island. A small stockade was then to be built, in which Ledyard was to be left, with a surgeon, an assistant, and twenty soldiers ; one of the vessels was to be despatched, with its cargo of furs, under the command of Paul Jones, to China, while the other was to remain in order to facilitate the collecting of another cargo during his absence. Jones was to return with both the vessels to China, sell their cargoes of furs, load them with silks and teas, and con- tinue his voyage, round the Cape of Good Hope, to Europe or the United States. He was then to replenish his vessels with suitable articles for traffic with the Indians, and pro- ceed as expeditiously as possible round Cape Horn, to the point of his departure in the Northern Pacific. Meantime Ledyard and his party were to employ themselves in purchasing furs, cultivating a good understanding with the natives, and making such discoveries on the coast as their situation would allow. Ledyard supposed he should be absent four or five years, and perhaps six or seven.* • - ' tr;„ 1 i^.O';'" * A voyage from Canton to the Northwest Coast, and back to that port, for purposes similar to those meditated by Ledyard and Paul Jones, was performed fourteen years afterwards by OF JOHN LEDYARD. 207 i^flere was a scheme, that might give full scope to the imagination of the two heroes by whom it had been conceived, presenting at once the prospect of hazard, adventure, fame, and profit. They dwelt upon it with compla- cency, and so much was Jones taken with it, that he advanced money to Ledyard with which to purchase a part of the cargo for the outfit, even before he had applied to the government for aid, being determined to prosecute it at his own risk if he failed in that quarter. But at this moment, his afiairs in regard to the prize- money assumed a crisis, which compelled him to go from Paris to L'Orient, where he was detained nearly three months ; and although he was ultimately successful, yet his zeal for this new scheme gradually cooled down, as he pro* bably found that the government would do nothing in the matter, and that his private fortune was not adequate to so expensive an undertaking. At any rate, it fell through ; and after four or five months of suspense, Ledyard had the renewed mortification of another dis- * ' - - > r H'\ Captain Richard J. Cleveland. Whoever would understand the difficulties and dangers of such an enterprise, at that time, will be pleased with reading a brief account of Captain Cleveland's voyage, in the North American Review for October, 1827. No. 57. .,..,. .,- 208 LIFE AND TRAVELS appointment, and of seeing his ardent wishes no nearer their accomplishment than when he left L'Orient. The only advantage he had derived from his intercourse with the Cheva- lier, was an allowance of money sufficient for his maintenance, which Jones had stipulated at the commencement of the negociation, and which he had promptly paid. • '• •^-'' -r Just at this time, Mr. Lamb, the diplomatic agent appointed by the Congress of the United States, to treat with the Dey of Algiers, arrived in Paris. Ledyard met him occasionally at Mr. Jefferson's, took an interest in his mission, and had serious thoughts of joining him and going to Africa, but for what specific purpose is not told. The lingering desire, however, of still being able to conquer the fatality of cir- cumstances, which had hitherto impeded his progress to glory, in the course his fancy had pictured to him, continued to sustain him with the hope of a better turn of fortune, and to urge him forward to untried expedients. ^ In Paris, he associated with several Ame- ricans, who approved and encouraged his ardour, and whose society afforded him consolaii. n in the midst of his misfortunes, but who were not in a condition to promote his wishes, or remove his enibarrassm'^nts. The question, what wais OF JOHN^ liEDYA^D. 209 to be done, which hetiaid so often been cbm- pelled to ask himself in cases of similar extre^ mity^ now recurred anew, and with as small a prospect as ever of its being answered in such a manner as to lull his apprehensions or relieve his anxiety. He determined to adventure one effort more, and submit the same proposition to a mercantile company in Paris, which he had done in L'Orient. Some progress was made in aa attempt to organize such a company, but it was never matured. It was his intention, after he had visited the coast, and procured a full cargo of furs, to dispatch the vessel to China under proper officers, and return himself across the continent to the United States, thus accom- plishing the double object of a lucrative voyage, and a tour of discovery through an unexplored wilderness of four thousand miles in extent. Afterwards he would join the expedition in the company's service, either in France, or any other part of the world, as circumstances might dictate. Such was the compass of his desires ; yet he would have relinquished the idea of this exploratory tour, and rejoiced to engage in a voyage merely for commercial ends, if even that could have been effected. . ! , _. Several months were passed in unavailing efforts to conquer obstacles, which seemed to 'fc ■ "-:''&■ 210 LIFE AND TRAVELS thicken as he advanced, and in vainly striving to enlighten ignorance and overcome prejudice, till his perseverance could hold out no longer, and he was forced to abandon the thought of a voyage by sea to the Northwest Coast, either for trade or discovery. He continued in Paris, but felt himself, as he really was, a wan- derer, without employment or motive. With Mr. Jefferson, the Marquis de la Fayette, Mr. Barclay, the American consul, and other gentlemen of character and consequence, he was on terms of intimacy. In this society, and enjoying the amusements afforded in the capi- tal of France, his time passed away agreeably enough, and in some of his letters he speaks of his happiness ; yet he was far from being satisfied ; he suffered under the pressure of want, and a corroding sense of dependence; and occasionally his finances were at so low an ebb, that he was compelled, however reluct- antly, to be a pensioner on the bounty of his friends. So disinterested were his aims, how- ever, and so entirely did he sacrifice every selfish consideration in prosecuting them; so benevolent was his disposition, and so enlarged his views of serving mankind, that no one con- sidered favours of this sort in the light of obliga- tions conferred, nor so much acts of charity, or JOHN LEDYARD. 211 as a just tribute to the singleness of his heart, the generosity of his purposes, and the effective warmth of his zeal. ,., , A few miscellaneous extracts from his letters, written during the first months of his residence in Paris, may properly come in here. They will give some insight into his occupations, as well as his habit of observing events and objects in the great world around him. ** Paris is situated in an extended plain, rising on all sides into gradual elevations, and some little hills happily interspersed in the borders of its horizon. Its extent, viewed from the tower of Notre Dame, appeared to me less than London, though it must be larger. The public buildings are numerous, and some of them magnificent. Paris is the centre of France, and its centre is the Palais Royal, the resort of the greatest virtues and the greatest vices of such a kingdom. It is France in minia- ture, and no friend to France should ever see it. The Tuilleries, afford a consummate display of ^^ artificial elegance and grandeur ; the gardens of the Luxembourg, are much inferior. The Boulevards were originally fortifications, and they now form a broad way that surrounds the city, separating it from the suburbs. It is well lined with fine umbrageous elms on each side, p2 212 LIFE AND TRAVELS forming a beautiful course for coaches and horsemen ; but the farmers-general, to prevent illicit trade, are walling it in, at the expense of a thousand lamentations of the Parisians, and several millions of livres. I have been once at the king's library. Papa Franklin, as the French here call him, is among a number of statues that I saw. The bust of Paul Jones is also there. Did you ever know that Cap- tain Jones was two or three nights successively crowned with laurels at the great Opera House in Paris, after the action between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis? - ^ > - ^ ** I find at our minister*s table between fif- teen and twenty Americans, inclusive of two or three ladies. It is very remarkable, that we are neither despised nor envied for our love of liberty, but very often caressed. I was yes- terday at Versailles. It was the feast of St. Louis, but I never feasted so ill in my life, as at the hotel where I dined, and never paid so dear for a dinner. I was too late to see the procession of the king and queen, but I was little disappointed on that account, as I had already seen those baubles. The king I saw a fortnight before to very great advantage, being near to him while he was shooting partridges in the fields. He was dressed in common OF JOHN LEDYARD. 213 mus^uet; ; f ii'^Thus you see how some few of my days pass away. I see a great deal, and think a great deal, but derive little pleasure from either, because I am forced into both, and am alone in both." . *'C i.t V^M^i *:*»»/ 1 >«> By these methods he endeavoured to amuse himself, and forget his favourite scheme of tra- versing the western continent, and ascertaining its physical character and commercial re- sources ; but this was not possible ; it bad taken too strong a hold of him to admit of being driven altogether from his mind. As fate |»cemed to throw difficulties insurmount- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 2\1 able in the way of a passage by sea, he be- thought himself of the only remaining expe- dient, by which a part of his original design might be carried into execution ; and that was, to travel by land through the northern regions of Europe and Asia, cross over Bering's Strait to the American continent, and pursue his route thence down the coast, and to the inte- rior, in such a manner as the exigencies of his condition might point out to him when on the spot. '"^K- . '-■' i'" ■^'•^'•••■•^ '-•'•* The first object requiring attention, was to gain permission of the Empress of Russia to pass through her immense territories to Kamt- schatka. Mr. Jefferson, who heartily approved the project, interested himself in this prelimi- nary measure, and applied to M. de Simoulin, minister plenipotentiary from Russia at the court of France, and especially to the Baron de Grimm, minister from Saxe-Gotha at the same court. Grimm was a correspondent and private agent of the Empress, and would be likely to have as much influence with her in a matter of this sort, as her public minister. Both these gentlemen very readily acceded to Mr. Jefferson's request, and made in his name a direct application to the Empress, soliciting pertnisiion for Led yard, in the character of an 218 LIFE AND TRAVELS American citizen, to travel through her do- minions. As haste is not a characteristic of transactions of this sort with crowned heads, the impatient traveller resolved to busy himself in the best manner he could, at least till a rea- sonable time should elapse for a reply. In the interim he retired to St. Germain, where he afterwards commonly resided during his stay in France. The letter, which contains the following passages, is dated at St. Germain, on the eighth of April, 1 786. ** If Congress should yet be at New York, this will be delivered to you by my friend, and almost every body's friend. Colonel Humphreys, whom you knew in days of yore. He is secretary to our legation at the court of France, has a good head and a good heart; but his hobby is poetry, and as the English reviewers allow him merit therein, I may very safely venture to do it. He is a friendly, good soul, a sincere yankee, and so affectionately fond of his country, that to be in his society here is at least as good to me, as a dream of being at home. I imagine he takes dispatches, but as we are republicans a little more polished than on your side of the water, we never pre- sume to ask impertinent questions. <* You have doubtless by this time received OF JOHN LEDYARD. 219 my letters by Mr. Barrett. Your hearing from me so often by those who intimately know my situation, and who are so much my friends, is a happy circumstance ; but I would freely have relinquished the pleasure, which I take in writing this letter, to have been where I sup- posed I should be, when I wrote you last. But soon after the departure of Mr. Barrett, our minister, the Russian minister, and the Marquis de la Fayette, took it into their heads, that I should not go directly to Petersburgh, but wait till I was sent for, which is the occa- sion of my being here to write you at this time. You see that I have so many friends, that I cannot do just as I please. I am very well in health. A gracious Providence, and the Indian corn diet of my childhood, added to the robust scenes I have since passed through, have left me at the same age at which my father died, * healthy, active, vigorous, and strong.'* I am for a few weeks at *he little town where my letter is dated, and as I live upon the skirt of a royal forest, I am every day in it, and it is usual for me to run two miles an end and return. I am like one of Swift's Ilouyhnhnms. Ask Humphreys if I did not walk into Paris * A line from his father's tombstone; he died at the age of tliirty-fivc. From a remark above, it may be inferred, that Ledyard wished to begin his journey to Petersburgh before any intelligence had been received by the Russian minister in reply to his application^ His principal motive doubt- less was, that he might take advantage of the season, and reach Siberia so far in anticipation of the severest parts of the winter, as not to be blocked up for several months by the snows in that frigid region. His advisers considered such a step ill judged, inasmuch as a formal petition had been sent to the Empress, and it would evince a want of proper respect to set out on the journey before her answer had been returned, however strong might be the proba- bility that her consent would be granted. These points of etiquette were overlooked by the traveller, in his eagerness to be on the road, and he moregver thought the business might as well be settled at the court of the Empress in Petersburgh, as through her minister in Paris. The event proved his impressions not to be ill founded. His forebodings were veri- fied, for he was kept in daily expectation, for 222 LIFE AND TRAVELS more than five months, without receiving an answer, or hearing anything on the subject, either from M. de Simoulin, or the Baron de Grimm. His last letter from France is a very long one, dated at St. Germain, the eighth of August, 1786. It touches on a gre^t variety of topics, and was written at different times. " Since I wrote to you by Colonel Hum- phreys," says he, to his friend, " I have beeu at St. Germain, waiting the issue of my affair at Petersburgh. You wonder by what means I exist, having brought with me to Paris, this time twelve months, only three louis dors. Ask vice-consuls, consuls, ministers, and pleni- potentiaries, all of whom have been tributary to me. You think I joke. No, upon my honour; and however irreconcileable to my temper, dis- position, and education, it is nevertheless strictly true. Every day of my life, my dear cousin, is a day of expectation, and consequently a day of disappointment. Whether I shall have a morsel of bread to eat at the end of two months, is as much an uncertainty as it was fourteen months ago, and not more so. The near ap- proach that I have so often made to each extreme of happiness and distress, without absolutely entering into either, has rendered me so bardy, that I can meet either with composure. . OP JOHN LEDYARD. 223 "Permit me to relate to you an incident. About a fortnight ago. Si. James Hall, an English gentleman, on his way from Paris to Cherbourg, stopped his coach at our door, and came up to my chamber. I was in bed at six o'clock in the morning, but having flung on my robe de chambre, I met him at the door of the ante-chamber. I was glad to see him, but sur- prised. He observed, that he had endeavoured to make up his opinion of me, with as much exactness as possible, and concluded that no kind of visit whatever would surprise me. I could do no otherwise than remark, that his opinion surprised me at least, and the conver- sation took another turn. In walking across the chamber, he laughingly put his hand on a six livre piece, and a louis d or, that lay on my table, and with a half stifled blush, asked me how I was in the money way. Blushes commonly beget blushes, and I blushed partly because' he did, and partly on other accounts. ' If fifteen guineas,* said he, interrupting the answer he had demanded, 'will be of any service to you, there they are,* and he put them on the table. ' I am a travel- ler myself, and though 1 have some fortune to support my travels, yet I have been so situated •v», 224 LIFE AND TRAVAILS as to want money, which you ought not to do. You have my address in London.' He then wished me a good morning and left me* This gentleman was a total stranger to the situation of my finances, and one that I had by mere accident met at an ordinary in Paris. We had conversed together several times, and he once sent his carriage for me to dine with him. t found him handsomely lodged in the best Fauxbourg in the city. Two members of the British House of Commons, two lords, Beau^ marchais, and several members of the Royal Academy, were at his table. He had seen me two or three times after that, and always ex- pressed the highest opinion of the tour I had determined to make, and said he would, as a citizen of the world, do any thing in l^is power to promote it ; but I had no mo^e idea of re- ceiving money from him, than, I have this moment of receiving it from Tippoo Saib. However, I took it without any heisitation, and told him I would be as (complaisant to him» if ever occasion offered. »;;yi. ,tn ^ti -^ r,^,:,, „, ji, " I have once visited the Foundling Hos- pital, and the Hospital de Dieu* in Paris ; ^wice I never shall. Not all tbQ. morality , from Confucius to Addison, could give me such feelings. Eighteen foundlings were brought you at Where in the for vou wretch, six min leave a retired. my visil I enfert Why wi say, as ranks, w by a m( Mst gasp I to a ( 'and no it: We a sh'ght artexies. her hand I find life,! being aga the bed. 'she's d( other nui OF JOHN LEDYARD. 225 the day of my visit. One was brought in while I was there. Dear little innocents ! But you are, happily, insensible of your situations. Where are your unfortunate mothers ? Perhaps in the adjoining hospital ; they have to feel for vou and themselves too. But where is the wretch, the villain, the monster — ? I was not six minutes in the house. It is customary to leave a few pence ; I flung down six livres, and retired. Determined to persevere, I continued my visit over the way to the Hospital de Dieu. I entered first the apartments of the women. Why will you, my dear sisters, I was going to say, as I passed along between the beds in ranks, why will you be—; but I was interrupted by a melancholy figure, that appeared at its last gasp, or already dead. ' She's dead,* said I, to a German gentleman, who was with me, * and nobody knows or cares anything about it.' We approached the bedside. I observed a slight undulatory motion in one of the jugular arteries. ' She*s not dead,' said I, and seized her hand to search for her pulse. I hoped to find life, but it was gone. The word dead being again pronounced, brought the nuns to the bed. ' My God !' exclaimed the head nun, ' she's dead ;' — * Jesu, Maria !' exclaimed the other nuns, in their defence, ' she's dead!' 226 LIFE AND TRAVELS The head nun scolded the others for their mal- attendance. ' My God !' continued she, * she is dead without the form.* * Dieu !* said the others, * she died so silently.' ' Silence,' said the elder, * perhaps she is not dead ; say the form;* The form was said, and the sheet thrown over her face. " While in Normandy, I was at the seat of Conflans, the successor of him who was so unfortunate in a naval affair with Hawke of England. It is the lordship of the manor. The peasants live and die at the smiles or frowns of their lord, and, avaricious of the former, they fly to communicate to him any uncommon occurrence in the village ; and such they thought our arrival. The place, to be sure, is very remote, and the gentleman I accompanied, who was an Englishman, rode in a superb manner. His coach and servants were in a very elegant style. M. Conflans was informed of it. On that day it was my turn to cater, and the little country taverns in France are such as oblige one to cook for himself, if he would eat. 1 was consequently very busy in the kitchen. The Otaheite marks on my hands were discovered ; the mistress and the maids asked our servants the history of so strange a sight ? They were answered that I was a world. and se inquin seeing thus di us thit English joint oi card by been all waiting evening. be pleasl it was in man. " I tO( saw the jj man, thisi even lovel few, whoF Paris oft| amiable minister, alive to "nprofital willingly the autui OF JOHN LEDYARD. 227 was a gentleman, who had been round the world. It was enough ; Conflans knew of it, and sent a billet, written in good English, to inquire if we would permit him the honour of seeing us at his mansion ; and, if he could be thus distinguished, he would come and wait on us thither himself. It was too late; the Englishman and I had begun pell-mell upon a joint of roast. If Jove himself had sent a card by Blanchard inviting us, it would have been all one. We would honour ourselves with waiting on the Marquis de Conflans in the evening. V/e did so, and we could not but be pleased with the reception we met with; it was in the true character of a French noble- man. •* I took a walk to Paris this morning, and saw the Marquis de la Fayette. He is a good man, this same Marquis. I esteem him, and even love him, and so we all do, except some few, who worship him. I make these trips to Paris often; sometimes to dine with this amiable Frenchman, and sometimes with our minister, who is a brother to me. I am too much alive to care and ambition to sit still. The unprofitable life I have led goads me; I would willingly crowd as much merit as possible into the autumn and winter of it. y^e Milton's Q 2 v> 228 LIFF. AND TRAVELS herb in Paradise Lost, (who happens, by the way, to be the evil one himself), it behoves me now to use both oar and sail to gain my port. ^ " The Paris papers of to-day announce the discovery of some valuable gold mines in Mont- gomery county, Virginia, which I rejoice to hear ; but I hope they will not yield too much of it, for, as Poor Richard says, * too mucb of one thing is good for nothing.' All that I can say is, that, if too much of it is as bad as too little, the Lord help you, as he has me, who, in spite of my poverty, am hearty and cheerful. I die with anxiety to be on the back of the American States, after having either come from or pene- trated to the Pacific Ocean. There is an ex- tensive field for the acquirement of honest fame. A blush of generous regret sits on my cheek, when I hear of any discovery there^ which I have had no part in, and particularly at this auspicious period. The American revolution invites to a thorough discovery of the continent, and the honour of doing it would become a foreigner, but a native can only feel the genuine pleasure of the achievement. It was necessary, that a European should discover the existence of that continent, but, in the name of Amor Patria, let a native explore its resources and bourn will r sions presen which tends i I Ieav( father, first coi The his ecc< returnee with hi found ai sail for i troducec oifered the proi at any h© migh hoped td and expJ such anf possessic going ouj he was ti •^effersonl Ol' JOMN LEDYAUD. 229 boundaries. It is my wish to be the man. I will not yet resign that wish, nor my preten- sions to that distinction. Farewell for the present. I have just received intelligence which hurries me to London. What fate in- tends is always a secret ; fortitude is the word. I leave this letter with my brother and my father, our minister. He will send it by the first conveyance. Adieu.** The intelligence here alluded to, was from his eccentric friend. Sir James Hall, who had returned to London. In six days Ledyard was with him in the British capital. He there found an English ship in complete readiness to sail for the Pacific Ocean. Sir James Hall in- troduced him to the owners, who immediately offered him a free passage in the vessel, with the promise, that he should be set on shore at any place on the Northwest Coast, which he might choose. The merchants, no doubt, hoped to profit somewhat by his knowledge and experience, and he could not object to such an exchange, as these were his only possessions. One of Cook's officers was also going out in the same vessel. The day before he was to go on board, Ledyard wrote to IVIr. Jefferson in the following animated strain : — " Sir James Hall presented me with twen|ly 230 LI IE AND TUAVELS guineas, pro bono publico, I bought two great dogs, an Indian pipe, and a hatchet. My want of time, as well as of money, will prevent my going any otherwise than indifferently equipped for such an enterprise ; but it is certain that I shall be more in want before I see Virginia. Why should I repine ? You know how much I owe the amiable La Fayette. Will you do me the honour to present my most grateful thanks to him ? If I find in my travels a mountain, as much elevated above other mountains as he is above ordinary men, I will name it La Fayette. -^I beg the honour, also, of my compliments to Mr. Short, who has been my friend, and who, like the good widow in Scripture, cast in, not only his mite, but more than he was able, for my assistance." . . - - • . .^ . . **) The equipment of two dogs, an Indian pipe, and a hatchet, it must be confessed, was very scanty for a journey across a continent ; but they were selected with an eye to their uses. The dogs would be his companions, and assist him in taking wild animals for food ; the pipe was an emblem of peace to the Indians ; and the hatchet would serve many purposes of con- venience and utility. His choice could not have fallen perhaps, upon three more essential requisites for a solitary traveller among savages OF* JOHN LEDYARD. 231 and wild beasts; they would enable him to provide for his defence, and procure a friendly reception, covering, and sustenance. All these were necessary, and must be the first objects of his care. *• ' ^^ ^ - • His plan was fully arranged before entering the ship. He determined to land at Nootka Sound, where he had passed some time with Cook's expedition, and thence strike directly into the interior, and pursue his course, as for- tune should guide him, to Virginia. By his calculation, the voyage and tour would take him about three years. He was much gratified with the reception he met in London, and particu- larly from Sir Joseph Banks, and some other gentlemen of science, who entered warmly into bis designs. It was believed, that his disco- veries would not fail to add valuable improve- ments to geography and natural history ; and there was a romantic daring in the enterprise itself, well suited to gain the applause of ardent and liberal minds. Thus encouraged, his en- thusiasm rose higher than ever, and his impa- tience to embark increased every moment. While in Paris the preceding year, he had become acquainted with Colonel Smith, Secre- tary of Legation to Mr. Adams, at that time American minister in London. Colonel Smith .-'^ 232 LIFE A^D TRAVELS befriended him after his arrival in England, and conceiving the journey he was about to under, take, as promising to be highly important to America, he wrote an account of it to Mr. Jay, then Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the United States. After a few remarks relative to Led- yard's previous attempts and objects, Colonel Smith proceeds : . ; , ** In consequence olf some allurements from an English nobleman at Paris, he came here with the intention of exploring the Northwest Coast and country ; and a vessel being on the point of sailing for that coast, after supplying himself with la few necessary articles for his voyage and march, he procured a passage, with a promise from the captain to land him on the western coast, from which he means to attempt a march through the Indian nations to the back parts of the Atlantic States, for the purpose of examining the country and its inhabitants ; and he expects to be able to make his way through, possessed of such information of the country anvi people, as will be of great advantage to ours. This remains to be proved. It is a daring, wild attempt. Determined to pursue the object, he embarked the last week, free and independent of the world, pursuing his plan, unembarrassed by contract or obligation. If OF JOHN LED YARD. 233 he succeeds, and in the course of two or three years should visit our country by this amazing circuit, he may bring with ^him some interest- ing information. If he fails, and is never heard of moire, which I think most probable, there is no harm done. He dies in an unknown country, and if he composes himself in his last moments with the reflection, that his project was great, and the undertaking what few men are capable of, it will to his mind soothe the passage. He is perfectly calculated for the attempt — robust and Ifc "^^3^ — and has an immense passion to make d ^ /eries, which will benefit society, and ensure him, agreeably to his own expres- sion, ' a small degree of honest fame.' It may. not be improper for your excellency to be acquainted with these circumstances, and you are the best judge of the propriety of extending them further." The vessel went down the Thames from Deptford, and in a few days put to sea. Led- yard thought it the happiest moment of his life. But, alas I how uncertain are human expecta- tions ! Again was he doomed to sufier the agonies of a disappointment more severe than any that had preceded, because never before were his wishes so near their consummation, lie looked upon the great obbtaclcs as over- t< 234 LIFE AND TRAVELS come, and regarded himself ^ beyond the reach of fortune's caprice. This delusion soon vanished. The vessel wds not out of sight of land, before it was brought back by an order from the government, and the voyage was finally broken off. He went back to London, as may be supposed, with a heavy heart. A month afterwards he wrote to Dr. Ledyard :— ** I am still the slave of fortune, and the son of care. You will be surprised that I am yet in London, unless you will conclude with me, that, after what has happened, nothing can be sur. prising. I think my last letter informed you, that I was absolutely embarked on board a ship in the Thames, bound to the Northwest Coast of America. This will inform you that I have disembarked from said ship, on account of her having been unfortunately seized by the custom-house, and eventually exchequered; and that I am obliged in consequence to alter my route; and, in short, everything, all my little baggage— shield, buckler, lance, dogs, squire, — and all gone. I only am left ;— left to what? To some ridc.j, I'll warrant you; or, at all events, I will not warrant anything else. My heart is too much troubled at this moment to write to you as 1 ought to do. I will only add, that I am going in a few days to make the OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 235 tour of the globe, from London east, on foot. I dare not write you more, nor introduce you to the real state of my affairs. Farewell. Forti- tude! Adieu." , ^, , . By this it will be seen, that his Siberian pro- ject was again revived; and, in fact, a sub- scription to aid him in this object had already been commenced in London, under the patron- age of Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Hunter, Sir James Hall, and Colonel Smith. " I fear my sub- '' scription will be small," he says, in a letter to Mr. Jefferson ; "it adds to my anxiety to reach those dominions, where I shall not want money. I do not mean the dominions, that may be be- yond death. I shall never wish to die while you and the Marquis are alive. I am going across Siberia, as I before intended." The amount collected by his friends is not men- tioned, but it was such as to induce him to set out upon the journey ; which, indeed, he pro- bably would have done, had he obtained no money at all. He had lived too long by expe- dients to be stopped in his career by an obsta- cle so trifling, in his imagination, as the want of money, and he was panting to get into a country where its use was unknown, and where of course the want of it would not be felt. I !• '* I* K' 236 L11& AND TRAVELS CHAPTER VIII. l ni ,U'>> :?i3 Ledyard proceedi to Hambui^.— Goes to CopeDbt^eiiy where he meets Major Langbom, another American traveller.— Endeavours to pe^ suade Langhom to accompany him on his tour^ but in vain. — Continues his route to Sweden, and is disappointed in not being able to crois the Gulf of Bothnia on the ice.— Journey round the Gulf into the Arctic Circle on foot, through Sweden, Lapland, and Finland. — Maupertuis' description of the cold at Tomea.— Arrives at Petersburg, where he is befriended by Professor Palbs and other8.>-Pn)eures a passport from the Empress, through the agency of Count Segur, the French amliM- sador. — Sets out for Siberia, and travels by way of Moscow, to Kazan, a town on the river Wolga. — Crosses the Uralian Monntalns.'— Some account of the city of Tobolsk. — Proceeds to Bamaoul and Tomak.-- Descriptions of the country and the inhabitants/— Character and con- dition of the exiles at Tomsk. — Fossil Bones.— Carious mounds and tombs of the ancient natives. — ^Arrives at Irkutsk. .^y . Leaving London in December, Ledyard went over to Hamburg, whence he imme- diately wrote to Colonel Smith. From the account of his finances contained in that letter, it would not seem that he was encumbered, at his departure from England, with a heavy purse. He makes no complaint, however : on the contrary, he expresses only joy, that the journey, which he had so loDtg desired, was actually begun. ' ' '-■'<■' "I am here," he says, *' with ten guineas OP JOHN LEDYAnn. 237 exactly, and in perfect health. One of my dogs is no more. I lost him on my passage up the river Elbe to Hamburg, ^n a snow storm. I was out in it forty hours in an open boat. My other faithful companion is under the table on which I write. I dined to-day with M'^^'.-'n Parish, lady of the gentleman I mentioned to you. It is a Scotch house, of the first com- mercial distinction here. The Scotch have, by nature, a dignity of sentiment, that renders them accomplished. I could go to heaven with Madam Parish, but she had some people at her table, that I could not go to heaven with. I cannot submit to a haughty eccentricity of maimers. My fate has sent me to the tavern, where Major Langhorn was three weeks. He is now at Copenhagen, having left his baggage here to be sent on to him. By some mistake, he has not received it, and has written to the master of the hotel on the subject. I shall write to him, and give him my address at Petersburg. I should wish to see him at all events; but, to have him accompany me on my voyage, would be a pleasure indeed." This Major Langhorn turns out to be an American officer, lately arrived in Hamburg from Newcastle, " a very good kind of a man, and an odd kind of a man," as the master of ^:»!| 238 LIFE AND TRAVELS the hotel called him— one who had travelled much, and was fond of travelling in his own way. He had gone off to Copenb'igen without his baggage, taking wit*i him only one spare shirt, and very few other articles of clothing. It does not appear that Ledyard had ever been acquainted with Langhorn, or even seen him ; but he had heard such a description of him from Colonel Smith, and others, that in fancy he had become enamoured of the originality and romantic turn of his character, and parti- cularly of his passion for travelling. Carried away with this whimsical prepossession, he had got it into his head, that Langhorn was the fittest man in the world to be the companion of his travels. An imaginary resemblance be- tween their pursuits, condition, and the bent of their genius, created a sympathy that was not to be resisted. He moreover suspected, from hints which he saw in Langhorn's letter, inquiring about his trunk, that he was in want of money. Here was another appeal to his generosity, and one which he could never suffer to be made in vain, when he had ten guineas in his pocket. ** I will fly to him with my little all^ and some clothes, and lay them at his feet. At this moment I may be useful to him ', he is my countryman, a gentleman, a OF JOHN LEDYARD. 239 traveller. He may go with me on my journey ; if he does, I am blessed; if not, I shall merit his attention, and shall not be much out of my way to Petersburg." With this state of his feelings, it is not won- derful that we should next hear from him at Copenhagen. He hastened on to that city, and arrived there about the first of January, 1787, although it was taking him far aside from his direct course, and exposing him to all the fa^ tigues and perils of a long, tedious winter passage through Sweden and Finland. He found Langhorn in a very awkward situation, without money or friends, and shut up in his room for the want of decent apparel to appear abroad in ; and, what was worse, incurring the suspicions of those around him, that he was some vagabond, or desperate character, whose conduct had rendered it expedient for him to keep out of sight. Imagination only can paint the joy, that glowed in our traveller's counte- nance, when he saw the remains of his ten guineas slip from his fingers, to relieve the dis- tresses of his new-found friend. All that could now be said of them was, that their poverty was equalized ; the major could walk abroad, and his benefactor had not means to carry him be- yond the bounds of the city. The road to 1 240 LIFE AND TRAVELS Petersburg was many hundred miles long, through snows, and over ice, and presenting obstacles enough at that season to appal the stoutest heart, even with all the facilities for travelling, which gold could purchase. What then was the prospect for a moneyless pedes- trian? ' '■ * :■"-■ —• These reflections were not suffered to intrude upon the pleasures of the moment. His money was gone, it was true, but a worthy man, and a traveller, had been made happier by it. How he should advance further, was a thing to be thought of to-morrow: yet the doubt never came into his mind, that anything could stop him, when the time should arrive for him to move forward. Neither confidence nor forti- tude ever forsook him. Two weeks were agree- ably passed in the society of Langhorn, but no inducements could prevail on him to undertake the Siberian tour, much less to hazard the dan- gerous experiment of intrusting himself amon^ the wild barbarians of North America. His humour was not of this sort, yet it was scarcely less peculiar than if it had been. ''I see in him," says Ledyard to Colonel Smith, " the soldier, the countryman, and the generous friend ; but he would hang me if he knew I had written a word about him; and so I will say OF JOHN LEDYARD. 241 no more, than just to inform you, that he means to wander this winter through Norway, Swedish Lapland, and Sweden; and, in the spring, to visit Petersburg. I asked to attend him through this route to Petersburg; — *No; I esteem you, but 1 can travel in the way 1 do with no man on earth.' " After this avowal, the major certainly merits the praise of frank- ness, if not of compliance ; and Ledyard must have possessed a larger share of practical phi- losophy, than falls to the lot of most men, to have been perfectly reconciled to this abrupt declaration, after coming so far out of his way, and spending much time and all his money in search of a companion, who he fondly hoped would participate in his adventures, f , v ' ^^^ « When this visit of friendship was closed, and the hour of departure approached, the neces- sity was pressed upon him of looking about for money. He drew a small bill on Colonel Smith, and good fortune put in his way a merchant, who consented to accept it, and pay him the amount. ** Thompson's goodness to me," he writes to Colonel Smith, " in accepting the bill on you, relying on my honour, has saved nie from perdition, and will enable me to reach Petersburg." A small sum, to meet such an R #'■ 242 LIFE AND TRAVELS exigency, had been left in Colonel Smith's hands, but not to the full amount of the draft. Ledyard apologizes for the addition, and tells his friend that he must put it to the account of charity, for his necessities only had compelled him to overdraw. The draft was kindly ac- cepted by Colonel Smith, when it came to hand. Thus replenished, our traveller parted from the eccentric major, crossed over into Sweden, and arrived in Stockholm towards the end of January.* ^ ., * Langhorn pursued his route, as lie had proposed, wander. ing over Sweden, Norway, and Lapland. The summer follow- ing he arrived in Tornea, at the proper season for witnessing the sight, which has drawn other travellers to that place. Tornea is but a few miles south of the Arctic Circle ; and, at the time of the summer solstice, the sun appears above the horizon, as observed by Maupertuis, " for several days together without setting.** Travellers are then favoured with what is called "a view of the sun at midnight.** Acerbi was ihere in 1799, and he mentions Langhorn. In the church of Jukasjeroi, a town at some distance to the north of Tornea, and the Ultima Thule of travellers in that direction, there is a book in which are written the names of visitors, with such remarks as their humour prompted them to indite. These are copied into Acerbi's Tra- vels, amounting to only seven in number. The first record was by R^nard, on the 18th of August, 1681. The following is a literal transcript of another. ** Justice bids me record thy hos- pitable fiune, and testify it by my name. W. Langhorn, United States. July 23d, 1787.*' This was six months after Ledyard OF JOHX LEDYARD. 243 The common mode of travelling from Stock- holm to Petersburg, in the summer season, is to cross the Gulf of Bothnia to Abo in Finland by water, touching at the isles of Aland on the passage. In winter the same route is pursued, when the sea is frozen so hard as to admit of sledges being drawn from one island to another on the ice. The greatest distance to Is passed over in this manner, without touching land, is about thirty miles. Under the most favourable* circumstances, this passage is troublesome and dangerous. It is well described by Acerbi : — " My astonishment was greatly increased," s;cys he, " in proportion as we advanced from our starting-post. The sea, at first smooth and even, became more and more rough and un- equal. It assumed, as we proceeded, an undu- lating appearance, resembling the waves by which it had been agitated. At length we met with masses of ice, heaped one upon the other, i' : i 1 i'i " 1 1 ' IM 1 t'i . ^ b'it left him in Copenhagen. Acerbi says he was travelling on tbot from Norway to Archangel. There is another record in the Albuui of Jukasjeroi, entered by a character noted for his singularities, and his passion for rambling, and who is still remembered in the United States, as well as in many other parts of the world, by the name of the Walking Stewart. '« Non mihi fama, sed hospitalitatis et gra- titudinis testimonium. S. Stewart, Civi Orbis. 3" Julii, 1787." K 2 244 LIFE AND TRAVELS and some of them seeming as if they were sus- pended in the air, while others were raised in the form of pyramids. On the whole, they exhibited a picture of the wildest and most savage confusion, that surprised the eye by the novelty of its appearance. It was an immense chaos of icy ruins, presented to view under every possible form, and embellished by superb stalactites, of a blue green colour." Over this rough surface, and between the broken waves of ice, the passengers are drawn in sledges, muffled up in wolf skins, and other furs. The chief danger consists in the sledges being re- peatedly upset, and the horses sometimes taking fright, and running away like wild deer. Acerbi had a serious adventure of this sort, but he luckily escaped without harm, as he did from many other adventures, which awaited him in his travels to the North Cape. ' ' • ■ This is the method of crossing the Gulf of Bothnia in common seasons, but there is occa- sionally an open winter, when it is impassable, either by water or on the ice ; for, if the pas- sage does not freeze entirely over, the water contains so much floating ice, that no vessel can sail through it. When this happens, the only way of going t Petersburg is around the Gulf, a distance of twelve hundred miles, over OF JOHN LEDYARD. 245 trackless snows, in regions thinly peopled, where the nights are long and the cold intense, and all this to gain no more than fifty miles, v Such was unfortunately the condition of the ice, when Ledyard arrived at the usual place of crossing. It had not been frozen solid from the beginning of the winter, and no traveller could pass. Of all his disappointments, none had afflicted him more severely than this. The only alternative was, either to stay in Stock- holm till the spring should open, or to go around the Gulf into Lapland, and seek his way from the Arctic Circle to Petersburg, through the whole extent of Finland ; and, in either case, he foresaw that he should arrive so late in Russia, that another season would be wasted in Siberia, before he could cross to the Ame- rican continent. The single circumstance, therefore, of the passage to Abo being thus obstructed, was likely to keep him back a full year from the attainment of his grand object. But he did not deliberate long. He could not endure inactivity, and new Hlfflculties nerved him with new strength to encounter and subdue them. He set out for Tornea in the heart of winter, on foot, and alone, without money or friends, on a road almost unfrequented at that frightful season, and with the gloomy certainty 246 LIFE AND TUAVtLS resting on his mind, that he must travel north- ward six hundred miles, before he could turn his steps towards a milder climate, and then six or seven hundred more in descending to Petersburg, on the other side of the Gulf. When Maupertuis and his companions were about leaving Stockholm, on their journey to Tornea, for the purpose of measuring a degree of the meridian under the Polar Circle, the King of Sweden told them, that " it was not without sensible concern, that he saw them pursue so desperate an undertaking ;" yet they were prepared with every possible convenience for travelling, and protection against the rigours of a northern winter. A better idea of the degree and effects of cold, at the head of the Gulf, cannot be formed, perhaps, than from Maupertuis* description. *' The town of Tor- nea, at our arrival on the thirtieth of December, had really a most frightful aspect. Its httle houses were buried to the tops in snow, which if there had been any daylight, must have effec- tually shut it out. But the snows continually falling, or ready to fall, for the most part hid the sun the few moments that he might have showed himself at mid-day. In the month of January the cold was increased to that extre- mity, that Reaumur's mercurial thermometers, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 247 which, in Paris, in che great frost of 1709, it was thought strange to see fall to fourteen degrees below the freezing point, were now down to thirty-seven. The spirit of wine in the others was frozen. If we opened the door of a warm room, the external air instantly converted all the air in it into snow, whirling it round in white vortexes. If we went abroad, we felt as if the air were tearing our breasts in pieces. And the cracking of the wood whereof the houses are built, as if the violence of the cold split it, continually alarmed us with an ap- proaching increase of cold. The solitude of the streets was no less than if the inhabitants had been all dead ; and in this country you may uften see people that have been maimed, and had an arm or a leg frozen off. The cold, which is always very great, increases sometimes by such violent and sudden fits, as are almost infallibly fatal to those that happen to be ex- posed to it. Sometimes there arise sudden tempests of snow, that are still more danger- ous. The winds seem to blow from all quarters at once, and drive about the snow with such fury, that in a moment all the roads are lost. Unhappy he, who is seized by such a storm in the fields. His acquaintance with the country, or the marks he may have takeii by the trees, 248 LIFE AJJD TRAVELS cannot avail him. He is blinded by the snow, and lost if he stirs but a step.'** i.i These were the scenes that awaited our pe- destrian in his winter excursion to the Polar Circle. How far they were realized by him must be now left to conjecture. No part of his journal, during this tour, has been preserved, nor is it known what course he took from Tor- nea to Petersburg. The common route is along the border of the Gulf to Abo,- but in winter the road is much obstructed by ice, and is ex- tremely bad. Linnaeus passed it in September, when returning from his scientific tour to Lap- land, and he estimates the distance from Tor- nea to Abo at upwards of six hundred English miles. From a remark in Ledyard's letter to Mr. Jefferson, which will be quoted below, it would seem, that he took a different direction, and passed farther into the interior of Russian Finland. This route, as he intimates, must have been wholly unfrequented by travellers, although the distance must be shorter, and at that season perhaps the difficulties to be en- countered were not greater than down the Gulf. i.A ( * See Maupertuit' Discourse before the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris, November 13tli, 1737. 01' JOHN LED YARD. 249 Be this as it may, he reached Petersburg before the twentieth of March, that is, within seven weeks of the time of leaving* Stockholm, making the average distance travelled, about two hundred miles a week. It is evident, therefore, that he met with no obstacles, which his resolution did not speedily overcome. His letter to Mr. Jefferson, dated Petersburg, March 19th, 1787, will acquaint us with the state of his feelings, and his prospects, at this stage of his travels : — •• It will be one of the remaining pleasures of my life, to thank you for the many instances of your friendship, and, whereVer I am, to pursue you with the tale of my gratitude. If Mr. Barclay should be at Paris, let him rank with you as my next friend. I hardly know how to estimate the goodness of the Marquis de la Fayette to me, but I think a French nobleman, uf the first character in his country, never did more to serve an obscure citizen of another, than he has done for me ; and I am sure, that it is impossible, without some kind of soul made expressly for the purpose, that an obscure citizen in such a situation can be more grateful than I am. May he be told so, with my com- pliments to his lady. , * <■ .. ^ .'.^j. " I cannot tell you by what means I came to ! ■ ih # 250 LIFE AND TUAVKLS Petersburg, and hardly know by what means I shall quit it, in the further prosecution of my tour round the world by land. If I have any merit in the affair, it is perseverance, for most severely have I been butfetted ; and yet still am even more obstinate than before ; and fate, as obstinate, continues her assaults. How the matter will terminate I know not. The most probable conjecture is, that I shall succeed, and be buffetted around the world, as I have hitherto been from England through Denmark, through Sweden, Swedish Lapland, Swedish Finland, and the most unfrequented parts of Russian Finland, to this aurora borealis of a city. I cannot give you a history of myself since I saw you, or since I wrote you last ; however abridg- ed, it would be too long. Upon the whole, mankind have used me well; and though I have as yet reached only the first stage of my journey I feel myself much indebted for that urbanity, which T always thought more general than many think it to be ; and were it not for the mischievous laws and bad examples of some governments I have passed through, I am per- suaded I should be able to give you a still better account of our fellow-creatures. But I am hastening to countries, where goodness, if natural to the human heart, will appear inde- OF JOHN LED YARD. 251 pendent of example, and furnish an illustration of the character of man, not unworthy of him, who wrote the Declaration of Independence. I did not hear of the death of M. de Vergennes until I arrived here. Permit me to express my regret at the loss of so great and so good a man. Permit me, also, to congratulate you, as the minister of my country, on account of the addi- tional commercial privileges granted by France to America, and to express my ardent wishes, that the friendly spirit, which dictated them, may last for ever. I was extremely pleased at reading the account ; and, to heighten the sa- tisfaction, I found the name of La Fayette there, l-'.^^-'i. ^'- ^ • ^'^;' ■■ '«'■' • '.^ '•>;«;*> " An equipment is now on foot here for the sea of Kamtschatka, and it is first to visit the Northwest Coast of America. It is to consist of four ships. This, and the expedition that went from here twelve months since by land for Kamtschatka, are to co-operate in a design of some sort in the Northern Pacific Ocean ; the Lord knows what, nor does it matter what, with me, nor indeed with you, nor any other minister, nor any potentate, south of fifty degrees of latitude.- I can only say, that you are in no danger of having the luxurious re- pose of your charming climates disturbed by a 252 LIFE AND TRAVELS second incursion of either Goth, Vandal, Hun, or Scythian. - ** I dined to-day with Professor Pallas. He is an accomplished man, and my friend, and has travelled throughout European and Asiatic Russia. I find the little French I have of infinite service to me. I could not do. without it. It is a most extraordinary language. I believe wolves, rocks, woods, and snow under- stand it, for I have addressed them all in it, and they have all been very complaisant to me. We had a Scythian at table, who belongs to the Royal Society of Physicians here. The moment he knew me and my designs, he be- came my friend ; and it will be by his generous assistance, joined with that of Professor Pallas, that I shall be able to procure a Royal Pass- port, without which 1 cannot stir. This must be done through an application to the French minister, there being no American minister here ; and to his secretary I shall apply with Dr. Pallas to-morrow, and shall take the liberty to make use of your name, and that of the Marquis de la Fayette, as to my character. As all my letters of recommendation were English, and as I have hitherto been used by the English with the greatest kindness and respect, I first applied to the British minister, ^h fi OF JOH>r LEDVARD. 253 but without success. The apology was, that the present political condition between Russia and England, would make it disagreeable for the British minister to ask any favour. The secretary of the French embassy will dispatch my letter, and one of his accompanying it to the .Count Segur to-morrow morning. I will endeavour to write you again before I leave Petersburg, and give you some further ac- counts of myself. Meantime, I wish you health. I have written a short letter to the Marquis. Adieu." It will be remembered, that at this time the Empress was absent on her famous jaunt to Kerson and the Krimea. She had left Peters- burg in January, accompanied by Prince Potemkin, and many others of the courtiers and of the Russian nobility. The Austrian and French ambassadors were also in her train. She passed through Smolensk, and was now at Kief, where she remained amidst a brilliant assemblage of nobles from Poland and her Russian territories, till the spring was so far advanced, that she could proceed by water down the Dnieper, in the magnificent gallies prepared for the purpose. ^ . u.^s-^ijn n While the Empress and her retinue were at Kief, a round of splendid entertainments, cere* 1, 254 LIFK AND TRAVELS motiies, and visits from eminent personao^s, occupied her time, and absorbed her thoughts. in addition to the great political projects, which she is said to have been meditating in regard to the conquest of Turkey. Had the French ambassador found an opportunity, therefore, amidst these scenes of gaiety and bustle, to present a petition to the Empress from an im- known individual, for a passport to travel through her dominions, it could not be thought strange, that she should have neglected to attend to it with the promptness which more important affairs might require. Weeks passed away, and no answer was returned. Ledyard's patience was severely tried by this delay, and he began to talk of going forward without any passport. On the fifteenth of May, after wait- ing nearly two months at Petersburg, he writes to Colonel Smith, — "My heart is oppressed; my designs are generous; why is my fate otherwise? The Count Segur has not yet sent me my passport. But this shall not stop me ; I shall surmount all things, and at least deserve success." About this time he became acquainted with a Russian officer, who be- longed to the family of the Grand Duke, and who took a lively interest in his concerns, and proffered his services. Ledyard says he was OF JOHN LEDYARD. 255 not only " polite and friendly, but a thinking Russian." By the kind assistance of this gentleman he obtained his passport in fifteen days, and was prepared for his departure. It was fortunate, that just at this time Mr. William Brown, a Scotch physician, was going to the province of Kolyvan, in the employment of the Empress. Ledyard joined him, and thus had a companion on his tour for more than three thousand miles. From this arrangement he enjoyed an important advantage, for Brown travelled at the expense of the government, and as Ledyard went with him by permission of the proper authority, his travelling charges were probably defrayed, in part at least, from the public funds. And, indeed, without this aid, it would have been impossible for him to move a step, for his own resources were com- pletely exhausted. On his arrival in Peters- burg his necessities were extreme, as his money was gone, and he was almost destitute of clothes. In this extremity he drew a bill for twenty guineas on Sir Joseph Banks, which he found some friend willing to accept, although he confessed, that Sir Joseph had not autho- rized him to draw, and that the payment of the bill would depend on his generosity. It was immediately paid when presented in Lon- 256 LIFE AND TRAVELS don, much to the honour of that munificent patron of science and enterprise. It is said, that a quantity of stores was sent under the care of Dr. Brown, to be forwarded to Mr. Billings at Yakutsk, who was employed in exploring those remote regions of Siberia and Kamtschatka, in the service of the Empress. The party left Petersburg on the first of June, and in six days arrived at Moscow. During the last day*s ride they overtook the Grand Duke and his retinue, who were going to Mos- cow to meet the Empress on her return from her pompous journey to the Krimea. The two travellers remained but one day in Moscow. They hired a person to go with them to Kazan, a distance of five hundred and fifty miles, and drive their kibitka with three horses. " Kibitka travelling," says Ledyard, in his journal, " is the remains of caravan travelling; it is your only home ; it is like a ship at sea." In this vehicle they were hurried along with consider- able speed towards Kazan, through Vladimir, Nishnei Novogorod, and other towns. Kazan stands on the right bank of the majestic Wolga, and is the capital of a province of the same name. It is ranked among the first cities in the empire, containing a university, churches, convents, and other public buildings, some of wliicli archifr quanti and ali soil \& ' and ihi Russiai They raenced arrived c the Ural Europe I hitherto springino- over the The asce gradual, this gene JDore mon minabJe w them since amiserabl the soil. 'Qhabitants 'JJay generi ree in \ |as to be t\ [step-chiidrel OF JOHN LEDYARD. 257 which are magnificent, and finished with much architectural taste and elegance. Immense quantities of grain are produced in this province, and also flax and leather for exportation. The soil is well cultivated, but low and unhealthy, and the inhabitants are a mixed population of Russians and Tartars. They staid a week at Kazan, and then com- menced their journey to Tobolsk, where they arrived on the eleventh of July, having crossed the Ural, mountains, and passed the frontiers of Europe and Asia. The face of the country had hitherto been level, with hardly an eminence springing from the great plain, which spreads over the vast territory from Moscow to Tobolsk. The ascent of the Ural mountains was so gradual, as scarcely to form an exception to this general remark, and nothing could be more monotonous and dreary, than the inter- minable wastes, over which their route had led them since leaving Kazan, with here and there a miserable village, and unproductive culture of the soil. " The wretched appearance of the inhabitants," says our journalist, '* is such as may generally be observed in a greater or less I degree in those places, which are so unhappy tas to be the frontiers between nations ; like [step-children are they." This is especially the s nm 258 LIFK AND TRAVELS condition of the people throughout the whole extent of the China frontiers, that border on Russia. It is the policy of the government to preserve this belt of desolation, as a barrier against the too easy access of foreigners, and as a means of preventing coucraband trade. Tobolsk is a city of considerable interest, having been once the capital of all Siberia, and in early times the scene of a great battle be- t'veen the renowned hero Yermak, and the Tartar prince, Koutchum Khan, in which the former was victorious. The city stands at the junction of two large rivers, the Tobol and Irtish, which there unite and flow on together, till their waters are mingled with the Obe. and thence conveyed to the Northern Ocean. It consists of the upper and lower town, the latter situate on the margin of the river, and the for- mer on a commanding eminence, which over- looks the lower town and much of the adjacent country. Captain Cochrane, who visited this place a few years ago, was greatly pleased with its natural advantages and scenery, and the condition and comforts of the people. The town is well laid out into streets, contains hand- some churches and other edifices, a well regu- lated market, and provisions of all kinds in abundance, and exceedingly cheap. He was sons, ar accommi ment m\ Kamtsch monly pe for, as th ment bani better sorl which mig of the gU pleased wi, the banks i stream to t e^ery step contemplat I and lofty gi bulwark of 1 I ^'"aJ fimpirej ButCapt heller, wan| lodd adventui K them. elled forwaj ^'adly ha^e hid have OF JOHN I.KDYARD. 250 not less charmed with the society, for, although Tobolsk is the residence of exiles, they are such as have been sent to Siberia for political rea- sons, and not malefactors, these latter being accommodated with a residence and employ- ment much farther in the interior, towards Kamtschatka. These political exiles are com- monly persons of some culture and intelligence, for, as this author justly rerridrks, no govern- ment banishes/oo/* ; and the social circles of the better sort indicate a refinement and happiness, which might be envied in more civilized parts of the globe. So much was this traveller pleased with the wild and beautiful scenery on the banks of the Irtish, that he followed up the stream to, the borders of China, enraptured at every step; nor was he satisfied, till he had contemplated, by moonlight, the deep solitudes, and lofty granite mountains, that constitute the bulwark of this northern boundary of the Celes- tialEmpire. ^'^'"^ *'l'^'^ '^ «• * • ' . ^f ^ : Bat Captain Cochrane was an amateur tra- Iveller, wandering for amusement, and seeking lodd adventures in the most promising theatre |lbrthem. Ledyard, on the contrary, was im- elled forward by a single motive, and he would gladly ha^e annihilated space and time, if he pould hfive set his foot the next moment on the s 2 2G0 LIFK AND TRAVELS American Continent. He did not traverse the wild wastes of Siberia to make discoveries, gaze at mountains, trace rivers to their sources, nor even to examine the economy of society and the condition of the people. He had a soul to admire whatever was grand or beautiful in na- ture, and to be strongly affected with the various states of human existence, as his obser- vations abundantly prove ; but he suffered these to make an incidental claim only on his atten- tion, keeping them subordinate to his great design and absorbing purpose. Hence he stopped no longer in any place, than was neces- sary to prepare for a new departure. Three days he and his companion stayed at Tobolsk, and then continued their journey to Barnaoul, the capital of the province of Kolyvan. At this place he was to leave Dr. Brown, and proceed alone. For this gentleman he had contracted a sincere esteem, and was prevailed upon to remain in Barnaoul a week, out of regard to the kindness, and in compliance with the solici- tation, of his friend. '^ - '• ' In many respects, Barnaoul is one of the| most agreeable places of residence in Siberia. I The province, of which it is the capital, is a rich mining district, and this brings together in the town persons of science and respectability, in ten c round: agricu and gr produc conseq is an o^ of want the peo] Ledvi house oJ with gre the govei officers had quit and justi armorial empire. produced Kolyvan, venue thi Sregate a| ^as greati ^0 gold ai ^^e presei uncertain. Liberia, s( OF JOHN LKDVAUD. 201 who are employed as public otticers to super- intend the working of the mines. The sur- rounding country, moreover, is well suited to agriculture, abounding in good lands for pasture and grain, supporting vast herds of cattle, and producing vegetables in great profusion. In consequence of these bounties of nature, there is an overflowing and cheap market, an absence of want, and much positive happiness among the people. Ledyard was lodged at Barnaoul in the house of the treasurer, by whom he was treated with great hospitality. He dined twice with the governor, and also with two old discharged officers of the army, who, at their own request, had quitted the service, and become judges and justices of the law. He was j^hown the armorial bearings of forty-two provinces ii^ ihe. empire. The governor told him, that iho s lit, produced by the salt lakes in the ^irovince ot Kolyvan, yielded somewhat more tj the re- venue than the mines, and also '''u.,i the ag- gregate amount of revenue from tha'; province, was greater than from any other, in respect to gold and silver, this is no doubt the case; t the present day, but in regard to the salt it is uncertain. There are said to be salt lakes in Siberia, so much saturated with saline matter, 262 LIl'E AND TUAVKLS that the salt crystallizes of its own accord, and adheres in this state to pieces of wood, and other substances put into the water. , Kolyvan is near the middle point between Petersburg and Okotsk, it being somewhat more than three thousand miles in opposite directions to each of those places.* Barnaoul stands on the bank of the river Obe, which is a broad and noble stream where it passes the town. It is in the fifty- third degree of north latitude, and in the last week of July the mornings were exceedingly hot, the sky cloudless and serene, and the atmosphere perfectly calm. In the afternoon a gentle breeze would spring up, in- crease by degrees till evening, and continue through the night. Rains are not frequent in Kolyvan. * In his Journal, Ledyard emers the following distances, which he says were taken from a Russian Almanac. In the second column I have reduced the versts to English niiks. Three versts are equal to two miles. Vcrnti, Mile*. From Petersburg to Barnaoul 4539. . . .3026 Barnaoul to Irkutsk 1732 . . . .1155 Irkutsk to Yakutsk 2266. . . .1510 Yakustk to Okotsk 952. ... 635 , I Okotsk to Awateka in Kamtschatka. . I0()5. ... 710 Whole distance from Pctersburgh to J iu554. . . .703b Kamtschatka 3 OF JOll.V LKDYAUD. 263 The following extract is from that part of the journal, which was written at Barnaoul, and contains remarks on what came under the writer's notice during his journey to that place. " The face of the country from Petersburg to Kolyvan is one continued plain. The soil, before arriving at Kazan, is very well culti- vated ; afterwards cultivation gradually ceases. On the route to Kazan we saw large mounds of earth, often of twenty, thirty, and forty feet elevation, which I conjectured, and on inquiry found, to be ancient sepulchres. There is an analogy between these and our own graves, and the Egyptian pyramids ; and an exact resemblance between them, and those piles supposed to be of monumental earth, which are found among some of the tribes of North America. We fir^st saw Tartars before our ar- rival at Kazan ; and also a vvomau with her nails pair • od red, like the Cochin Chinese. . "Notwithstanding the modern introduction of linen into Russia, the garments of the pea- santry still retain not only the form, but the manner of ornamenting them, which was prac- tised when they wore skins. This resembles the Tartar mode of ornamenting, and is but a modification of the wampum ornament, which is still discernible, westward from Russia to ; I \ ■<* ■. I 'XA I w t * 264 LIFE AND TRAVELS iiSi i^i Denmark, among the Finlanders, Laplanders, and Swedes. The nice gi-adation by which I pass from civilization to incivilization, appears in everything; in manners, dress, language; and particularly in that remarkable and im- portant circumstance, colotcr, which I am now fully convinced originates from natural causes, and is the effect of external and local circum- stances. I think the same oi feature. I see here the large mouth, the thick lip, the broad flat nose, as well as in Africa. I see also in the same village a^ great a difference of com- plexion — from the fair hair, fair skin, and white eyes, to the olive, the black jetty hair and eyes ; and these all of the same language, same dress, and, I suppose, same tribe. I have frequently observed in Russian villages, obscure and dirty, mean and poor, that women of the pea- santry paint their faces, both red and white. i have had occasion from this and other cir- cumstances to suppose, that the Russians are a people, vho have been early attached to luxury. They are rvery where fond of eclat. * Sir,' said a Russian officer to me, in Peters- burg, ' we pay no attention to any thing but eclat* The contour of their manners is Asiatic, and not European. The Tartars are univer- sally neater than the Russians, particularly i» the is a ing Seic wild are than man^ purs I their subje Woul, watch **Ir Russij Tartar effect pushec tion ; brous'i expect! sium ill Rassiai they ai other kl a youni Iribe, *it liiucl m^ / OF JOHX LEDYARD. 265 their houses. The Tartar, however situated, is a voluptuary ; and it is an original and strik- ing trait in their character, from the Grand Seignior, to him who pitches his tent on the wild frontiers of Russia and China, that they are more addicted to real sensual pleasure, than any other people. The Emperor of Ger- many, the Kings of England and France, have pursuits that give an entirely different turn to their enjoyments : and so have their respective subjects. Would a Tartar live on Vive le Roil Would he spend ten years in constructing a watch ? or twenty in forming a telescope ? **In the United States of America, as in Russia, we have made an effort to convert our Tartars to think, and act like us : but to what etFect ? Among us, Sampson Occum, was pushed the farthest within the pale of civiliza- tion ; but, just as the sanguine divine, who brought him there, was forming the highest expectations, he fled, and sought his own ely- sium in the bosom of his native forests. In Russia they have had none so d istinguished ; here they are commonly footmen, or lackeys of some other kind. The Marquis de la Fayette had a young Americin Tartar, of the Onandago tribe, who came to see him, and tht' Marquis, at much expense, equ»j)ped him in rich In- 266 LlFJi AND TRAVELS dian dresses. After staying some time, he did as Occum did. When I was at school at Mount Ida [Dartmouth College], many Indians were there, most of whom gave some promise of being civilized, and some were sent forth to preach ; but as far as I observed myself, and have been since informed, they all returned to the home and customs of their fathers, and fol- lowed the inclinations, which nature had so deeply enstamped on their character." To these remarks is here added part of a letter written to Mr. Jefferson from Barnaoul, dated on the twenty-ninth of July, 1787. ** How I have come thus far, and how 1 am to go still farther, is an enigma that I must disclose to you on some happier occasion. I shall never be able, without seeing you in person, and perhaps not then, to inform you how universally and circumstantially the Tar- tars resemble the Aborigines of America. They are the same people ; the most ancient and the most numerous of any other ; and had not a small sea divided them, they would all have been still known by the same. The cloak of ^civilization sets as ill upon them, as upon our American Tartars. They have been a long time Tartars, and it will be a long time before they will be any other kind of people. •- OF JOHN LEDYARD 267 " I shall send this letter to Petersburg, to the care of Professor Pallas. He will trans- mit it to you, together with one for the Mar- quis, in the mail of the Count Segur. My health is perfectly good ; but notwithstanding the vigour of my body, my mind keeps the start of me, and I anticipate my future fate with the most lively ardour. Pity it is, that in such a career one should be subjected, like a horse, to the beggarly impediments of sleep and hunger. ' . < . .. i:. ;;.. ? "The banks of the large rivers in this country everywhere abound with something curious in the fossil world. I have found the leg-bone of a very large animal on the banks of the Obe, and have sent it to Dr. Pallas, requesting him to render me an account of it hereafter. It is either an elephant's or a rhino- ceros' bone. The latter animal has been in this country. There is a complete head of one in a state of high preservation at Petersburg. I am a curiosity here myself. Those who have heard of America flock round to see me. Un- fortunately, the marks 6n my hands* procure me and my countrymen the appellation of wild men. Amoiig the better sort we are somewhat J«fv-* V1>i; , n . »-,•■- 3- "v^" *" The tattoo marks made oti his hands at Otaheite, 268 LIFE AND TRAVELS more known. The governor and his family have got a peep at the history of our existence, through the medium of an antiquated pamphlet of some kind. We have, however, two stars, that shine even in the galaxy of Barnaoul, and the healths of Dr. Franklin and of General Washington have been drunk, in compliment to me, at the governor'^ table. I am treated with the greatest hospitality here. Hitherto I have fared comfortably when I could make a port anywhere, but when totally in the country I have been a little incommoded. Hospitality, however, I have found as universal as the face of man. When you read this, perhaps two months before you do, if I do well, I shall be at Okotsk, where I will do myself the honour to trouble you again, and if possible will write more at large. My compliments wait on all my Parisian friends." After spending a week very agreeably in Barnaoul, he made preparations for recom- mencing his journey. From this place to Irkutsk it was arranged, that he should travel post with the courier, who had charge of the mail. All things being in readiness, he writes— ^' I waited on the governor with my passport; . he was well pleased with it ; gave me a cor- 'poral to conduct the afiairs of the mail; said OF JOHX LKUYARD. 269 I had nothing to do but sit in the kibitka, and mustered up French enough to say. Monsieur^ je vous souhaite un bon voyage. I took an affec- tionate farewell of the worthy Dr, Brown, and left Barnaoul." The next stopping-place on the route was Tdmsk, distant three hundred miles, which were passed over in two days and three nights. The river T m, which flows near this town, is as large as luo Irtish, where it is crossed by the main road above Tobolsk, and was the first river met with by our tra- veller since leaving Petersburg, which had either a giavelly bottom or shore. On its banks were found little mounds of earth, which were ascertained to have been the habitations of the natives, who dwelt there before the con- quest of the country by the Russians.* The ♦ In Bell's Journey from Petersburg to Peking with the Russian embassy, in the year 1 720, the author gives a curious account of the mounds in the regions about Tomsk. He con- siders them the tombs of ancient heroes, who fell in battle. "Many persons go from Tomsk," he observes, *' and other parts, every summer, to these graves, which they dig up, and find among the ashes of the dead considerable quantities of gold, silver, brass, and some precious stones ; but particularly hilts of swords and armour. They find, also, ornaments of saddles and bridles, and other trappings for horses ; and even the bones of horses, and sometimes those of elephants. Whence it ap- pears, that when any general or persim of distinction was in- .^^v^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 111 lU £ HA lU u u 14.0 11.25 iu iJi^l 1.6 Photographic ^Sdaices Corporation 11 W«T MAM STMIT WIMTN,N.V. l4fM (n*)«71-4Ml 4" F 5^ O^ \v 270 LIFE AND TRAVELS nights, he remarked, were very cold, more so than he had known them in any country, where it was at the same time so hot by day. All the way from Barnaoul, and particularly in its neighbourhood, were perceived the ruinous effects of the violent windl, that frequently produce great devastation in those parts of Siberia. Forest trees and fields of grain were indiscriminately blown down and destroyed. The hospitality of the inhabitants, however, was unabated. They could rarely be prevailed upon to take any thing for provisions or accommoda- tion. On one occasion, for as much barley soup, onions, quass^ bread, and milk, as made a hearty meal for the traveller and his corporal, the good woman, who furnished them, consented to receive one kopeek, and nothing more.* terred, all his arms, his favourite horse, and servant, were buried with him in the same grave. This custom prevails to this day among the Kalmucks and other Tartars, and seems to be of great antiquity. It appears from the number of graves, that many thousands must have fallen on these plains, for the people have continued to dig for such treasure many years, and •till find it unexhausted. They are sometimes, indeed, inter- rupted and r<^bed of all their booty by parties of the Kalmucks, w& abhor the disturbing the ashes of the dead." Vol. I. p. 253. * The value of the kc^tk varies at different times. I^yard itates it to have been about one tenth of an English penny, when he was in Siberia* In Dr. Clarke's Travels it is put down as equal to an English half-penny. OK JOHN LEDYARD. 271 They were detained two or three days at Tomsk, waiting for a mail, that was coming , by another route from Tobolsk ; but the com- mandant was affable and generous, and did not allow the time to pass heavily. He was some- what of a singularity, being a Frenchman, born in Paris, now seventy -three years old, having resided twenty-five years in Siberia, and more than thirty in Russia. He spoke his native language imperfectly, and wrote it still worse. His favourite topic was the dignity of his birth, and the high rank of his family. But Ledyard wished to know more about Siberia at that moment, than of the genealogy or rank of the families in France, and he ventured to* ask the old man if the town, or its environs, ' afforded any thing valuable or curious in' natural history. His answer was, that there' were thieves, rogues, liars, and villains of every ' description. The conversation was pushed no ' further in the way of philosophical inquiry, for it was evident the Frenchman's thoughts had ^ run very little in that channel. '^ There was truth in his remark, although uttered somewhat out of place. Tomsk had long been the rendezvous of the worst class of exiles, who bad been banished for their crimes, and could not be expected to exercise a very 272 LIFE AND TRAVELS salutary influence on society, or to become pattern members of it themselves. Poverty and wretchedness, the accompaniments of vice, formed here some of the prominent objects in the foreground of the picture^ and beggars daily thronged the streets, as in the most populous regions of the civilized world. The charity and kind feelings of the better sort of inhabitants, however, afforded a pleasing contrast to this debasement and suffering. Ledyard observes, that the family with whom he lodged, were ac- customed every morning to lay aside in the win- dow ten or twelve farthing pieces for the cha- ritable purposes of the day. Considering the extraordinary cheapness of food, this would afford relief to many persons. The beggars began their rounds at an early hour, and went regularly from house to house, and were very rarely sent away without something. Those, who did not give money, gave bread. Some of the beggars were in irons. The people asked no questions, but appeared to give cheerfully and without grudging. The demand was uni- formly mhde, pour r amour de Dieu, " for which," says the journalist, " one may have more in this country, than in any other I have seen." In ten days from the time of leaving Tomsk, the traveller and his corporal were safely »*.v OF JOHN LEDYARD. 273 arrived in Irkutsk, over a road, of which he speaks in no terms of commendation. The river Yenissey was crossed at the town of Kras- nojarsk, where the commandant pressed him to stop long enough to dine, and celebrated the event of a stranger's arrival, with such free potations as to become intoxicated. From Tomsk to Yenissey, the country exhibited rather an agreeable aspect, and marks of culti- vation. Ledyard observes, that in this region he " first finds the real craggy, peaked hill, or mountain," and from Krasnojarsk to Irkutsk was the first stony road which he had passed over in the Russian dominions. The streets of Tobolsk, and some of the other towns on his route, were paved with wood. " Passing on east from the Yenissey to Ir- kutsk the country is thinly peopled. A very few, and those miserable houses, are to be seen on the road, and none at all at a distance from it. The country is hilly, rough, mountainous^ and covered with thick forests. The rivers here also have all rocky beds, and are rapid in the degree of three to five miles an hour. The autumnal rains are begun, and they have set in severely. I am now in Irkutsk, and have stayed in my quarters all day to take a little rest, after a very fatiguing journey, rendered so 'jeff^ 274 :^TF£ AND TRAVELS by sundry very disagreeable circumstances : going with the courier, and driving with wild Tartar horses, at a most rapid rate, over a wild and ragged [country ; breaking and upsetting kibitkas ; beswarmed with musquetoes ; all the way hard rains ; and when I arrived at Irkutsk I was, and had been for the last forty-eight hours, wet through and through, and covered with one complete mass of mud/* r' I I. it .I f<\^r, . ■.,, ■ ..!.•,' • iv*^4' h\(ni l^ftn '■ ./; 't^ o.ui.i'-'.^.i \: c-trful 'i.:l:i>fyiH 'r-' : i \.ii *.'•,'/ ''; ' i' tj>,y^..^i ,. .;$:►-■• e> ■:■ I ■ ■ H ^'-^^% UtU'W ■ ii^l OF JOHN LEDYARD. 275 V'' ^n '^•^>* J0'>'?rr r.^ymi-.M , CHAPTER IX. . o^^w: ;5 Jmt Residence at IrkuUk.— Miacellaneoiu femarlu on the inhabitants, and the liroductions of the countiy.— Accounti of the Tartars.— Unsnccessfiil attempts to civilize them.— Fur trade on the American coast.— \^t to the Lake Baikal.— Farther remarks on the character and manners of the Kalmuks and other Tartars.— Leaves Irkutsk for the river Lena.— iScenery around tiie Baikal. — Rivers flowing into it — Extraordinary depth of its waters.-->They are fresh, but contain seals, and fish, pecn- liar to the ocean. — Estimate of the nwnber of rivers in Siberia, and of the quantity of water they pour into the Frozen Ocean.— Ledyard pro- ceeds down the Lena in a bateau. — Romantic scenery along the margin of the river.— Hospitality of the inhabitants. — Ends his voyage at Yakutsk. -e ,t ^ ^ ' .'\ .,i Led YARD staid in Irkutsk about ten days, and his observations and general reflections during that time may be best understood by extracts from his journal, as they were written on the spot. They are rather in the nature of hints and first thoughts, than of a regular narra* live, but they will show his inquisitive turn of mind, and his eagerness for acquiring such knowledge, as accorded with the general objects of his travels. ' ** August i6th. I have not been out this morning, but I shrewdly suspect by what I see from my poor talc window, that I shall even here find the fashionable (bllies, the ridiculous t2 276 LIFE AND TRAVELS extravagance, and ruinous iclat of Petersburg. I have been out, and my suspicions were well founded. Dined with a brigadier, a colonel, and a major, a little out of town ; they are Ger- mans. Had at the table a French exile, who had been an adjutant. Scarcely a day passes but an exile of some sort arrives. Most of the inhabitants of this remote part of Siberia are convicts. The country here was formerly inha- bited by the Mongul or Kalmuk Tartars, who are, I conclude, the same people. Find no account of the Calumet, The French exile had been at Quebec, and thinks the Tartars here much inferior to the American Indians, both in their understanding and persons. I observe the Tongusians have not the Mongul or Kalmuk faces, but moderately long, and considerably like the European face. These Tongusians form the second class of Tartars, so obviously distinguishable by their features from other Tartars, and from Europeans. What I call the third class are the light eyed and fair complex- ioned Tartars, which class I believe includes the Cossacs. The Tchuktchi are the only northern Tartars, that remain unsubjected to the government. - " Tne town of Irkutsk is the residence of the Governor-General, Jacobi, and of a military Kalmuki particula which ai selves ; myscheff muks are wentwitl me to Ji venerable Pallas, tl ceived mc versation the post, told me tl commoda^ and that informatic in FrencI CdnseillerJ ¥ T OF JOHN LEDYARD. 277 commander, and has in it two battalions of in- fantry. It has two thousand poor log houses, and ten churches. Jacobi's authority extends from here to the Pacific Ocean, an immense territory. I waited this morning on the direc- tor of the bank, Mr. Karamyscheff, who was a pupil of Linnoeus. He is very assiduous to oblige me in everything, and sent for three Kalmuks in the dress of their country. Nothing particularly curious about them, but their pipes, which are coarsely made of copper by them- selves; the form altogether Chinese. Kara- myscheff informs me, that the Monguls and Kal- muks are the same people. From his house I went with the Conseiller (TEtat, who introduced me to Jacobi, the Governor. He is an old, venerable man, and although, I believe, with Pallas, that he is un homme de bois, yet he re- ceived me standing and uncovered. Our con- versation was merely respecting my going with the post, which he granted me, and, besides,' told me that I should be particularly well ac- commodated, wished me a successful voyage, aud that my travels might be productive of information to mankind. I conversed with him in French, through the interpretation of the Gdnseiller. '* This*latter gentleman gave me the follow- .»*; ■ 278 LIFE AND TRAVKLS ing information* ' The white Tartars you saw about Kazan are natives of that country, and we call them Kazan Tartars. Kazan was once a kingdom of theirs. From this place to Yakutsk you pass among the Kalmuks. At Yakutsk you will see the Yakuti, and also the Tongu- sians, who are more personable than the Kal- muks, or Mongulsy and more sensible ; but the Yakuti are more sensible than either. They are indeed a people of good natural parts and genius, and by experience are found capable of any kind of learning. From Yakutsk you pass through the Tongnsians all the way to Okotsk. In the time of Jenghis Khan, tbe Thibet Tar- tars, that is, the Kalmuks, or Monguls, made incursions into this country. We have two hundred thousand Russians, and, as nearly as we can estimate, half that number of Indians of all descriptions in this province. Marriages in and near the villages take place between the Russians and Tartars, but they are not frequent. I believe the extreme cold, and want of snow here during winter, and: the suddeU change of weather in the summer, to be the reason why we can have no fruit here. We have often, in the months of May and June, ice three and four inches thick. Besides, this country, as you have observed, is subject to terrible gales of yi OF JOHN LEDYARD. 279 wind, which blow away both bud and blossom. We have, nevertheless, a few little apples, which we eat at our tables, and they are not without flavour/ Thus much the Conseiller. *'The forest trees in this country are almost altogether birch ; they are generally rotten at the heart. Mr. Karamyscheff tells me, that there are many bones of the rhinoceros in these parts of Siberia, and also the same large bones, that are found on the banks of the Ohio in America. It seems, that the places in which to find those bones, and other curious fossils, are at the mouths of the great rivers Yenissey, Lena, Kolyma, and others, among the islands that are formed where they flow into the sea. Here they are all lodged, after having been washed from under ground by the rivers in the different countries which they traverse. - « -^ ^' '» '* Atigmt 17th. To-day it seems the jubilee is observed, on account of the Empress having reigned twenty-five years. In coming from Karamyscheff^s I met the Governor-General and his suite of officers, the brigadier I dined with yesterday,- and other dignitaries, to the number of two hundred, all going to dine with the Governor, who keeps open house on the occasion. The governor and other officers saluted me as they passed ; those, who did not ,^ 280 LIF£ AND TRAVELS know me, wondering what could procure such attention to one so poorly and oddly attired. I was pressed by some of the company to go and dine. Had my clothes been good, I would have gone. But I dined with^KaramyschefF. It is a Tartar name, and he is of Tartarian ex- traction. Saw an apple tree in his garden. The fruit, as he described it, would be as large as a full sized pea in France or England. It is the genuine apple tree, and their naturalists distinguish it by the name of the pyrus baccata. These are the only apples in Siberia. " Karamyscheff says the Yakuti Tartars are the vSritables Tartars, by which I understand, that they are a less mixed race than the others. Their language, he says, is the oldest language, and that other tribes understand it. The Ya- kuti formerly possessed this country, but they were driven out by the Kalmuks, who made a succession of attacks upon them, and pursued them' to the Lena, down which they fled, and settled at Yakutsk. Karamyscheff has in his house four children descended from a Kalmuk father and Russian mother. The first resembles the father, and is entirely Kalmuk : the second the mother, with fair hair and eyes ; one of the others is Kalmuk, and the other Russian. They are all healthy and well looking children. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 281 I saw three of them. KaramyschefF knows not among what people to rank the Kamtschadales. He acknowledges, with me, that their faces are entirely Kalmuk, but says they came from America. This controverts the common opi- nion, that America was peopled after Asia. But he is carried away with the wild notions of the French naturalist, Buffon. I find univer- sally, that the Tartars wear their beards. The ears of Kalmuk, or Mongul Tartars, project universally farther from the head, than those of Europeans. I measured the ears of the Kal- muks at KaramyschefF's to-day, and on an average they projected one and a half inch, and they were by no means extraordinary examples. The ears of the Chinese are similar. *'We have French and Spanish wines here, but so adulterated, that I was told of it before I knew it to be wine. KaramyschefF is fully sensible of the luxury and vanity I complain of in this country, which is but beginning to begin, as I told him to-day. He laments it, and de- clared frankly to me, that patriotism and the true solid virtues of a citizen are hardly known. The geographical termination of Russia, and the commencement of Siberia, is at the city of Perm. The natural boundary is the river Yenissey. I observe that the face of the coun- 282 LIFE AND TRAVELS try is very different on this side of the Yenis- sey, and Karamyscheff, who is a botanist, says the vegetable productions differ as much. ** August 18th. Went this morning to see some curiosities from different parts of Siberia. Saw also a piece of Sandwich Island cloth, which was obtained from Captain Gook*s ship at Kamtschatka, when he was there. In the collection was the skin of a Chinese goat, the hair of which was the whitest, longest, and most delicate that I ever saw; also some ex- cellent sea-otter skins, the largest of which were valued at two hundred roubles ; likewise a bow, quiver, and nil the military apparatus of a Kalmuk, which was very heavy. The Kal- muks and Monguls here receive the common name of the Buretti. * ' ** I went to the Archbishop's to see a young savage of the Tchuktchi. The good bishop had taken great pains to humanize him (as Dr. Wheelock had done with Sampson Occum, whose story I related on this occasion) ; but he informed us, that he had lately taken to drink, and died drunk ; or in the bishop's own words, ' somebody had one day given him half a rou- ble, and he went out with it, but never re- turned, and was found dead by the side of a Kabak.' Dined with my friend Karamyscheff 01<- JOHN LED YARD. 283 again to-day, who presented me, in lieu of a domestic, a young lieutenant to go with me and buy a few things ; ' But/ said he, * don't put any money in his hands, he will not return it.' We had at table the wife of a clerk to Mr. Karamyscheff, whose mother was a savage from the Tchuktchi regions, and her father a Russian. She is a fine creature, and her com- plexion a good middling colour. It strengthens my opinion, that the difference of colour in man is not the effect of any design in the Cre- ator, but of causes simple in themselves, which will perhaps soon be well ascertained. It is an extraordinary circumstance, but I think I ought not on that account to conclude, that it is not the result of natural causes. ** August 19th. For the second time I have observed, that in the wells, about twelve feet down, there is a great deal of ice adhering to the sides. I went this morning to see a mer- chant who was the owner of a vessel, that had passed from Kamtschatka to different parts of the coast of America. He showed me some charts, rudely descriptive of his voyages ; says there are, on different parts of the coast of America, two thousand Russians ; and that, as nearly as he can judge, the number of skins, procured by them in that country, amounts 284 LIFE AND TRAVELS to twelve thousand. He has a vessel at Okotsk, \vhich leaves that place for America next summer, and he oifeis me a passage in her. " Dined to-day with a (ierman colonel, and after dinner set out for the Lake Baikal, which, in the Kalmuk language, signifies the North Sea, The Kalmuks, or Monguls, originally lived on the south of this lake, towards China and Thibet. After a good and cheerful dinner with the colonel, we mounted his drosky, with post horses, and took our departure for the lake. After seven hours' ride over a miserable road, we arrived, at the little hamlet of St. Nicholas, where formerly the Russian ambas- sadors resided, before they embarked to cross the lake for China. This village has a church in it, dedicated to St. Nicholas, and all the sailors on the lake resort to it. We lodged here through tfie night, and early next morning resumed our journey, and reached the border of the lake. Here are six or seven houses, among which the largest was ordered to be built by the Empress, for the accommodation of all strangers that pass this way ; and also a galliot, which plies as a packet, in the sum* mer, across the lake. ** We hailed the galliot, which was at anchor ■'flff' OF JOHN LEDYARD. 285 in the lake.* The captain came ashore, and we went off with him in a small boat, with line and lead, to take soundings ; but having only fifty fathoms of line, and it raining very hard, we could not make much progress. At the distance of one hundred feet from the shore, my whole length of line was taken up. We retired to the house, breakfasted, and waited an hour for the rain to abate ; but, finding it to continue, we requested the captain to send us in his boat to Irkutsk. He complied with our request, and made a canopy of hides to defend us from the rain. We sent our drosky back by the post-boy, and embarked with two sailors to row us. We passed along the margin of the lake to the outlet, where the river Angara begins, and thence down the river to Irkutsk, a distance of about forty-five miles. This lake is seven hundred and sixty-nine versts, (five hundred and thirteen miles).in its longest part, and sixty versts (forty miles) in its broadest. Its depth is said to be unfathomable. It has an annual ebb and flux ; the one is caused by the autumnal rains, and the other by the dry season in spring. It has emptying into it one hundred and sixty-nine small streams, from twenty to eighty yards wide, and three larger ones, from a quarter to half a mile wide. It has 286 LIFE A WD TRAVELS but one outlet, by which to dispose of the re- dundancy from all these influxes, and that is the river Angara, which is a Kalmuk name. It is no more than a quarter of a mile wide, where it springs from the lake, is very shallow, and far from being rapid. ; ^ ^ ** August 22d. The government of Irkutsk has four provinces, namely, Irkutsk, Yakutsk, Nartschintsk, and Okotsk. These are divided into several districts each. The governor sent me a surveyor, with the latest chart of the great territory embracing these provinces. By measurement I found its latitudinal extent, from itd southern extremity to the Icy Ocean north, to be two thousand seven hundred versts, and its longitudinal extent, from its western boundary to Tchuktchi Nos, its eastern extre- mity at Bering's Strait, to be three thousand nine hundred versts. " I am informed by the Governor, that the post will not be ready for three days. s '* August 23d. The commerce of Irkutsk is very small with Europe, and consequently at present at a very low ebb, since there is no open trade with the Chinese, its nearest neigh- bours, of a commercial character. The fron- tiers, between this country and China, are principally defended by an army of Buretti, or OF JOHN LEDYARD. 287 Kalmuk Tartars. They are mostly horsemen, like the Cossacs in the western dominions, and amount to more than five thousand' men. There are two convents near this town, one of men and the other of women, separated by a river. I observe in Siberia, that in all the cities there is one great burying place, and that wherever this is (and it is commonly out of the town), there is likewise a church, and the best church of the place. This is but another kind of pyramid, a large mound, or a mound modified. - / , . ' " August 25th. This morning I leave town. The land is well cultivated on the borders of the river, and is good. Among the Buretti, or Kalmuks, I observe the American moccasin, the common moccasin, like the Finland moccasin. The houses of the Buretti have octagonal sides, covered with turf, with a fire- place in the centre, and an aperture for smoke ; the true American wigwam, and like the first Tartar house I saw in this country, which was near Kazan. Mr. Karamyscheff says they have the wild horse on their Chinese firontiers. The Buretti here ride and work the homed cattle ; they perforate the cartilage of the nose; and put a cord through it to guide them by. 288 LIFE AND TRAVELS This is to be wondered at, as the country is level, and they have vast droves of horses. V " August 26th. Hard white frost last night, and very cold. Run away with by these furious unbroke Tartar horses, and saved myself each time by jumping out of the kibitka. Thank Heaven, ninety versts more will probably put an end to my kibitka journeying for ever." Such are some of the brief notes entered in his journal, while he was at Irkutsk. He was detained on account of the delay of the post, and made the best use of his time in collecting such information, as he supposed would be iserviceable to him in his future travels. The inquiries, of which he was peculiarly fond, respecting the different races of men, their origin, classification, and distinctions, were here pursued with his customary diligence and discrimination. But it should always be borne in mind, that he did not intend his journal for anything more than a repository of loose hints, which might asiSist his recollection, when the occasion for using them should occur. They were never afterwards revised or altered, but have been preserved in the original form in which he recorded them on his journey. This fact should claim for them all the indulgence, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 289 whieh their incoberency, or want of maturity, may seem to require. u .^ ...i- ^ The Lake Baikal in some respects is one of the most remarkable bodies of water on the globe. Other travellers have given its dimen- sions somewhat differently from Ledyard, vary- ing from three hundred to six hundred miles ia length, and from forty-five to sixty miles in width, where it is the broadest. Ledyard proj bably measured it on the chart just mentioned. All travellers agree, however, that the scenery around this lake is the most picturesque, bold, and imposing, imaginable. The Angara bursts out from the lake, between immense battle- ments of perpendicular rocks, which, if we, naay judge from Bell's description of them, surpass in grandeur the famous passage of the Potqpnae through the Blue Ridge at Harper's Ferry. For about a mile after leaving the lake, there is a continued > rapid, extending across the whole breadth of the stream, and adm^tipg of DO boat communication, except by a n^i^rpw channel on the east side, up which boats are towed, and propelled with poles, from the village of St. Nicholas into the lake. Around the entire circumference of the lake, and par- ticularly on the north, lofty and craggy ,^9,un- tains are seen* piled ione above anoither, in the w 290 LIFE AND TRAVELS wildest confusion, ai^ masses of rock rising like towers from the very margin of the water. Down the ravines and precipices thus formed, the numerous tributary streams pour them- selves into this great reservoir. Pallas was in- clined to believe, that the enormous gulf, which forms the basin of the Baikal, was caused by a violent disruption of the earth, at some very remote period. -^ .t; ; v,:;., ' The Selinga, a river which empties itself into this lake from the south, is larger at its mouth than the Angara, where it issues from the lake. It has its source in the Chinese dominions, and is navigable for many miles into the interior. Another river, called the Eastern Angara, and probably larger than the Selinga, comes in from the north. To these must be added the contributions of more than a hundred and sixty other streams, of various sizes. It is difficult to imagine what becomes of the immense quantity of water thus poured into the lake, when it is considered that there is but a single outlet. The width of this outlet Ledyard states at a quarter of a mile, but Bell says it appeared to him a mile. In either case, the water discharged by it would be in no propor- tion to the quantity which falls into the lake. In a warmer region, as in that where the lake m OF JOHN LEDYARD. 291 Tsad is situate, in Africa«the surplus might be easily disposed of by evaporation ; but in so cold a climate as that of Irkutsk, this is hardly possible. The conjecture of an internal com- munication with the great ocean, would seem to afford the only plausible solution of the diffi- culty. Lake Superior contains a larger body of water, has a small outlet, and is in a climate perhaps as cold ; but it receives comparatively slender contributions from rivers. A similar remark may be made as to the Caspian Sea, and the Sea of Aral. The water of the Baikal is fresh. No bottom has ever yet been reached by the sounding line. When Bell crossed it, a hundred years ago, with the Russian am- bassador, on his way to Pekin, a line of more than nine hundred feet in length was let down, without touching the bottom. The report of Professor Pallas on this point is not so explicit as might have been expected from a scientific traveller. He says, that a ball of packthread, weighing more than an ounce, had been used as a sounding line, but no bottom was found.* What length he would assign to an ounce of * " Le Baikal a une si grande profondeur dans le milieu, et surlescfttes septentrionales, qu*on a d6roul4 un peloton de ficelle pesant plus d*une once, pour sonder, sans trouver de " Voyages du Profetseur Paiku, Tom. VI. p. 1 18. U 2 292 LIFE AND TRAVELS packthread is not revealed to his readers. We have seen, that one hundred feet from the shore, Ledyard*s line of three hundred feet met with no obstruction. On all sides the shore is bold and dangerous, with hardly an anchoring place, except at the mouths of the large rivers. If the water could be removed, there would probably be exposed a cavity, or fissure, equal to the present dimensions of the lake, and ex- tending to a great depth into the earth. Pro- fessor l*allas thinks the ordinary level of the lake was once higher, and that it flowed over ^he low country at the mouth of the Selinga, which is now inhabited. No lava, or volcanic appearances, have been noticed in the regions about the lake. "' It is considered very remarkable, that the fish called chien de mer is found in the Baikal. This is mentioned by Pallas and Ledyard. The natural element of this flsh is the ocean, and it is very rarely known, as the Professor says, to enter rivers, even for a small distance. How it should get into the Baikal, a fresh water lake, at least three thousand iiiiles from the ocean. taking the windings of the river into the ac- count, is deemed a problem of no easy solution, especially as this fish has never been known either in the Yenissey, or Angara, by which OF JOHN LEDYARD. 293 the waters of the lake pass into the Northern Sea.* He is not satisfied with this course of migration, and would look for, a more extraor- dinary cause, but does not venture an opinion on the subject. The Baikal contains seals, also, whose usual residence is in the salt water. Whether they came up the Yenissey and An- gara, is another question to be settled. Bell thinks they did. Pallas is silent on the sub- ject, and so is Ledyard. The skins of these seals are preferred to those of salt water seals. The inhabitants have a treacherous mode of taking these, animals. In winter the seals are obliged occasionally to come up through holes in the ice for respiration ; over these holes the seal-catcher spreads nets, in which the unwary animal is entangled, when he escapes from his nether element. .• nctt. n:: s.^ir^' -i;;,;,v /*• ^^ ^wr*-. In the part of the journal to which we have now come, are contained some curious specu- lations respecting the number of rivers in Sibe- ria, and the quantity of water, which is con- tinually disembogued by them into the Northern Ocean. On his route from Moscow to Irkutsk, Ledyard had crossed twenty-five large navi- gable rivers, whose courses were north. The * The Angara falls into the Yenissey, on its way to the oceao. jtf. I- I I :,. - We left our traveller with his kibitka, on his first day's journey from Irkutsk northward. It was now the twenty-sixth of August, and the forest trees had begun to drop their foliage, and put on the garb of autumn. The country in the environs of Irkutsk was well cultivated, con- taining five fields of wheat, rye, barley, exten- sive pasture lands, and a good breed of cattle. The sheep were of the large-tailed kind, such as are found at the Cape of Good Hope, but the mutton was not well flavoured. v i > / i In company with Lieutenant Laxman, a Swedish officer, Ledyard embarked on the river Lena, at a point one hundred and fifty miles \\ 296 LIFE AND TRAVELS distant from Irkotsk, with the. intention of float- ing down its current to Yakutsk. This river navigation was fourteen hundred miles. Where they entered their boat, the stream was no more than twenty yards broad, with here and there gentle rapids, and high rugged mountains on each side. They were carried along from eighty to a hundred miles a day, the river gradually increasing in size, and the mountain scenery putting on an infinite variety of forms, alter- nately sublime and picturesque, bold and fan- tastic, with craggy rocks and jutting headlands, bearing on their brows the verdure of pines, firs, larches, and other evergreens, and Alpine shrubs. All the way to Yakutsk, the river was studded with islands, recurring at short inter- vals, which added to the romantic efiect of the scenery, and made a voyage down the Lena, notwithstanding its many privations, by no means an unpleasant trip to a true lover of nature, and a hardy veteran traveller. The weather was growing cold, and heavy fogs hung about the river till a late hour in the morning. They daily passed small towns and villages, where they went ashore for provisions, or re- freshment, as occasion required. *' August 30th. We stopped at a village this OF JOHN LEDVARD. 297 morning to procure a few stores. They killed for us a sheep, gave us three quarts of milk, two loaves of bread, cakes, with carrots and radishes baked in them, onions, one dozen of fresh and two dozen of salt fish, straw and bark to mend the covering of our boat ; and all for the value of about fourteen-pence sterling. The poor creatures brought us the straw, to show us how their grain was blasted by the cruel frost, although it had been reaped before the twenty-first of August. The peasants say the mountains here are full of bears and wolves. We have seen a plenty of wild fowl, which we shoot as we please. In the river is the salmon- trout. The people fish with seines, and also with spears, by torchlight. This latter custom is a very universal one ; they fish with a torch at Otaheite. The double-headed or Esquimaux paddle is used here. ' ' ' * ** September 2d. My rascal of a soldier stole our brandy, and got drunk, and was imper- tinent. I was obliged to handle him roughly to preserve order. — Fixed a little sail to our boat* • • ■ 1 !.t J .. « ' . \ ' i'. , • • .' ♦» ', . *' September 4th. Arrived at the town of Keringa at daylight, and stayed with the com- mandant till noon, and was treated very hos- pitably. Some merchants sent us stores. It ' #rf 1. yy 298 LIFE AND TRAVELS is the custom here, if they hear of the arrival of a foreigner, to load him with their little ser- vices. It is almost impossible to pass a town of any kind, without being arrested by them. They have the earnestness of hospitality ; they crowd their tables with everything they have to eat and drink, and not content with that, they fill your wallet. I wish I could think them as honest as they are hospitable. The reason why the commandant did not show his wife, was because he was jealous of her. I have observed this to be a prevailing passion here. The river on each side as we pass, is bounded by vast rocky cliffs, the highest mass of rocks I ever saw. . , - ' ^ " September \5\\. Snow squalls, with fresh gales ; up all night at the helm myself. " September 17th. Ninety versts from Yakutsk. Passed yesterday a very odd ar- rangement of rocks, which line the margin of the river for sixty versts. They are of taky and appear formerly to have been covered with earth, but are now entirely bare. They are all of a pyramidal form, and about one hundred and fifty feet in height ; detached at their bases, and disposed with extraordinary regu- larity. These rocky pyramids appear to ter- minate the long mountainous south and east * OF JOHN LEDYARD. 299 banks of the Lena, which have uniformly con- tinued from Katchuga, where 1 first embarked on the river." On the eighteenth of September, he arrived at Yakutsk, after a fatiguing voyage of twenty- two days, in a small bateau on the Lena. During this period, he had passed from a sum- mer climate to one of rigorous cold. When he left Irkutsk, it was just in the midst of harvest time, and the reapers were in the fields ; but when he entered Yakutsk, the snow was six inches deep, and the boys were whipping their tops on the ice. He debarked from his bateau, two miles above the town, and there mounted a sledge, drawn by an ox, with a Yukuti Indian on his back, and guided by a cord, passing through the cartilage of his nose. .' i'.'. . ih. / ■ . i « ih!jii"n ■. 'J* :^ii ^ • •■ ■ '■:X ' >i f . • . ■ 1 :4V •' • s v^'r « ■ " .J.V ..I -r • t .,• ? ., .. ■■ ■>(i- - '^ * # • .». V . '; 1 I 1 , 1 • 4 • v. = ! :y*. ^.^ 1. [.-.,■ \ I 300 LIFE AND TRAVELS if.' r ^■»' -' -"';:>( 'f' uf;9 ; CHAPTER X. . -.T .■ Interview with the Commandent of Yakutsk.— -Stopped at this place on account of the advanced state of the season. — His severe disappointment at this event. — Detained under false pretences. — ^Takesup his residence in Yakutsk for the winter. — Elephant's bones on the banks of the Lena, and in other parts of the country.— General remarks on the various tribes of Tartars in Siberia. — Characteristics of savages in cold and warm climates. — Kalmuks have two modes of writing. — Their manner of living. — ^The Yakuti Tartars.— Influence of religion upon them.— The love of freedom common to all the Tartars. — ^Their dwellings.— Inter- marriages betwen the Russians and Tartars. — In what degree the co- lour of descendants is affected by such intermarriages.— Peculiarities of features in the Tartar countenance. — Form and use of the Tartar pipe. — Dress. — Difficulty of taking vocabularies of unknown languages. -Marriage ceremonies. — Notions of theology. — Practice of scalping.— Wampum. — Classification of the Tartars and North American Indians.— Language a criterion for judging*of the affinity betwen tbe different races of men. — Causes of the difference of colour in the human race.— Tartars and American Indians the same people. Ledyard immediately waited on the com- mandant, delivered his letter from the Governor General, and made known his situation and designs. It was his wish to press forward with as much expedition as possible to Okotsk, lest the winter should shut in, before he could reach that town, where he hoped to seize upon the first opportunity, in the spring, to secure a passage to the American continent. The dis- OF JOHN LEDYAllD. 301 tance from Yakutsk was between six and seven hundred miles. Lodgings were provided for him by order of the Commandant, with whom he had already dined, and who soon after came to see him. Imagine his dismay, when the Commandant assured him, that the season was already so far advanced, as to render a journey to Okotsk impossible. . .:,.;.': , . iiw vji " What, alas, shall I do," exclaims he, in his journal, ** for I am miserably prepared for this unlooked for delay. By remaining here through the winter, I cannot expect to resume my march until May, which will be eight months. My funds ! I have but two long frozen stages more, and I shall be beyond the want or aid of money, until, emerging from the deep deserts, I gain the American Atlantic States ; and then, thy glowing climates, Africa, ex- plored, I will lay me down, and claim my little portion of the globe I have viewed ; may it not be before. How many of the noble minded have been subsidiary to me, or to my enter- prises ; yet that meagre demon, Poverty, has travelled with me hand in liand, over half the globe, and witnessed what ? — the tale I will not unfold ! Ye children of wealth and idleness, what a profitable commerce might be made between us. A little of my toil might better 302 LIFE AND TRAVELS brace your bodies, give spring to mind, and zest to enjoyment ; and a very little of that wealth, which you scatter around you, would put it beyond the power of anything but death to oppose my kindred greetings with all on earth that bear the stamp of man. This is the third time, that I have been overtaken, and arrested, by winter ; and both the others, by giving time for my evil genius to rally his hosts about me, have defeated the enterprise. Fortune, thou hast humbled me at last, for I am this moment the slave of cowardly solicitude, lest, in the heart of this dread winter, there lurk the seeds of disappointment to my ardent desire of gain- ing the opposite continent. But I submit." These melancholy forebodings were but too literally verified, as th^ issue will prove. In a letter to Colonel Smith from Yakutsk, he speaks again of this disappointment in the following manner: — " The Commandant assured me, that he had orders from the Governor- General to render me all possible kindness and service. ' But, Sir,' continued he, * the first service I am bound to render you is, to beseech you not to attempt to reach Okotsk thi» v inter.' He spoke to me in French. I almost rudely insisted on being permitted to depart immediately, and expressed OF JOHN LEDYARD. 303 surprise that a Yakuti Indian, and a Tartar horse, should be thought incapable of following a man, born and educated in the latitude of forty. He decVared, upon his honour, that the journey was impracticable. The contest lasted tw^o or three day§^, in which interval, being still fixed in my opinion, I was preparing for my journey. The Commandant at length waited on me, and brought with him a trader, a very good, respectable looking man, of about fifty, as a witness to the truth and propriety of his advice to me. This trader, for ten or twelve years, had passed and repassed often from Yakutsk to Okotsk. I was obliged, however severely I might lament the misfortune, to yield to two such advocates for my happiness. The trader held out to me all the horrors of the win- ter, and the severity of the journey at the best season ; and the Commandant, the goodness of his house, and the society here, all of which . would be at my service. The difficulty of the journey I was aware of; but when I assented to its impracticability y it was a compliment ; for I do not believe it is so, nor hardly any thing else. . . . , .- ,.,,.^ . " It is certainly bad in theory to suppose the seasons can triumph over the efforts of an honest man. The proffered hospitality of the Com- 304 LIFE AND TRAVELS niaadant I have no doubt was sincere ; because inKussia generally, and particularly in Siberia, it is the fashion to be hospitable. It is proba- ble, also, that it is a natural principle. I should, however, have said less to them about the matter, had I not been without clothes, and with only a guinea and one-fourth in my.purse ; and in a place where the necessaries of life are dearer than in Europe, and clothing still dearer by the same comparison. And, besides, the people of all descriptions here, as far as they are able, live in all the excess of Asiatic luxury, joined with such European excesses, as have migrated hither. Add to all these, that they are universally and extremely ignorant, and adverse to every species of intellectual enjoy- ment, and I will declare to you, that I was never before so totally at a loss how to accom- modate myself to my situation. The only con- solation I have, of the argumentative kind, is to reflect, that he who travels for information must be supposed to want it. By being here eight months, I shall be able to make my ob- servations much more extensive, respecting the country and its inhabitants, than if I had passed directly through it ; and this also is a satisfaction." :: It being thus determined* agaiost his opinion 1' OP JOHN LEDYARP. 305 and wishes, that he should ncw proceed, he rei solved to reconcile himself to his fate, and to make the best use of his time which circum- stances would allow. He had entered the follow- ing memorandum in his journal, while coming down the Lena. ** Yakutsk is the last place where I shall be able to make any inquiries, therefore let them be extensive." He now set himself earnestly to the task of complying with this injunction, and of collecting as much in- formation as possible. The facts and reflec- tions, which he thought worth preserving, are recorded in his diary without method or coa- nection. It was his manner, as we have already seen, to write down only hints, to state facts briefly, and throw out his own remarks upon them in language concise and unstudied. These particulars, as heretofore, must be remembered in reading the free extracts, which will be made from the part of his journal written at Yakutsk. *. There is some room for doubt, whether the Commandant was perfectly honest, in advising and persuading Ledyard to desist from his pur- pose of proceeding immediately to Okotsk. In the first place, it was certainly not an uncommon thing to perform that journey in the winter ; and the Commandant*8 tender concern for the 306 LIFE AND TRAVELS sufferings of the traveller, who knew what was before hiro, and was eager to grapple iwith^ very hardship in the way, could scarcely beisiich-as to induce him, from this motive alone, to urgie his delay for eight months in Yal£utsk.< His bringing in the trader to strengthen his argu- ment, on the same benevolent grounds, is more- over a suspicious circumstance. Ledyard yielded to their persuasions, against his will and his judgment, and was o:Ay surprised that he should meet two men in Siberia, entire strangers to him, who should have his happiness so much at heart.' -/-::-■ — i. ;,.,.:;...•:. ,.-^ •--,.;■;.., . Again, the original letter of recommendation from Jacobi, the Governor General of Irkutsk, to the Commandant of Yakutsk, has been pre- served amongst Ledyard's papers* It is written in the Russian language and character.* After recommending the bearer in general terms, and stating that he wished to pass through to the American continent, with a view of acquiring a knowledge of that country, Jacobi adds, '' His object seems to be, that of joining a certain secret naval expedition; I earnestly request you, therefore, to receive Mr. Ledyard most •■?■: * A translation of this letter was procured from the Russian Legation, through the politeness of Mr. Poletica, while he was minister from the court of Petersburg to the United States. X, - . - OF JOHN LEDYARI). J07 kindly, and to assist him every possible w«y in all his wishes, and to forward him without the least delay to the above-mentioned expedition." The passage in this letter, demanding particular attention, is that in which the Governor- Gene- ral enjoins it on the Commandant, with marked emphasis, to treat him kindly, and send him forward according to his wishes without delay. Now, if he had given this order seriously, it would not have been done, unless it was in- tended to be obeyed, and Jacobi knew very well whether the journey was practicable at the season, when the letter would arrive ; and if it was in fact a serious and positive order, it is not likely that the Commandant would have hesitated to carry it instantly into effect. My inference is, that there were secret instructions sent at the same time to detain Ledyard in Yakutsk, and that the Commandant, for this purpose, resorted to the artifice of a pretended concern for his health and comfort, that all sus- picions of any designed interference might be lulled to sleep. It is remarkable too, that the letter of recommendation was sent open, and was returned to Ledyard after having been read by the Commandant. This manoeuvre was artfully contrived to quiet his apppehen- sions, and cause him to believe, that the Go- X 2 i 30& LIFE AND TRAVELS vernor-General had taken a lively interest in his success, and was disposed to render him efficient aid. To this subject I shall have occa- sion to recur* J ^ ■..^'i.k.\ .. Meantime, let us return to the occupations of the traveller, while he was thus unconsciously a prisoner at Yakutsk. He pursued with dili- gence his inquiries, and lost no opportunity of seeking knowledge wherever he could find it, particularly on those topics, which he was fond of contemplating. In the letter to Colonel Smith, mentioned above, are contained some observations, besides those already quoted, which are in harmony with the writer's usual turn of mind, and mode of expressing his thoughts. . ■>,.;. ;f,,,;frni .ff .j^^ ■'--«;■•< r . " I cannot say that my voyage on the Lena has furnished me with any thing new, and yet no traveller ever passed by scenes, that more constantly engage the heart and the imagina- tion. I suppose no two philosophers would think alike about them. A painter and a poet would be much more likely to agree. There are some things, however, not unworthy of a philosophical inquiry. The Lena is very indif- ferent for navigation, from this place towards Irkutsk. In some mountains near the river are large salt mines, which afford a supply to •p. i OK JOHN LEDYARD. 309 all the adjacent country. It is pure, solid, transparent, mineral salt, and found in veins. The pieces that I have seen, with the Com- mandant here, are six and nine inches square. When pulverized for the table, it is much the most delicate salt I ever saw, of a perfect white, and an agreeable taste, but I imagine not so strong, by one-third, as our West India salt. There are also upon the banks of the Lena, and indeed all over this country, great quantities of elephants' bones. The Commandant possesses some of the teeth of that animal, larger than any I saw in the royal museum at Petersburg, and they are as sound as they ever were. The hafts of knives, spoons, and a variety of other things, are here made of them, and they equal any ivory I have seen from Africa. If I can, I will send you a specimen of this fine bone, and of the salt likewise. Indeed, I want to send you many things, but it is an embarrassing circum- stance, when one has correspondents in the antipodes. And though no man could show more kindness, or render more service to a traveller, than Dr. Pallas has done to me, yet I am reserved in asking them upon all occa- sions. Brown and Porter, too ; — I wonder their patience is not exhausted. It has been as 310 LIFE AND TRAVELS l^ thoroughly tried, as yours was while I was at Petersburg. * f .-.." '-^ ,• iMu,.,r.kn, " The fact is, I am a bankrupt to the world, but I hope it will consider well the occasion of my being such. I believe it will. My English creditors are the most numerous, and I have great consolation on that account, because they think and act with such heavenly propriety. In most parts of the world, and as much in Russia as any where, and in Siberia, most of all, it is the custom not to think at all. In this case it is difficult to liquidate, rationally, a re- ceipt and expenditure of three dinners and a bow. For the same reason, when Heft France my accounts were not closed ; and, from that day to this, I know not whether I owe France, or France owes me. But here at Yakutsk it will be infinitely worse ; and, without any vio- lence to the metaphor, or pedantic affectation, I declare to you, that, to leave Yakutsk with respectability, and reach Okotsk alive, will be to pass a Scylla and Charybdis, which I have never yet encountered. Both you, myself, and my friends, had formed at London very erro- neous opinions of the equipment necessary to pass through this country, and particularly as to the manner of travelling. It has been the OF JOHN LKDYARD. 311 source of all my troubles. They have been many, and I have done wrong to feel them so severely, I owe the world some services, which I shall make great efforts to perforin. Make my b6?t cxompliments to my friends, and tell them that I have a heart as big as St. PauFs church in such service as theirs." _,. ., ,,;,,vj The mistake here alluded to, in regard to the mode of travelling, was the plan formed by him- self and his friends in London, that he should walk, as being more economical. By experi- ment, he proved this to have been an ill-advised scheme, for walking not only consumed a great deal mor^ time, but the expenses in the aggre- gate were higher, than by the usual mode of travelling post through those countries. In a letter from Irkutsk, he says, " It has been to this moment a source of misfortune to me, that I did not begin to ride post from Hamburg. I have footed it at a great expense, besides the loss of my baggage, which I severely feel. Never did I adopt an idea so fatal to my hap- piness." The reason why he viewed this over- sight in so serious an aspect was, that it would inevitably be the cause of keeping him back, a full season, from his passage across the sea to the American continent, and thus in the end a whole year would be lost. Add to this the 312 LIFE AND TRAVELS innumerable accidents that might intervene to defeat his purpose altogether. Whereas, had he proceeded by the shortest conveyance from Hamburg to the Russian capital, he might with great ease have reached Kamtschatka the same season. The origin of his disasters may chiefly be referred, however, to his fit of roman- tic benevolence in seeking out Major Langhorn; wasting his precious time in Copenhagen, and sharing with his erratic countryman his scanty means, which, in their whule amount, were scarcely enough to keep himself alone from beggary. I shall now bring together^ in as eonriected a form as the nature of the particulars will admit, Ledyard*s observations on various tribes of Tartars, with whom he became more or less acquainted in Siberia. His researches were desultory, but pursued with inquisitiveness ; his statements are often curious, sometimes im- portant; they will afford amusement to the general reader, as well as information to the philosophical inquirer. "^-^ i?ra : .'- " Of all the gradations of men, the savage is the most formal and ceremonious, notwithstand- ing his wants and occupations are few, and he can with happy indifference endure privation. His heaven is peace and leisure. Ceremonials, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 313 like the uninterrupted tenor of his mind, may be supposed to be transmitted unchanged through many generations. Hence many things^ which marked the earliest period of history, and which have left no vestige with civilized man, show themselves at this day among savages. Their luxuries, if such they may be called, are of that kind which nature suggests. Dress, which in Jiot climates is an inconvenience, does not become so much the object of attention and delight ; and here, therefore, the savage is more nice in the indulgence*of his appetites. On the contrary, in cold climates, bodily covering being all important, ingenuity is directed to that point A feeble kind of infant fancy grows out of the efforts of necessity, and displays its little arts in adorning the person with awkward and fantas- tic decorations. But here the appetites ^re less lively and distinguishing. With respect to food, the vilest, and that totally unprepared, does not come amiss, and the most delicate is not seized with eagerness. Give a cake to a Swedish Laplander, Finlander, or northern Tar- tar, and he eats it leisurely ; do the same to an Otaheitan, Italian peasant^ or Spanish fisher- man, and he will put the whole cake into bis mouth if he can. The Empress has caused houses to be built in the Russian manner, at 314 LIFE AND TRAVELS the expense of government, and ordei«d themto be offered to the Yakuti, upon the sibgle con* dition of their dwelling in them; but they have universally refused, preferring their ap- parently more uncomfortable yourtes or wig^ warns* .'■t'^j "f' "-«'-* m^^' t v.s*'«^fi'Mtl ■ ■* w>(i» ' " The Tongusians are a wandering people, living solely by the chase. They rarely stop above two or three days in a place. They have tents or yourtes, made of bark, which they leave on the spot where they have encamped. When they march, they tell their women that they are going to such a mountain, river, lake, or forest, and leave them to bring the baggage. They are extremely active in the chase, and instances have occurred in which they were found dead, having pursued their game down some pre- cipice. Uuoi .'jal :4f .'iil- >,1 / l*i hi ; .ivV. : . Amtii iS:.n»ni *^ The Kalmuks, or Buretti, write their lan- guage in columns, like the Chinese ; the Kazan Tartars from right to left, like the Hebrews.* * Dr. Clarke mentions having procured at Taganrog, on the tea of Azof, a specimen of writing from the Kalmuk priests. The characters were arranged in columns on scarlet linen, and read from the top to the bottom. After returning to England he was infoimed, that this writing was Sanscrit He adds, that the Kal- muks in that part of Asia had two modes of writing, one with the vulgar character, so called, and the other with the sacred. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 315 The reason why the Buretti have the art of writing is, that they last migrated from the borders of Thibet. There is not another Asi- atic tribe in all Siberia, that write their km- guage, or have any remains of writing among them.* The sound of the Yakuti language very closely resembles that of the Chinese ; and the same, indeed, may be said of the languages of all the Asiatic Tartars. I have already observ- ed, that the Yakuti is supposed to be the oldest language, and that other tribes have some know* ledge of it. ^i^-^ >■' ^ u .ni.'iiH ,4r v*^ : '"The Kalmuks live mostly by their flocks, which consist of horses, sheep, goats, and cows. In summer they dwell in the plains ; in winter, retreat to the mountains, where their flocks feed on buds, twigs of trees, and moss. They have much milk, which serves theni for food, and of which they also make a kind of brandy.-j* This latter is read from left to right, like the European lan- guages ; the former in columns, and would seem to be Sanscrit. darkens Travels, Vol. I. c. 15. * * It must be observed, that Ledyard everywhere speaks of the Buretti as the same people with the Kalmuks, and both as direct descendants of the Mongul Tartars. What he says of either, therefore, may commonly be applied to the other. f The manner of extracting this spirituous liquor from Arilk is largely described by Pallas. The milk is first fermented^ in which state it contains a vinous acid, it is then subjected lo tin 316 LIFE AND TttAVELS They likewise hunt. When any of their flock are sick, or lame, they kill and eat them. - *' I observe there is one continual flow of good-mature and cheerfulness among the Tar- tars. They never abuse each other by words, but, when provoked, look for revenge, either secret or open. The Tongusians fight duels with their bows, and with knives. They, and the other roving Tartars, have the limits of their hunting grounds ascertained and marked, like the aborigines of North America. ^ *"- ' "• -' " The Yakuti here take their children out in the evening, and teach them the names of the principal stars, how to direct their march by them, and how to judge of the weather. Astro- nomy must have been an early science. The Russ and Yakuti appear to live together here in harmony and peace, without any distinction as to national difference, or superiority and in- feriority. I know of but one circumstance, (but alas 1 it is an important one,) in which the Yakuti are not on an equal footing with the rjnu^j^9 utlial prooeis of distillation, and the result is a species of liquor, irhich has intoxicating qualities, and of which the Kalmulu are very fond. Marc's milk is considered the best for this purpose, and! csonr's milk the next The milk of sheep is seldom distilled, as it 'Contains but a small quantity of the spirituous principle. yoyaget du Profeamir PalUu, Tom. II. pp. 166—1 75. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 317 Ru&$^ They hold no offices, civil or militory. The Russians have been here two hundred and fifty } "^ars, and the Yakuti Tartars have been under the Russian government ever since, yet have they made no alteration in their dress or manners in general; but the Russians have conformed to the dress of the Yakuti. Very few of them have embraced the Christian reli- gion, and those who have, perform its duties with great indifference. In this respect, also, the Tartar, whether in Asia or America, acts up to that sui generis character, which distin* guishes him from other branches of the human family. Religion of a:ny kind, professed by any other people, is usually a serious, contem- plative, and important concern, and forms at least as remarkable a trait in their character^ as any circumstance of fashion or habit; but it forms no part of the character of a Tartar. I have not in my mind the Christian system par* ticularly ; its doctrines are indeed mysterious to the greatest minds and best hearts. To a Tartar they must surely be so. The surprise is therefore the less» why they should so feebly affect the Tartar character. But tihe Maho- metan system, which courts the senses, and appeals to the passions, has operated no farther v-t c* -.J»«,ti^^ 318 LIFE AND TRAVELS on the Tartar, than to shave his head. There it stops ; it does not enter it, nor his heart. " The Tartar is a man of nature, not of art. His philosophy is therefore very simple, but isometimes sublime. Let us enumerate some of his virtues. He is a lover of peace. No lawyer here, perplexing natural rights of pro- perty. No wanton Helen, displaying fatal charms. No priest with his outrageous zeal has ever disturbed the peace. Never, I believe, did a Tartar speak ill of the Deity, or envy his fellow-creatures. He is contented to be what he is. Hospitable and humane, he is uniformly tranquil and cheerful, laconic in thought, word, and action. This is one great reason, and I think the greatest, why they have been con- stantly persecuted by nations of a different dis- position, and why they have always fled before them, and been content to live any where, if they could only live in peace. Some have attri- buted this conduct to a love of liberty. True ; but their ideas, both of peace and liberty, are different from ours. The Tartar holds in equal estimation his dear otium, and his libertas. They talk much of libeirty in England, for f^mple, but I th^'nk it would be less agreeable for a Tartar to live there, than in Russian Siberia, where there is less liberty. The Tar- OV JOHN LEDYARD. 319 tars, indeed^ think differently from tnost people of Europe, and, I believe, of Africa. If the Virginia planters were to give their Negroes more commodious houses to inhabit, instead of their poor huts, and encourage them otherwise to live in them, I believe the African would be of the same mind as the planter, and gladly accept the proposal. The same thing exactly has been offered here to the Yakuti by the crown ; they have much stronger inducements to accept the offer than the African ; but they have not, and they will not, though no condition accompanies the offer. They will inhabit the yourte. ■f'^t-^' ^-......^•: '■,._... ^ ,• <.- ■.._-■ The yourte, or, as the American Tartars call it pretty generally, tvigwam, is in this country a substitute for a tent. In milder climates it is made either of skins, or bark of trees, of sedge, or some other kind of grass. It is al- ways of a conical form, not divided into apart- ments, having an aperture at the top, and the fire made on the ground under it. Around the sides of the yourte, if it is only temporary, are placed the baggage and furniture ; if it is not temporary, seats for sitting and sleeping upon are ranged around the sides. The yourtes in the neighbourhood of Russian towns and settlements are made a little differently ; they 320 UFE AND TRAVELS are sunk two or three fbet in the ground, square, and divided into apart niients, tiie frame of wood, the sides plastered wiUi mud, and a flat roof covered with earth. The fire is in the centre, with a slight little chimney. They have two or three little windows; in summer, of talc J in winter, of ice. One apartment of the yourte is for the cow, ox, or horse, if the owner should possess any. These yourtes resemble not a tent; but remote from towns all the Tartars have tents either of skins, bark, or grass. r: -it'. ;a4:i.fiJ .10.5 i^Kr; '^y t'Jyy.n Ir'W "The people in thi& country, that are bora half Russ and half Tartar, are very diffe: ent from the Tartars or Russ, and much superior to either of them. The European nations, that intermarry most with other nations, are the handsomest How far may this cause be sup- posed to have made the Negro, and the Tartar, so different from the European ; or, which is more probable, have made the European so different from the Tartar and Negro? The Commandant showed me recently a man de- scended from a Yakuti father and Russian mother, and the son of this man. The colour of the first descendant is as fair as the second, and both as fair as the Russian mother and grand- motiher. After the first descent, intermarriage OF JOHN LEDYARP. 321 has a less perceptible effect on ih6 colour. This eliQDge of the colour by interMaiPriftg^ in generally from the darker to the lighter. The colour of the hair and eyes also inclines to be lighft, bitt does not always accompany the change of colour in the skin. Upon the whole, as I have said before, with respect to difference of colour with the Indian and European, they appear to me to be the effect of natural causes. I have given much attention to the subject on this continent. Its vast extent, and the variety of its inhabitants, afford the best field in the world iu whicb to examine it. By the same gentle gradation, by which I passed from the height of civilization at Petersburg to incivilization in Siberia, I also passed from the fair European to the copper coloured Tartar j I say the copper coloured Tartar^ but there is the same variety of colour among the Tartars in Siberia, as among the other nations of the earth. The journal of a RusRiati^ officer, which I have seen, informs me that th& Samoiedes, among whom he lived two years, are fairer than the Yakuti, who are of a light' olive, and fairer than the Toiigusians^ oi^die Buretti, who are copper coloured. Y6t the three last mentioned tribes are all Mongul Tartare. The greater part of iiMmkind; com- 322 LIFE AND TRAVELS pared with European civilization, are un- civilized, and this part are all darker than the other. There are no white savages, and few barbarous people, that are not brown or black. " The equally distinguishing characteristic of feature, in the Tartar face, invites me into a field of observation, which I am not able at present to give bounds to. I must therefore resign it to those who have leisure and a taste for such inquiries, contenting myself with fur- nishing a few facts, and describing this strange dissimilarity in the human face, according to the observations I have made. This I should be able to do anatomically, but I am not. The Tartar face, in the first impression it gives, approaches nearer to the African than the European ; and this impression is strengthened, on a more de- liberate examination of the individual features, and whole compages of the countenance; yet it is very different from an African face. The nose forms a strong feature in the human face. I have seen instances among the Kalmuks, where the nose between the eyes has been much flatter and broader, than I have ever wit- nessed in Negroes : and some few instances where it has been as broad over the nostrils quite to the end ; but the nostrils, in any case, are much smaller than in Negroes. Where I OF JOHN LEDYARD. 323 have seen those noses, they were accompanied with a large mouth and thick lips ; and these people were genuine Kalmuk Tartars. The nose protuberates but little from the face, and is shorter than that of the European. The eyes universally are at a great distance from each other, and very small ; at each corner of the eye, the skin projects over the ball ; the part appears swelled ; the eyelids go in nearly a . strait line from corner to corner. When open, the eye appears as in a square frame. The mouth, generally, however, is of a middling size, and the lips thin. The next remarkable features are the cheek bones. These, like the eyes, are very remote from each other, high, broad, and withal project a little forward. The face is flat. When I look at a Tartar en •profile, I can hardly see the nose between the eyes, and if he blow a coal of fire, I cannot see the nose at all. The face is then like an inflated bladder. The forehead is narrow and low. The face has a fresh colour, and on the cheek bones there is commonly a good ruddy hue. " The faces of Tartars have not a variety of expression. I think the predominating one is pride ; but whenever I have viewed them, they ' have seen a stranger. The intermixture by marriage does not operate so powerfully, in Y 2 324 UPR AND TRAVE^.& l>]K)duoiiig lb cbapge of feat^r^^, as oC com- plexioa, in Sslvouf pf Earape^L^s. I have seen the third in descent, and the Tartar pre- vailed Otver the European features* ThQ Tar- tars from time immemorial (I ^lean the Asiatic Tartars) have been a people of a wandering di^- position. Their converse has been more among beasts of the forest, than among men ; and when among men, it has only been those of their own nation. They have ever been sa- vages, averse to civilization, and have never tti^til very lately mingled with other nations, and now rarely. Whatever cause may have originated their peculiarities of features, the reason why they still continue, is their secluded way of life, which has preserved them from mixing with other people. I am ignorant bow far a coni^tant society with beasts, may operate in changing the features, but I am persuaded tjiat this circumstance, together with an un- Qultivated state of mind, if we consider a long and uninterrupted succession of ages, must account in some degree foe this remarkable singularity. >.. '* Mr. John Hunter, of London, has made, or is making, some anatomical exaipinations of the head of a Negro, which is said externally, at. least, to F^iien»ble that of the monkey. If I dF JdH>J^ lEDYAtlD a2^ tidtiid do it, I would send him the head of '* Tartar, who lives by the chase, and is constantly itt the Society of animals, which have high dh^ek bones ; and perhaps, on examining such a head, he would find an anatomical resemblance to the fo3tj the wolf, the bear, or the dog. I hme thoughts that even in Europe mechanical etltiployments, having been continued for a long time among the same people^ have had a con- siderable influence in giving a uniform charac- ter to their features. I know of no people^ among whom there is such a uniformity of fea- tures, (except the Chinese, the Jews, and the Negroes) as among the Asiatic Tartars. They are distinguished, indeed, by different tribes^ but this is only nominal. Nature has not ac- knowledged the distinction, but, on the con- trary, marked them, wherever found, n^ith the indisputable statnp of Tartars. Whether in NoVa Zembla, Mongolia, Greenland, or on the banks of the Mississippi, they are the samepeo-^ pie, forming the most numerous, and, if we must except the Chinese, the most ancient nation of the globe. But I, for myself, do not except the Chinese, because I have no doubt of their b^ing of the satne family* *' The Tofigusians, the Tchuktohi, the Ku- riles, and the Nova Zembleam are tatto^i^^d. • * 326 LIFE AND TRAVELS The Mohegan tribe of Indians in America practised tattooing. I find as yet nothing analogous to the American calumet, except in the use of it. The Tartars here, when they smoke the pipe, give it round to every one in the company. The form of the pipe is uni- versally the identical form of the Chinese pipe. I expect to find it in America, since the form of the pipe on the tomahock resembles it. This form intimates economy, and that the original custom of smoking the pipe was a mere luxury. It holds but a v*^« little. The manner in which the Tartars and ". ir ese use it, corroborates that idea. They maKc but one or two drafts from the pipe, and those they swallow, or discharge through the nose, and then put the pipe by. They say that the smoke thus taken is exhilarating. As the Chinese pipe is found universally among the Siberian Tartars, I think it probable, that the custom of smoking migrated with them to America, and thence, by Sir Walter Raleigh, made its way east to England. If so, the custom has tra- velled in a singular manner. Why did it not come from the Tartars west to England ? '' The Asiatic Tartars never change their dress ; it is the same on all occasions ; in the field, in the house, on a visit, on a holiday. OF JOHN LEDYARD. 327 They never have but one dress, and that is as fine as they can make it. Those that live with the Russians in their villages are above medi- ocrity as to riches, but discover the same in- difference about accumulating more, and for the concerns of to-morrow, that a North Ame- rican Indian does. They stroll about the vil- lage, and, if they can, get drunk, smoke their pipe, or go to sleep. The gardens of the Rus- sians are cultivated more or less, but theirs lie undisturbed. The house of the Russian is a scene of busy occupation, filled with furniture, provisions, women, children, dirt, and noise; that of the Tartar, is as silent, and as clean, as a mosque. If the season admits, the residents are all abroad, unless, perhaps, an old woman or man. There is very little furniture, and that rolled up and bound in parcels in a corner of the house, and no appearance of provisions. If it happen, that they profess the Russian re* ligion, they treat it with strange indifference, not thinkingly, but because they do not think at all about it. - ^ • ^'- ** I have not as yet taken any vocabularies of the Tartar languages. If I take any, they will be very short ones. Nothing is more apt to deceive than vocabularies, when taken by an entire stranger. Men of scientific curiosity, *? vs '*• 32« LIFE ANP TttAVELS make use of them in investigatrng questions of philosophy, as well as history, and I think often with too much Gonfidepce, sinoe nothing i$ more difficult than to take a vocabulary, that shall answer any good ends for ^uch a purpose. The different sounds of the same letters, and of the same combinations of letters, in the lan- guages of Surope, present an insurmountable obstacle to making a vocabulary, which shall be of general use. The different manner, also, in which persons of the same language would / write the words of a new language, would be such, that a stranger might suppose them to be two languages. Most uncultivated languages ^r^ very difficult to be orthogmphized in another language. They are generally guttural; but when not so, the ear of a foreigner cannot ac- commodate itself to the inflection of the speak- er's voice, soon enough to catch the true sound. This must be done instantaneously ; and even in ^ language with which we are acquainted, yre are not able to do it for several years. I seize, for instance, the accidental moment, when a MavAge is inclined to give me the names of things. The medium of this conversation is only signs. The savage may wish to give me the word for head, and lays his hand on the top of hi& head- 1 am not certain whether he means '*m^ :^ OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 329 the head, or the top of the head, or perhaps the hair of the bead. He may wish to say leg, ai^ puts his hand to the calf. I cannot tell whether he means the kg, or thecal/, or flesh, or the flesh. There are other difficulties. The island of Onalaska is on the coast of America opposite to Asia. There are a few Russian traders on it. Being there with Captain Cook, I was walking one day on the shore in company with a native, who spoke the Russian language. I did not understand it. I was writing the names of several things, and pointed to the ship, sup- posing he would understand that I wanted the name of it. He answered me in a phrase, which in Russ meant, / know, I wrote down, a ship, I gave him some snuff, which he took, and held out his hand for more, making use of a word, which signified in Russ> a little, I wrote, m(7re. • > ? * v: f-^^.^ . .xt: , -t ** The Asiatic Tartars have different methods of hunting the moose, and such kind of game ; but the most prevalent is like that of American Indians, by stratagem. So they catch ducks at the mouth of the river Kolyma ; so the Otaheitans catch fish sometimes ; and so the uncivilized parts of mankind war against each other. " I understand, from Captain BilUogs^s Jour- ,^ 330 LIFE AND TRAVELS nal, that the universal method amon^ the Tchuktchi Indians, in the ceremony of mar- riage, is for the man to purchase the woman, or make presents to her parents. It is also customary for the young man to serve a stipu- lated time with the parents of the bride. In case of disunion afterwards, which happens without passion, the presents that have been made are returned. If either party dies, the other marries again as soon as convenient; and the sooner the better, they say, because they ought not to lament what can be repaired. I suppose the love, in this case, below that which existed in the bosoms of Eloise and Abelard ; and I suppose the philosophy as much above theirs, as the love is below.* . -- ^ - • » Ti^»jt-J» v>;-f Rtg:, t , ci0.i/{iaj . iuji. • The following description, from Dr. Clarke's Travels, is applied to the Kalmuks, where he travelled on the borders of Persia, in the country of the Cossacs. *' Thie ceremony of mar- rii^,** says he, " among the Kalmuks is performed on horse- back. A girl is first mounted, who rides off in full speed. Her lover pursues ; if he overtakes her, she becomes his wife, and the marriage is consummated upon the spot. After this she returns with him to his tent. But it sometimes happens, that the woman does not wish to marry the person by whom she is pursued ; in this case she will not suffer him to overtake her. We were assured, that no instance occurs of a Kalmuk girl being thus caught, unless she have a partiality for her pursuer. If she dislHces him, she ride8,''to use the langui^e of English sports- •t--'. OF JOHN I ED YARD. 331 ff All the Asiatic Tartars, like the aborigines, of America, entertain the same general notions of theology, namely, that there is one great and good God, and that he is so good that they, have no occasion to address him for the bestow- ment of any favours; and, being good, he will certainly do them .^c mjury. But they suffer many calamities ; so they say there is another being, the source of evil ; and that he must be very powerful, because the evils inflicted on them are numerous. To this mischievous deity, therefore, they sacrifice. From him they ex- pect no favours, and do not ask any, but depre- cate his wrath. Their Shamants, or priests, have, therefore, nothing to do with the good; God ; their business is solely with the other, whom they make free to parcel out into a great variety of characters, assigning to each evil a presiding subordinate spirit. This affords the Shamant an opportunity of playing his tricks in an extraordinary manner. " Mr. Pennant observes, that the Scythians scalped their enemies. I have ever thought, since my voyage with Captain Cook, that the men, neck or nothing, until she has completely effected her escape, or until the pursuer's horse becomes exhausted, leaving her at liberty to return, and to be afterwards chased by some more favoured admirer.*'— Vol. I. c. 15. 332 LIFE AND TRAVELS same custom, under difierent forms, Exists throughout the islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is worthy ^f remark, that though the Indians at owhyhee brought a part of Captain Cook's head, yet they had cut all the hair off, which they did not return to us. I have also fre- quently observed the islanders to wear great quantities of tklse human hair. All savage nations are foad of preserving some badge or testimonial of the victory over their enemies, of this kind. The ancient Scythians and North American Indians have preferred the scalp, and, among the South Sea Islanders, teeth and hair are ia repute ; all of them giving preference to some part of the head. ' " The wampum, so universally in use among the Tartars apparently as an ornament, I can- not but suspect is used as a substitute for letters, in representing their language, by a kind of hieroglyphic record. I intei^ed to make this a subject of attention, and to have drawings taken of the Asiatic and American wampum, with a view of comparing them, but hav« not been able to do it. I have seen the initials of a Tartar's name worked in the wam- pum, on the borders of his garment. A people bftviog such great respect fior their ancestors, OF JOHN LEDYAHP. 333 as the Tartars have, would naturally endeavour iQ preserve some memorials of them.'* Sucb are the observattons of our traveller^ on the aboriginal inhabitants of Siberian Asia. In considering the Kalmuks, Buretti> Tongu- $ians» and Yakuti» as descendants of the Mon- gols, he accords with other writers, but he advances a bold and novel opinion in classifying all these races with the North American In- dians, Greenlanders, and the Chinese. It i&> trae> the point seems never to have been established, how far the affinities between different tribes, or nations of men, must be. carried, in order to bring them; withiii the same^ general class. Traditions, ceremonies, bodily fprm and features, habits, laws, religion and resemblance of languages, must all be taken into the account. Where there is a similarity in many of these particulars, it may be safely inferred, that the people among whom they exist, although inhabiting regions remote from; each other, have sprung from a common origin ; but it does not follow with equal probability, that where this similarity is least observable,. or perhaps unperceived, they are to be set down as radically distinct races of men. So innumerable are the causes of change, in all these respects, that no rule of this sort can be; \ ^m 1 334 LIFE AxVD TRAVELS assumed, as applicable to any individual case whatever. Customs, laws, pursuits, dress, modes of life, vary with the climate and the productions of the soil. People, who live by the chase and by fishing, will have few of the habits of agriculturists. Approaches to civili- zation will gradually introduce a thousand new customs. '- •-; ' ■-■'T . r ■ ■ _- • -- '■■ •■ Language has been thought the best crite- rion by which to judge of the affinity between different races, and doubtless it is. That two nations should speak languages closely re- sembling each other, is hardly possible, unless they originated from the same stock; j^et it can by no means be inferred with as much certainty, that, because there is a wide dis- similarity in their languages, the sources whence they sprung were as widely dissimilar. The same causes, which change the habits of men, under new circumstances will change their language. New words, and new combinations of words, will be required to express ideas not known before. The intermingling of migratory tribes, speaking different languages, must also introduce total confusion, out of which would most likely grow up a dialect, bearing little analogy to either of the primitive tongues. Let such a process be carried on for many OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 335 generations, by a succession of intermixtures, ^nd what clue would^ there be to guide the inquirer through this labyrinth of mutations back to the first fountain ? When it is con- sidered, moreover, that all these tongues are unwritten, and without any recognised prin- ciples, the perplexity is increased a hundred fold. According to recent discoveries, the Tschukchi, the natives inhabiting the American side of Bering's Strait, the Eskimaux, and the Green] anders, speak languages which have many marks of affinity. Their common origin is a very natural inference. Owing to a more recent separation, or fewer intermixtures, their language has been preserved with something of its primitive form. Had the same favourable circumstances attended the migrations of other tribes, we might perhaps now trace them to the same source, with as much appearance of probability. We might possibly detect similar resemblances between the Iroquois and the Yakuti, the Mohegans and the Kamtschadales, and even the Polynesians and the Kalmuks. In short, the state of the question is simply this. Where obvious analogies exist, we may affirm a connection between the tribes in which they prevail, at some remote or proximate period ; but where they do not exist, we can . \\ 336 LIFE AND TI^AVELS say nothing^on the subject, ia the latter case we have oo warrant for deciding one way or the other. Taken in this view, no well founded objec- tion can be advanced against Ledyard's opinion, altiiough it would not be easy to establish it hy a consecutive series of proofs. It was the result of a long observation of general appear- ances^ rather than of a minute and methodical research, it was not with him an idle specula- tion, indulged for the moment, and then dis- missed. After his return from Siberia, he reiterated the same sentiments. In connection with a short account of his travels, he writes to a friend in these emphatic words : " You will please to accept these two obser- vations, as the result of extensive and assiduous inquiry. They are with, me well ascertained fkcts. The first is, that the difference of colour in the human species (as the observation ap- plies to all but the Negroes, whom I have not visited) originates from natural causes. The second is, that all the Asiatic Indians, called TartarS) and all the Tartars, who formed the later armies of Genghis Khan, together with the Chinese, are the same people, and that the American Tartar is also of the same OF JOHN LED^'ARD. 337 family ; the most ancient and numerous people on earth, and the most uniformly alike." In this place may be inserted, also, his re- marks to Mr. Jefferson, in a letter written nearly at the same time with the above. After reite- rating his opinion, in regard to the causes of the difference of colour in the human race, he continues : »** I am certaiii, that all the people you call red people on the continent of America, and on the continents of Europe and Asia, -as far south as the southern parts of China, are all one people, by whatever names distingJiished, and that the best general name would be Tartar. I suspect that all red people are of the same family. I am satisfied, that America was peopled from Asia, and had some, if not all, its animals from thence. ■"^. v ^^^-^s v^' -•■^-^ ^ - • • - u- '■ . i .^^ ** I am satisfied, that the great general ana- logy in the customs of men can only be account- ed for, by supposing them all to compose one family ; and, by extending the idea, and uniting customs, traditions, and history, I am satisfied, that thi.« cammon origin was such, or nearly, as related by Moses, and commonly believed among the nations of the earth. There is, also, a transposition of things on the globe, that must have been produced by some cause equal to the 338 LIFE AND TRAVELS effect, which is vast and curious. Whether I repose on arguments drawn from facts observed by myself, or send imagination forth to find a cause, they both declare to me a general de- luge." y .:: .■ ■. j;w. : 4 ■■<'- 'M' ^i ^>--..- It will be perceived, that he uses the word Tartar in a broader sense than is commonly gi. ven to it, embracing not only all the Northern Asiatic races and the Chinese, but likewise the aborigines of North America. Pallas says, that even the Monguls and Kalmuks are not rightly called Tartars, and that these latter people are different from the former in their origin, cus- toms, political establishments, and the linea- ments of their features. They inhabit the northern regions of Thibet, and western Siberia, never mingling with the Kalmuks. These facts in no degree affect Ledyard's use of the word. He employs it as a general term, and in a defi- nite manner, without regard to its original meaning. , V|." } J^- \ . .. , ^ t , . ; i • I. I. , I I. V» -'• ' ,' 4 1 -• , i i , »v» iww , J- » - OF JOHN LEF3VARD. 339 CHAPTER XL Climate in Siberia.— Extreme cold.— Congelation of quicksilver.— Images in Russian bouses. — Attention paid to dogs.— Ice windows.— Jealousy of tbe Russians. — Moral condition of tbe Russians in Siberia. — Led- yard's celebrated eulogy on women.— Captain Billings meets him at Yakutsk, on bis return from the Frozen Ocean.— Bering's discovery of the strait called after bis name. — Russian voyages of discovery. — Be- ring's death.— Russia fur trade. — Billings's expedition. — His incompe- tency to the undertaking.— His instructions nearly the same as those drawn up by Peter the Great for Bering. — Some of their principal fea- tures enumerated. A FEW other selections on miscellaneous topics will now be made from that part of the journal, which was written at Yakutsk. ** At Kazan there is abundance of snow ; at Irkutsk, which is in about the same latitude, very little. Here, at Yakutsk, the atmosphere is constantly charged with snow ; it sometimes falls, but very sparingly, and that in the day time ; rarely, if ever, at night. The air is much like that which we experienced with Captain Cook in mare glaciali, between the latitudes of seventy and seventy-two ; seldom a serene sky, or detached clouds ; the upper region is a dark, still, expanded vapour, with few openings in it. / 2 340 LIFE AND TRAVKLS The lower atmosphere contains clouds floating over head, resembling fog-banks. In general, the motion of every thing above and below is languid. The summers are said to be dry ; the days very hot, nights cold, and the weather ex- ceedingly changeable, subject to high winds generally from the north, and sometimes heavy snows in August. I have seen but one aurora borealis, and that not an extraordinary one. The people in Yakutsk have no wells. They have tried them to a very great depth, but they freeze even in summer ; consequently they have all their water from the river. But in winter they cannot bring water in its fluid state ; it freezes on the way. It is then brought in large cakes of ice to their houses, and piled up in their yards. As water is wanted, they bring these pieces of ice into the warm rooms, where they thaw, and become fit for use. Milk is brought to market in the same way. A Yakut! came into our house to-day with a bag full of ice. ' What,* said I to Laxman, ' has the man brought ice to sell in Siberia V It was milk. Clean mercury exposed to the air is now con- stantly frozen. By repeated observations I have found in December, that two ounces of quicksilver openly exposed, have frozen hard in fifteen minutes. It may be cut with a knife, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 341 like lead. Strong cogniac brandy coagulated. A thermometer, filled with rectified spirits of wine, indicated thirty-nine and a half degrees on Reaumur's scale. Captain Billings had, on the borders of the Frozen Ocean, the winter before last, forty-three degrees and three-fourths by the same thermometer. In these severe frosts the air is condensed, like a thick fog. The atmosphere itself is frozen ; respiration is fatiguing ; all exercise must be as moderate as possible ; one's confidence is in his fur dress. It is a happy provision of nature, that in such intense colds there is seldom any wind ; when there is, it is dangerous to be abroad. In these seasons, there is no chase ; the animals submit themselves to hunger and security, and so does man. All nature groans beneath the rigorous winter.* ' ^ 4 * The following is the statement of Captain Cochrane, res- pecting the degree of cold at the river Kolyma, which he visited in the winter of 1820-21. " The weather proved exceedingly cold in January and February, but never so severe as to prevent our walks, except during those times when the wind was high ; it then became insupportable out of doors, and we were obliged to remain at home. Forty degrees of frost of Fahrenheit never appear to affect us in calm weather, so much as ten or fifteen during the time ofa breeze. Forty'three of Reaumur, or seventy- seven of Fahrenheit, have been repeatedly known. I will, alio, add my testimony from experiment to the extent of /orty-luw. r. I 342 LIFE AND TRAVELS " The first settlers here [Russians] came round by the North Sea, about two hundred and fifty years ago. A gentleman showed me to-day a copy of a marriage contract done at Moscow, two hundred and five years ago. It is a folio page, and there are only sixteen words intelligible to an ordinary reader, which corres- pond to the orthography of the present day- Many instances of longevity occur in this place. There is a man one hundred and ten years old, who is in perfect health, and labours daily. The images in the Russian houses, which I should take for a kind of household gods, are yery expensive. The principal ones have a great deal of silver lavished on them. To furnish out a house properly with these Dii Minores, would like a base Asiatic, he licks the feet of his superior in rank; and his duty to his God, if he fills his house with a set of ill look- ing brass and silver saints, and worships them. It is for these reasons, that the peasantry in particular, are the most unprincipled in Chris- tendom. I have looked for certain virtues of the heart, that are called natural. I find them not in the most obscure villages of the empire. On the contrary, I find the rankest vices to abound there, as much as in the capital itself." A few isolated facts will now be added> which he collected chiefly from the information of others, but which he deemed worthy of a place in his journal. - v ? "The Tongusians are tattooed. The Sa- moiedes have the double-headed paddle. They fish with nets, under the ice. The Buretti have tlie Mahometan lock of hair. The Kuriles are tattooed. A journal of a Russian ofiicer, says they are very hairy. They traf- fic with the Japanese, in feathers and fish. The islands have little vegetation. The people are reserved in conversation ; tlfey are comely ; liaye their materials for boat and house build- // OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 347 ing from the continent, or from the Japanese. They are very wild, and receive strangers with the most threatening and formal appearance, but afterwards, they are kind and hospitable. The coast of the Frozen Ocean is full of trees and driftwood, for five versts out. It is re- marked by the Russians, that since their know- ledge of those regions, the land has increased towards the sea, and driven it northwards, a circumstance attributable, perhaps, to the large rivers, that empty themselves there. — Informed that the custom of staining the nails of the fingers, of a scarlet colour, is com- mon near the Caspian and Black seas. I saw one instance of it in the neighbourhood of Kazan. It is^ likewise a custom among the Cochin Chinese. I saw it at the island of Perlp Con- dor. The custom of calling John the son of John, Alexander the son of Alexander, prevails among the Russians." -• * .' The preceding selections embrace nearly all that is contained in the journal, under the dates of his residence at Yakutsk, except the celebrated eulogy on women, which was like- wise written at that place. This beautiful and touching tribute to the superiority of the female charapter, is the more to be valued, as coming from one, whose sphere of observation and experience had been such as to enable him 348 LIFE AN I) TRAVELS to speak with confidence, and whose sincerity cannot be suspected. It is the simple effusion of a grateful heart, recorded in his private journal, not intended for the nublic eye, and obviously written, like the rest of the manu- script compositions left behind him, without any other design, than to quicken his own re- collections, or perhaps amuse his intimate friends in a vacant hour. This eulogy was first printed, shortly after the author's death, in the Transactions of the African Asso- ciation, in which it was inserted by Mr. Beau- foy, secretary to that body, who then had the Siberian journal in his possession. It has often been reprinted, and universally admired, not more for the sentiments it contains, and the genuine feeling that pervades it, than for its terse and appropriate language. The ori- ginal has been altered in some of the tran- scripts. It is here introduced as found in the journal. " 1 have observed among all nations, that the women ornament themselves, more than the men ; that, wherever found, they are the same kind, civil, obliging, humane, tender beings; that they are ever inclined to be gay and cheerful, timorous and modest. They do not hesitate, like man, to perform a hospitable or generous action ; not haughty, nor arrogant, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 349 nor supercilious, but full of courtesy, and fond of society ; industrious, economical, ingenuous ; more liable in general, to err, than man, but in general, also, more virtuous, and performing more good actions than he. I never addressed myself, in the language of decency and friend- ship, to a woman, whether civilized or savage, without receiving a decent and friendly an- swer. With man it has often been otherwise. In wandering over the barren plains of inhos- pitable Denmark, through honest Sweden, frozen Lapland, rude and churlish Finland, un- principled Russia, and the wide spread regions of the wandering Tartar, if hungry, dry, cold, wet, or sick, woman has ever been friendly to me, and uniformly so ; and to add to this vir- tue, so worthy of the appellation of benevo- lence, these actions have been performed in so free and so kind a manner, that, if I was dry, I drank the sweet draught, and, if hungry, ate the coarse morsel, with a double relish." By these specimens of his journal, we may judge, how the traveller employed himself at Yakutsk, during the weary days of his com- pulsory residence there. He had not been quite two months in this town, when Captain Billings arrived from his expedition to the river Kolyma, and the frozen ocean. An inti- 350 Lll AID THAVKLS mate acquaintance had formerly subsisted between Ledyard and Billings. The latter had been an assistant to the A«?tronomer Bayly, during the whole of Cook's last voyage. He was now employed under the orders of the Empress of Russia, on a mission for exploring the northeastern regions of her territories, and for prosecuting discoveries in geography and natural science. Billings was much surprised at meeting his old acquaintance in the heart of Siberia, not having heard from him, since their separation at the close of the voyage. Mean- time he had entered the Russian service, and by a concurrence of favourable circumstances, not easy to be accounted for, had obtained the command of a very important expedition. Led- yard was, no doubt, glad to meet a person, in this rude quarter of the world, who could speak his own language, and who had some recollections in common with himself; but, in other respects, the companionship was not such as to promote his advantage or his en- joyment. Billings gave no proof, that he was competent to the high trust reposed in him by the Russian government, or that he possessed qualities suited to win the esteem of his as- sociates. A few remarks, relating to the purposes of OF JOHN LEDYARD. 351 the expedition just alluded to, may very well be introduced in this place, as in some of its parts, it was more or less in unison with the designs of the American traveller. Russian enterprise had by no means been backward, in pushing discoveries to the east and north, even at a comparatively early period. About the middle of the seventeenth century, Desch- nefF and his companions passed down the Kolyma, sailed along the coast of the Tchuktchi country in the Icy Sea, and thence discovered a route by land from this coast to Anadir. Other adventures were undertaken, and dis- coveries made at successive periods, by Sta- duchin, MarkofF, Willegin, and AmossofF. But the journeys and voyages of these persons had extended only to the Tchuktchi territory, Anadir, Kamtschatka, the Kurile Islands, and to the neighbouring seas. Neither the Strait, which separates Asia from America, nor any part of the American coast on the northwest, nor the Aleutian Islands, had been visited before the year 1728, when Captain Bering made his voyage of discovery. This voyage was planned by Peter the Great, who wrote out with his own hand, the instructicas for the commander. He died before they vere put in execution; but the Empress, who succeeded him, carried 352 LII-K AND TRAVKLS the original design into effect. Captain Bering* was despatched to Kamtschatka, with orders to construct two vessels there, and to sail in them, for the purpose of examining the coast, towards the east and north, and of ascertaining, if possible, whether Asia and Amerf'"'* were separated by the ocean. In the year above- mentioned, he made this voyage, and dis- covered the strait, to which his name has been given He kept so close to the Asiatic shore, that he did not see the American coast, but he sailed northward, till, on doubling a cape, he saw an open sea before him, which presented a boundless horizon to the north and west, and convinced him that the two continents no- where came in contact with each other. The season was far advanced, and he returned to the river of Kamtschatka, where he wintered. . The success of this voyage was such, as to encourage the government to undertake others. A plan was formed for navigating the whole northern coast of Russia, from Archangel to Kamtschatka. Several expeditions were fitted out for this purpose from Archangel, the mouths of the Ob, Yenissey, Lena, and Kolyma, and after incredible sufferings by the officers and men engaged in them, ,and the loss of a great many lives in those terrific regions of cold and OF JOHN LEDYARD. 353 privation, all further attempts were abandoned. Some new portions of the coast were examined, but much remained unexplored, and has con- tinued so to this day. No passage has been effected entirely round the north coast of Asia, any more than round that of America. ' - • Twelve years after his first discovery, Bering made another voyage, fell in with the Aleutian Islands, explored the American coast for a considerable distance, and discovered and named Mount Saint Elias. In returning to Kamtschatka at the beginning of winter, he was driven in distress upon an island near the Asiatic coast, where he and several of his men died. The island has since borne his name. The remnant of his crew arrived in the spring at Kamtschatka. . / . , - ^ . From this period the Russians kept up an* active fur trade, from Okotsk and Kamtschatka, with the natives of the Aleutian Islands, but voyages of discovery ceased for a long time. A tribute in furs was collected for the Russian government from the natives, by the traders who went among them, and authentic accounts are related of barbarities practised by the latter against the former, in their exactions of labour in procuring furs, equalling in cruelty the ser- vitude of the mites, inflicted by the Spaniards A A I /- 354 LIFE AND TRAVELS in South America on the Indians, whom they compelled to work in the mines. The party of traders, whom Ledyard visited at Onalaska, however, cannot be brought under this im- putation in its full extent, for he describes them as kind to the natives, whom he saw with them. It is to be considered, nevertheless, that the cruelties were principally suffered by those, who were sent abroad to hunt and trap, and made to endure cold and hunger, and all the severities of the climate. These sufferers would not come under the traveller's observa- tion, in . the short time that he remained with the traders at Onalaska. -• Such was the state of the Russian fur trade on the American coast, from the date of Be- ring's last discoveries, till that of Cook's voyage to the northern polar seas, a period of about forty years. During that space the government appears to have paid no attention to the subject, except to take care that its agents at Okotsk and Kamtschatka gathered tribute from the islands. But when Cook's last voyage began to make a noise in Europe, and his discoveries on the Northwest Coast of America and in the adjoining seas to be known, the sagacious Catherine was quick to perceive, that her interests were involved in the affair, OF JOHN LEDYARD. 355 and that it was time for her to look to these remote and hitherto neglected parts of her dominions. In short, an expedition was planned on a large and liberal scale, and it was resolved, that, in preparing for it, nothing should be spared, which was necessary to com- bine in it all pos jible facilities for prosecuting discoveries, both by land and by sea. Professor Pallas, who was a favourite with the Empress, and who had travelled in Siberia under her patronage, W8 i particularly instru- mental in suggesting and maturing this plan. The choice of a commander was an important consideration, and this was at last effected wholly through the interest of the Professor. Mr. Billings, who had recently obtained a lieutenancy ia the Russian ii ^rvice, had found means to insi*: -j-.td himself into the favour of Pallas, and V .inpr v him with a high opinion of his uriderstandin^ and knowledge ; in which he j^discover*^.f^, ho'vever, after it was too late, that he wa- unfortunateiy mistaken. The cir- cumstance i^\ this lieutenant having been with Cook, in the regions that were to be explored, filling a station wh' h q^ave him some preten- sions to a science, was thought to be a strong recommendation ; and so it would have been, if in more important respects he had possessed A A 2 35G LIFE AND TRAVELS the qualities of a commander, and a man of enterprise. In these he was singularly defi- cient, as was fully demonstrated in the sequel of the expedition. He was appointed to the command, and left Petersburg for Siberia in October, 1785, about eighteen months before Ledyard arrived in the Russian capital. The instructions to Billings were so well drawn up, that they deserve a passing notice. They were prepared on the basis of those which had been written by Peter the Great for Captain Bering. Every provision was made for the advancement of science and geogra- phical knowledge, as well as for the extending of the Russian government in remote and un- known parts. The great specific objects were, to determine the latitude and longitude of the mouth of the river Kolyma, and the line of coast from that point to the East Capr in Bering's Strait ; the construction of an exact chart of the Eastern Ocean, and the islands between Asia and America ; and the attain- ment of all such knowledge of those regions as might serve to illustrate the reign of her Im- perial Majesty, by improving the condition and promoting the happiness of the natives inhabiting those distant lands, and by collect- ing and diffusing new truths of science, for the general benefit of mankind. OF JOHN LEDVAUD. 357 The instructions for scientific researches were minute, perspicuous, and explicit. Professor Pallas was much consulted in preparing them. And, indeed, the separate articles for the natu- ralist, drawn up with admirable precision and method, were entirely from his pen, and issued with his signature. Observations in geography and meteorology, exact delineations of charts and notes of electrical phenomena, variations of the needle, and of barometrical and thermome- trical changes, were expressly required. The various departments of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, were also particularized, and the utmost care enjoined in collecting spe- cimens, and forwarding them to Petersburg. Drawings were to be made of curious and ex- traordinary objects. The manners, disposition, and occupations of the natives were to be des- cribed, and also their modes of living, govern- ment, religions, their dresses, arms, and manu- factures. Moreover, vocabularies of their lan- guages were ordered to be made, according to a model previously furnished. The commander, the naturalist, and all the principal officers, were directed to keep journals for the future inspection of the Admiralty. Another feature in these instructions deserves to be mentioned. In case any savage tribes t- I ■ v " i^58 LIFE AND TRAVELS should be discovered, who had not been ac- quainted with civilized people, it was positively ordered, that they should be treated with kind- ness, and that the best means should be used to conciliate their good opinion. They were never to be approached in a hostile way, unless such a step should appear absolutely necessary for self defence. On this point the instructions are as full and definite as on others, and breathe a spirit of humanity, which, if it had been uniformly felt and acted upon by discoverers, would have prevented innumerable scenes of bloodshed and misery, which have marked the early intercourse between civilized and savage men, > > . : Captain Billings was allowed to select his own officers and privates, and, as an encou- ragement to all the persons engaged, much higher pay was granted than was usual in the regular service, with the promise of additional rewards. The officers were to be promoted as the enterprise advanced, and particularly at its conclusion. The Governor General of Irkutsk was orderec^ to render all needful as- sistance, and unite his best efforti^ with those of the commander to execute the iesigns of the Empress. No expedition was ever more libe- rally provided, and none ever commenced under better auspices. iJkU.4 OF JOHN LEDYARD. 359 When Ledyard.met Billings at Yakutsk, he had been more than two years absent from Petersburg, and had spent the preceding season at the mouth of the river Kolyma, at- tempting to pass along the coast in boats con- structed for the purpose. The ice threatened him, and he accomplished nothing, though his lieutenant was extremely desirous to push for- ward, at a time when, to all but the comman- der, there seemed a prospect of success. He had now returned, with the intention of going to Irkutsk, and there superintending the trans- portation of various articles to Okotsk, where they were wanted for preparing the vessels, in which he expected to make a voyage to the American coast in the following summer. This was the opportunity which Ledyard hoped to embrace for securing his passage from one continent to the other. , , , " ' f • = ' » T ! « )■ ' i ■ f •', v 360 LIFE AND TRAVELS Si J CHAPTER XII. V'H; Ledyard departs from Yakutsk, and returns to Irkutsk up the Lena on the ice.1— Is seized by order of the Empress and hurried off in the charge of two guards.— Returns through Siberia to Kazan. — His remarks on the peculiarity of his fate. — Further observations on the Tartars.— No good account of them has ever been written.->Pa8ses Moscow and ar- rives in Poland.— Left by his guards, with an injunction never to appear again in Russia. — Health much impaired by his sufferings. — Proceeds to Konigsberg, and thence to London.— Inquiry into die motives of the Empress for her cruel treatment of him. — Her pretences of humanity not to be credited. — Her declaration to Count Segur on the subject.— Dr. Clarke's explanation incorrect.— The true cause was the jealousy of the Russian American Fur Company, by whose influence his recal was procured from the Empress. — Lafayette's remark on her conduct in this particular. That we may not anticipate events, we will again take up our traveller at Yakutsk, where we left him with Captain Billings, then just returned from the Kolyma, near the end of November. Here they lived together about five weeks. Meantime Billings was making preparation for his journey to Irkutsk, and in- vited Ledyard to accompany him thither. This invitation he readily accepted, since it was im- possible for him to proceed to Okotsk before spring ; nor indeed would any object be gained by such a journey, till Captain Billings himself •■'M,,., OF JOHN LEDYAllD. 361 should return to that place, and his vessels be got in readiness, for no chance of a passage was likely to offer at an earlier date. Accordingly he joined Captain Billings's party, which left Yakutsk on the twenty-ninth of December, and travelled in sledges up the river Lena on the ice. With such speed did they move forward by this mode of conveyance, that they reached Irkutsk in seventeen days, having passed over a distance of fifteen hundred miles. Ledyard's voyage down the river in a canoe had taken up twenty- two days. Nothing is found recorded in his journal, during this second visit to Irkutsk. In Sauer's account of Billings' expedition, the fate which overtook him there is made known to us, and the manner in which he submitted to it. ''■ ■ *• In the evening of the twenty-fourth of February," says Sauer, *' while I was playing at cards with the brigadier and some company of his, a secretary belonging to one of the courts of justice came in, and told us, with great con- cern, that the Governor General had received positive orders from the Empress, immediately to send one of the expedition, an Englishman, under guard to the private Inquisition at Moscow, but that he did not know the name of the person, and that Captain Billings was with » Is 362 LIFE AND TRAVELS a private party at the Governor General's. Now, as Ledyard and I were the only English- men here, I could not help smiling at the news, when two hussars came into the room, and told me, that the Commandant wished to speak to me immediately. The consternation into which the visitors were thrown is not to be described. I assured them, that it must be a mistake, and went with the guards to the Commandant. "There I found Mr. Ledyard under arrest. He told me, that he had sent to Captain Billings, but he would not come to him. He then began to explain his situation, and said he was taken up as a French spy, whereas Captain Billings could prove the contrary, but he sup- posed that he knew nothing of the matter, and requested that I would inform him. I did so, but the Captain assured me, that it was an absolute order from the Empress, and that be could not help him. He, however, sent him a few roubles, and gave him a pelisse ; and I pro- cured him his linen quite wet from the wash- tub. Ledyard took a friendly leave of me, desired his remembrance to his friends, and with astonishing composure leaped into the kibitke, and drove off, with two guards, one on each side. I wished to travel with him a little way, but was not permitted. I therefore le- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 363 turned to my company, and explained the matter to them; but though this eased their minds with regard to my fate, it did not restore their harmony."* One word more only need be added re- specting Billings. He went to Okotsk in the summer, made a voyage to the Aleutian Islands, and thence Bering's Strait. From the bay of St. Lawrciice he passed across the Tchuktchi country to the river Kolyma by land, whence he proceeded to Yakutsk, and at length returned to Petersburg, after an absence of seven or eight years. No evidence exists, that his la- bours were of any service to Russia or to the world, either in the field of discovery, or the departments of science. Sauer's book has made his incompetency notorious. The mis- fortune was, that this should have been found out so late. Captain Burney, who was well acquainted with Billings while on Cook's voyage., observes, in alluding to Ledyard's arrest, ** If the Empress had understood the characters of the two men, the commander of the expedition would probably have been ordered to Moscow, and Ledyard, instead of * See Sauer*s Account of a Geographical and Astronomical Expedition to the Northern Parts of Russia, &c. p. 100. '* M w 'M IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ■U ^ 12.2 u 1I& lii^ Ui^ Ui^ 4 6" > ► V' Photographic Sdmoes Corporation ^. -*">. ^^ <^> \ n WMT MAIN tTMIT \MIMTII,N.V. 14110 (71*)t73-4IOI v\ 5k O^ 364 • LIFE AND TRAVELS being denied entertainment in her service, have been appointed to supply his place."* Being now a prisoner, Ledyard was under the entire control of his two guards, who con- ducted him, with all the speed with which horses and sledges could convey them, towards Moscow, exposed to the extreme rigours of a Siberian winter. In such a situation, it cannot be presumed, that he would have either the heart or leisure to write in his journal. A few particulars only are recorded, and to these a place will now be given. Dates are rarely noted. The following was apparently written soon after he left Irkutsk. ** My ardent hopes are once more blasted, — the almost half accom- plished wish. What secret machinations have been at work ? What motive ? But so it suits her royal Majesty of all the Russias, and she has nothing but her pleasure to consult; she has no nation's resentment to apprehend, for I am the minister of no state, no monarch. I travel under the commonllag of humanity, commission- ed by myself to serve the world at large; and so the poor, the unprotected wanderer must go where sovereign will ordains; if to death, why then my journeying will be over sooner, and * Bumey's Chronological History of the Nortbeagtern Voy- ages of Discovery, p. 279. -^h OF JOHN LEDYARD. 365 -.-'*, die rather differently from what I contemplated ; if otherwise, why then the royal dame has taken me much out of ray way. But I may pursue another route. The rest of the world lies uninterdicted. Though born in the freest of the civilized countries, yet, in the present state of privation, I have a more exquisite sense of the amiable, the immortal nature of liberty, than I ever had before. It would be excel- lently qualifying, if every man, who is called to preside over the liberties of a people, should once — it would be enough — actually be de- prived of his liberty unjustly. He would be avaricious of it, more than of any other earthly possession. I could love a country and its in- habitants, if it w^re a country of freedom. There are two kinds of people I could anathe- matize, with a better weapon than St. Peter's ; those who dare deprive others of their liberty, and those who suffer others to do it.'* Again he writes, some days after the above, having escaped from Siberia : " I am now at Kazan ; it is nine months since I left this place on my tour eastward, and I am nine times more fully satisfied, than I was before, of some circumstances mentioned in my diary in June last. As I was fond of the sub- jects I have been in pursuit of, I was appre- 366 LIFE AND TRAVELS to hensive that I might have been rash and pre mature in some of my opinions, but I certainly have not been. I am now fully convinced, tha the difference of colour in man is solely thi effect of natural causes, and that a mixture by intermarriage and habits would in time mak( the species in this respect uniform. I have never extended my opinion, and do not now, the Negroes ; but should I live to visit them, I shall expect to find the same data, leading the same conclusion, namely, that they are like the other two classes of man, which I call by the general terms of white people and Indians. There are many reasons, that rise naturally from the observations on my present voyage, which induce me to think so, yet I still wish have better. I expect, however, the result wil be, that I shall find the same causes existing i Africa to render the Negro blacker than the Indian, as in Asia to render the Indian darker than the European. " With respect to the national or genealogical connection, which the remarkable affinity oi person and manners bespeaks between the Indians on this, and on the American continent, I declare «my opinion to be, without the least scruple, an^ with the most absolute conviction, that the Indians on the one and on the other are to the same p of the gi essayed ; v of their cc Tartar, hai their origi but very ui truth he ki dier, he ha countrymei philosophi< read him v this counti instead of vocabularii wish to fin a few oust constitute There is, i this great contest ab Asia and ^ a few obse something very unph peds, fish. When the because tfa OF JOHN LEDYARD. 367 id pre ertainly ed, tha the same people. As to the origin sknd history of the great Tartar Nation, little has been essayed ; very little is known even of the extent ely thJof their country. Albugassi, himself a noble ture bJTartar, has said much the most and best of e makJtheir origin, and something of their extent; I havelbut very unsatisfactorily as to this latter, for in noW| tJtruth he knew but little about it. Like a sol- t themldi^^' ^^ ^^^ written a kind of muster roll of his Biding tJ countrymen. I do not remember any thing like are HkJ philosophical research in his history, though I call bji'c^^ ^i"^ "^^^ avidity. Among the voyagers in /w^wwlthis country, even the most modern, I have, iaturallJii^>^^^^^ of more, still less information. A few Yoyagel vocabularies to lead astray those who would wish tol^ish to find real knowledge, and an account of suit y^'M^ few customs, without any remarks on them, isting iJ constitute nearly the amount of the whole, han thel'^l^ere is, indeed, very little of value said about darker! ^^^^ great people by any writers. The late contest about the contiguity, or junction, of ^alogicall^s^^ and America, has accidentally struck out iinity oil^ ^^^ observations, and one now and then finds een thel something philosophically said of them, but mtinentJvci'y unphilosophically placed among quadru- the least! pe^lSf ^^^* fowls, plants, minerals, ^pd fossils, iiviction,! ^^ei^ the history of Asia, and I add of America, )ther are! because there is an intimate connection between f i 36S LIFE AND TRAVELS them, shall be as well known as that of Europe, it will be found, that those who have written the history of man, have begun at the wrong end." What passed at the private Inquisition of Moscow, when Ledyard and his guards arrived in that city, there is no record to explain. Since nothing is said of the matter, it is pro- bable, that, if he was taken at all before that body, no specific charges were substantiated, or even preferred, as in truth none could exist. The idea of a French spy in Siberia was an absurdity too gross, to be formally urged as a reason for his arrest, although this had been given out at Irkutsk. What was there in Sibe- ria, either for a Frenchman or a native of any other country to spy? Was the Empress afraid, that the French were plotting a crusade into those frozen and sterile regions, to rescue her miserable exiles, who were suffering there the penalties of their crimes, or the effects of impe- rial indignation for their projects of ambition and aggrandizement in Petersburg ? It was not likely that France, or any other nation, would covet the controul of such subjects, or of such a land. This pretence of a French spy origi- nated at Irkutsk, where it was convenient that some false report should be circulated respect- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 369 ing the cause of his arrest, as will shortly be made manifest. Ledyard again writes, " I am now two hundred and twenty versts from Moscow, on- the road to Poland. Thank Heaven, petticoats appear, and th6 glimmerings of other features. Women are the sure harbin- gers of an alteration in manners, in approaching a country where their influence is felt. But wampum, or, if you will, beads, tassels, rings, fringes, and eastern gewgaws, prevail as much here as in Siberia. r^ v > j,*^ \..'j si.j^-^ >> " I am -at the city of Neeshna, in a vile, dark, dirty, gloomy, damp room ; it is called quarters, but it is a miserable prison. The soldiers, who guard me, are doubly watchful over me when in a town, though at no time properly so, through their consummate indolence and igno- rance. Every day I have it in my power to escape them, but, though treated like a felon, I will not appear like one by flight. I was very ill yesterday ; I am emaciated ; it is more than twenty days since I have eat anything' that may be called food, and during that time have been dragged along from day to day in some wretched open kibitka. Thus am I treated in all respects (except that I am obliged to support myself with my own money) like a convict, and presented by my snuff-box of a B B 370 LIFE AND TRAVELS sergeant as a raree-show, at every town through which we pass. Were I charged, or chargeable, with any injury done or thought of, either to this, or any other country, it might not make me contented, indeed, yet, I suppose, it would make ine resigned. But to be arrested in my travels at the last stage but one, in those domi- nions where the severe laws of the climate unhappily detained me, which, however, I should have braved, had it not been for the restraining courtesy of the Commandant at Yakutsk ; to be seized, imprisoned, and trans- ported in this dark and silent manner, without cause, or accusation, except what appears in the mysterious wisdom depicted in the face of my sergeant, and of course without even a guess as to my destination ; treated, in short, like a subject of— this country; — ^under such circumstances, resignieition would be a crime against my dear native land.*' Here the Siberian journal abruptly comes to * a close, and little is known of what befel him on his way to England, from the frontiers of Poland. In a letter to a friend, written after his arrival in London, he touches again upon the subject, and adds a few particulars, which may with propriety be inserted in the present connection. Of' JOHN LED YARD. 371 ,♦ *• I had penetrated," he says, ** through Europe tind Asia, almost to the Pacific Ocean, but, in the midst of my career, was arrested a prisoner to the Empress of Russia, by an ex- press sent after me for that purpose. I passed under a guard part of last winter and spring ; was banished the empire, and conveyed to the frontiers of Poland, six thousand versts from the place where I was arrested, and this journey was performed in six weeks. Cruelties and hardships are tales I leave untold. I was dis- appointed in the pursuit of an object, on which my future fortune entirely depended. I know not how 1 passed through the kingdoms of Poland and Prussia, or from thence to London, where I arrived in the beginning of May, dis- ^ appointed, ragged, pennyless ; and yet so accus- tomed am I to such things, that I declare my heart was whole. My healt-i for the first time had sufiered from my confiLement, and thfe amazing rapidity with which I had been carried through the illimitable wilds of Tartary and Russia. But my liberty regained, and fi few days* rest among the beautiful dafctghfceigs of Israel in Poland, re-established itj and I anfi now in as full bloom and vigour, as thirty-sevett; years will afford any naan. Jarvis says I look much oldtear, than when ]^e saw me three sumi> B B 2 372 LIFE AND TRAVELS "ft mers ago at Paris, which I can readily believe. An American face does not wear well, like an American heart/' ,, , -'. When the soldiers, who were his guards, had arrived with him in Poland, they gave him to understand that he might go where he pleased, but if he returned again to the dominions of the Empress, he would certainly be hanged. Having no longer any motive for making such an experiment, he took the shortest route to Konigsberg. Here he was in a destitute situation, without friends or means, his hopes blasted, and his health enfeebled. In this state of despondency and suhering, he bethought himself again of the benevolence of Sir Joseph Banks, which had on more occasions than one administered relief to him, and served as a balm to his wounded spirit. He was lucky enough to dispose of a draft for five guineas on his old benefactor, and by this expedient was enabled to pursue his journey to London, where he arrived after an absence of one year and five months, and where he was received with much cordiality by Sir Joseph Banks and his other friends. It remains to inquire a little further into the teasons which induced the Empress to recall him by a mandate so positive, after she bad OF JOHN LEDYARO. 373 given him a royal passport for proceeding un- molested to Kamtschatka. Various conjectures, as to her motives, have existed ; but the tale of the French spy has been the one most generally received, probably because it was credited by Sauer, who was on the spot at the time he was seized. On. that topic enough has been said. The avowed pretence of the Empress has been ascertained, from the authority of Count Segur, who was then, as heretofore, ambassador from France to the court of Petersburg, and was instrumental in procuring Ledyard's passport. In August, 1823, he wrote the following note to Lafayette, in reply to an inquiry on the subject. ** I have no longer any letters in my posses- sion,** says Count Segur, " relative to the cele- brated traveller, Mr. Ledyard. I remember only, that, in compliance with your request^ I furnished him with the best recommendations at the court of Russia. He was at first very well received ; but the Empress, who spoke to me on the subject herself, observed, that she would not render herself guilty of the death of this courageous American, by furthering a journey so fraught with danger, as that he pro- posed to undertake alone, across the unknown and savage regions of North-western America. a74 LIFE AND TRAVELS She consequently issued her prohibition. Pes- ;sibly this pretext of humanity, advanced by Catherine, only disguised her unwillingness to have the new possessions of Russia, on the western coast of America, seen by an en- lightened citizen of the United States. The above, however, were the reasons she advanced tome." j*i Few will doubt, probably, that the closing conjecture of Count Segur is much more plau- sible than the alleged humanity of the Empress. It is clothing this virtue in the royal breast with an air a little too romantic, to suppose that she was prompted by such a motive to send an express four thousand miles, with an order to arrest and preserve from his own temerity and self-devotedness an individual in whose personal safety she could not possibly feel any other interest than what the sovereign of all the Russias would naturally extend to the whole human family^ And, moreover, this plea of humanity sounds strangely enough, when con- trasted witli the barbarous manner in which Ledyard was transported across the frightful deserts of her Imperial Majesty's domains. Such evidences of tender-heartedness he would very gladly have dispensed with, and taken in exchange for them any treatment he mi^ht •'/ OF JOHN L^DYARD. 375 receive from the savages of North-western America. This pretence of humanity, therefore, has no better foundation than the story of the French spy. Another explanation is afforded in Dr. Clarke'^ Travels in Russia, who had the account from Professor Pallas himself. After relating an anecdote, respecting the manner in which Bil- lings obtained his appointment, Dr. Clarke adds: . - " That the expedition might have been con^ iided to better hands, the public have been since informed by the secretary Sauer. This, Professor Pallas kmented to have discovered when it was too late. But the loss sustained by any incapacity in the persons employed to conduct that expedition, is nut equal to that which the public suffered by the sudden recal of the unfortunate Ledyard. This, it is said, would never have happened, but through the jealousy of his own countrymen, whom he chanced to encounter as he was upon the point of quitting the eastern continent for America, and who caused the information to be sent to Petersburg, which occasioned the order for his arrest."* ''^lA- \ V %■ * Ciarke!*8 Travels in Russia, Clnp. ii. 376 LIFE AND TRAVELS / This account of the affair labours under one serious difficulty, which is, that Ledyard did not meet a single countryman of his own in Siberia. It could only be by a vague rumour, originally intended to deceive, that Professor Pallas w as led into such a mistake. As Billings and Sauer were Englishmen, and spoke the same language as Ledyard, these persons may have been alluded to ; yet no proof exists of their hostility to him, or that they could have any reasons for thwarting his designs. '«> > Since all these explanations of the matter are fallacious, we must look for other causes, and these, in my opinion, have been partly antici- pated in the remarks already made on the con- duct of the Commandant at Yakutsk. From all the circumstances which have come to my knowledge in the course of this investigation, I am convinced that a plan was concerted at Irkutsk to send him back, very soon after his arrival in that place. Irkutsk was the resi- dence of the Governor General of all the eastern parts of Siberia, and of the principal persons engaged in the fur trade at the Aleutian Islands. Two years before this period, the Russian Ame- rican Company had been formed, for the express purpose of establishing a regular commercial intercourse with the natives of the islands, and OF JOHN LEDVARD. 377 of the American coast. Operations were already commenced by occupying new posts, erecting factories, building fortifications to protect them, and making other needful provisions to secure a complete monopoly of the trade. « Now the head-quarters of this company were at Irkutsk, and it could not have escaped the ^ sagacity of its conductors, that a foreigner, visiting their stations at the islands, would make discoveries which might be published to their disadvantage, both in regard to the resources of traffic, and to the cruel manner in which the traders habitually treated the natives, in extorting from them the fruits of their severe ^ and incessant labours. To obviate such a con« sequence, it was necessary to cut short the tra- veller*s career, before he had penetrated to the eastern shores of Asia. In effecting this point, some management was necessary, as he had a passport from the Empress, with a positive or- der to the Governor General to aid him on his way. This order could not be countermanded » nor the passport of the Empress treated with disrespect, till intelligence could be sent to Petersburg, and the influence there used with the Empress to procure the annulment of her grant of protection, and Ledyard*s immediate recal. Time was requisite to bring this scheme 378 AilFE AND TRA\r£LS to an issue, and the first thing to be done in the train of manoeuvres, was, to throw obstacles in bis path, and retard his progress. This was begun in good earnest at Irkutsk, where he was detained several days longer tban he desired, waiting, as he was told, for the post. The manner in which he was received by the Commandant of Yakutsk has already been stated. The extraordinary concern, which the Commandant professed to feel for his wel- fare, the arguments he used to dissuade him from going to Okotsk at that inclement season, and his returning Jacobins letter open, are all reasons for strong suspicions. And these rea- sons are confirmed, when it is known, that the journey to Okotsk was frequently undertaken in the winter. More than a month after Ledyard arrived in Yakutsk, Captain Billings returned from the Colyma, which was at least quite as difficult a journey ; and the next year, Billings passed from Okotsk to Yakutsk in October and November, precisely the same months in which Ledyard wished to perform the tour. These factsare enough to prove, that the Commandant s pretended concern for his health and comfbrt was only a cloak to cover other designs, and to render it more than probable, that he had secret instructions to cause hit delay. This : t OF JOHN LEDYAIiD. 87d point was gained, and the plot farther matured by inducing him to go back to Irkutsk with Bi'lings. Six months elapsed between the date of his first leaving Irkutsk, on his voyage from Lena, and that of his arrest. This afforded ample time to send to Petersburg, and receive returns, even through the common channel of the post, or mail, which then passed with tolerable regu- larity and expedition from the Russian capital to Irkutsk. Thus were all our traveller's hopes blasted, and all his noble designs for making new discoveries and benefiting mankind frus- trated, by the jealousy and pitiful intrigues of a few fur dealers at Irkutsk. The Empress was duped by their representations, and she deserted on this occasion, the judicious policy by which she was usually guided, in whatever pertained to the advancement of science, or the encourage- ment of enterprise. Well might Lafayette say, as he did» that ** her conduct in this instance was very illiberal and narrow minded, and that her measures were particularly ungenerous.'' The conclusion to which I have thus been led, in explaining an apparent enigma in Ledyard's Siberian adventures, tis mainly founded, it is true, on circumstantial evidence ; but this evi- dence is so strong, that I know not how it can be resisted. N 380 UF£ AND TRAVELS < ■ .;.: .. CHAPTER XIII. K.y [iJc/iiiA Interview with Sir Joseph Banks in London.— Engages to travel in Africa under the auspices of the African Association. — ^Remarkable instance of decision of character.— Letter to Dr. Ledyard, containing miscel- laneous particulars respecting bis travels and circumstances.— Des- cription of his Siberian dresses.— Origin and purposes of the African Association. — Ancient and present state of Afric^.-^Benefits of dii- * coveries on that continent. —Letter from Ledyard to his mother.— His ' remarks to Mr. Beaufoy on his departure for Egypt. — Visits Mr. Jef- ; ferson and Lafayette in Paris. — Sails from Marseilles to Alexandria in Egypt. — ^Description of Alexandria, in a letter to Mr. Jefferson.— Arrives \ in Cairo. — Description of the city> and of his passage up the NQe. No sooner was he arrived in London, than he called on his worthy patron and friend, Sir Joseph Banks, to express his gratitude for the many substantial favours received from him. Sir Joseph, after questioning him with a lively interest concerning his travels, and expressing sympathy for his past misfortunes, inquired what were his future intentions. Ledyard frankly confessed, that he had nothing in pros- pect ; that after having struggled against a tide of difficulties to accomplish an object, which he had much at heart, but in pursuing which he had been baffled in every attempt, he felt him- self at this moment in a state of perfect uncer- tainty, as to the step next to be taken ; time OF JOHN LEDYAUD. 381 and circumstances would decide his fortune. What followed will be best related in the lan- guage of Mr. Beaufoy, then secretary of the African Association. ? ^^ ** Sir Joseph Banks, who knew his temper, told him, that he believed he could recommend him to an adventure almost as perilous as the one from which he had returned ; and then com- municated to him the wishes of the Association for discovering the inland countries of Africa. Ledyard replied, that he had always deter- mined to traverse the Continent of Africa, as soon as he had explored the interior of North America ; and as Sir Joseph had offered him a letter of introduction, he came directly to the writer of these Memoirs. Before I had learnt from the note the name and business of my visitor, I was struck with the manliness of his person, the breadth of his chest, the openness of his countenance, and the inquietude of his eye. I spread the map of Africa before him, and tracing a line from Cairo to Sennar, and from thence westward in the latitude and supposed direction of the Niger, I told him, that was the route, by which I was anxious that Africa might, if possible, be explored. He said, he should think himself singularly fortunate to be trusted with the adventure. I asked him when he 382 LIFE AND TRAVELS would set out. * To-morrow morning/ was his answer. I told him I was afraid that we should not be able, in so short a time, to prepare his instructions, and to procure for him the letters that were requisite ; but that if the Committee ishould approve of his proposal, all expedition should be used."* tf'ii^i.--. i^v*Y;-i-:-iir''im-{i^ v.'-h This interview affords one of the most extra- ordinary instances of decision of character, which is to be found on record. When we consider his recent bitter experience of the past, his labours and sufferings, which had been so intense and so long continued, that a painful reality had more than checked the excesses of romantic enthusiasm, that might be kindled in a less disciplined imagination ; and when we witness the promptitude with which he is ready to encounter new perils in the heart of Africa, where hardships of the severest kind must ine- vitably be endured, anid where death would stare him in the face at every stage ; we cannot but admire the superiority of nund over the accidents of human life, the rapidity of combi> nation, quickness of decision, and fearlessness of consequences, which Ledyard'S reply indicates. It was the spontaneous triumph of an elevated " • ft*ceedin^ofthe African Association, vol. i. p. 1^. '^ OF JOHN LEOYARD. 383 spirit over th€ whole catalogue of selfish con^ siderations, wavering motives, and half-subdued doubts, which would have contended for days in the breast of most men, before they would have adopted a firm resolution to jeopard their lives, in an undertaking so manifestly beset with dangers, and which in its best aspect threatened to be a scene of toils, privations, and endurance. It is needless to say, that the committee of the Association immediately closed an agreement with a man, who presented him- self with such a temper, and with numerous other qualities, which fitted him in a peculiar manner for their service. Preparations for his departure were commenced without delay. ' While these movements were going on^ he wrote a long letter to Dr. LedVard. It was composed at different times, and is without date. A few extracts from it will give- an insight into his pursuits, and exhibit some traits of his character in a favourable light. '^ ^ .■ "' " I was last evening in company with Mn Jarvis of New York, whom I accidentally met in the city, and invited to my lodgings. When 1 was in Paris in distress, he behaved very gene- rously to me, and, as I do not want money ait present, I had a double satisfaction in our meeting, being equally happy to see him, and 384 LIFE AND TRAVELS to pay him one hundred livres; which I never expected to be able to do, and I> sufxpose be did not think } should. If he goes? ^ to New York as soon as he mentioned, I shall trouble him with this letter to you, and with some others to your address for my other friends. : I wrote you last from this place, nearly two years ago, but I suppose you heard from me at Peters- burg, by Mr. Franklin, of New York. I pro- mised to write you from the remote parts of Siberia. I promise every thing to those I love; and so does fortune to me sometimes, but we reciprocally prevent each other from fulfilling our engagements. . She left me so poor in Si^ beria> that I could not write you, because I could not frank the letter. You are already acquainted with the intent of the voyage, which I hare been two years engaged in. » Thd history of it I cannot give. you, nor iadeed the world. Parts of it you would compnshend, approve, and, I believe* admire ; partftare incomprehen- sible, because not to be described. I have seen, and suffered a great deal, but I now have my health and spirits in perfection. ^^ . ^4i'¥ 6^«'^By my acquaintances in London, my ar- rival was announced to a society of noblemen and gentlemen, who had for some time been fruitlessly inquiring for some person to travel OF JOHN LED YARD. 385 tbrongh the continent of Africa. I was asked^ and consented to undertake the tour. The Booiety hare appropriated a sum of money to defray the expenses. I dine with them collec- tively this day week» finish the affair^ and within the month shall be on the move. My route will h6 from here to Paris, thence to Mar- seilles^ across the Mediterranean to Alexan- dria in Egypt, and then to Grand Cairo. Bc'^ yond is unknown, and my discoveries begin. Where they will terminate, and how, you shall know, if I survive. As we have now no minis- ter from the United States in London, and as I know of no certain medium of conveyance, I cannot certainly promise you letters from Africa. I can only say, that I will write you from Orand Cairo, if I can find an opportunity. r^':i-r--frm *' Before I leave town, I intend to send you some Tartar curiosities, and, if possible, also^ a transcript of the few rude remarks I made oil my last tour. The hints I have given respects ing the history of man, from circuBMitances and fects that have come within my personal know« ledge, you will find new and interesting. They form data for investigation, but they are better in my hands than in any other's, because imi other person has seen so much of Asia and c c ■V '/ 386 LIFE AND TRAVELS A merica. They might aimise yow in the hajppty retirement, which Mri Jarvis teU$ meyouenjo-y on Long Island. My seeing this gentleman has been almost as good as a visit to New York^ Nothing in his account of our family and friends has affected me so much, as the mercantile misfortunes of your worthy brother* Surely the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Did the pyramids of Egypt, which I shall soon see, cover hearts as worthy as^ his, I should no more style them monuments of human imbecility ; I should worship before them. Mr. Jarvis has not been able to give me an exact account of his situation. He only tells me, that he has failed in business, and retired to Jersey, where I think he ought to stay, for the world is absolutely unworthy of him. I do not say this because he is my cousin, and shared with you the earliest attachment of my heart. These are things that I feel, and that the world has nothing to do with, any more than it ought to have with him. They are compliments which his enemies would make him, if he had any^ I never knew so much merit so unfortunate. I cannot reflect on his &te unim passioned. He should retire; if barely comfortable it will be enough, for he OF JOHN LEDYARl). 387 cairooi gd'fmm dignity* My heart is on your , side of^ ithe Atlaintic; ' - i ■- know the channs' on Long' Island, the additional ones of your fest« denee thefe^and the sweet accordance of r^eti- hem sub iegmim fagL Do not think, because I bav^ seen much of the world, and must see more, that I have forgotten America. I could as soon forget you, myself, my God, ai r w wwkt '< 3* * My travels have brought upon me a nume- rous borrespondence, which, added to the em« ployments of' my new enterprise, leaves me little leisure. I am alone in every thing, and in most things so, because nobody has been accustomed to think and act in travelling mat^ ters as I do. I am sorry Mr. Jarvis will go so soon. To-day is Saturday, and he will call on Tuesday, to receive the things for you, and take leave of me. My time is wholly ocdipied ; and it happens that just at this moment I am the busiest wit^ the African Society. Among other things, I wish to send you a copy of my Swedish portrait at Somerset House. I have one by me, but it is a stupid thing. It was taken by a boy, who is as dumb and deaf as the portrait itself. He is, however, under the patronage of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the English Raphael. The boy was sent to me by a coun»^T try squire, who accidentally got acquainted with cc2 388 L1F£ AND TRAVELS me at an inn, where I lodged in, London, ^and who has taken a wondei:f]il fancy to me^ and begs to hang me up in his hall. This one is still unfinished, and so is the one for the squire. They are mere daubings. Jarvis says our Trumbull is clever, and advises me to get him to copy the Swedish drawing, which is not only a perfect likeness, but a good painting. If I do according to his advice, it cannot he soon ; and, indeed, I should not trouble you, or myself, about this shadow of your friend, irere I sure of presenting him to you hereafter in substance. I shall not have time to settle my afiairs before Jarvis goes, if it is to-morrow, for to-morrow I must be with the African com- mittee. '* ** Jarvis is this moment going. Adieu. — He will not take the one hundred livres/' . . J It may be well to add here, rather as a mat- ter of curiosity, than for any other purpose, his description of the Siberian articles of clothing, which he sent to Dr. Ledyard by Mr. Jarvis. He was now going to a climate, where he would have no occasion for a dress, suited io the winters of Siberia. j^ v/ . ** The dresses I send you,^' he writes, " are such as I have worn through many a scene, and was glad to get them^ Tlie surtout ocAt ia^ i'-/ OF JOHN LEDYARD. 389 made of reindeer skin, and^edged with the dew* lap of the moose. Perhaps you will wear this yourself in winter. It was made for a riding coat, and I have rode both horses and deer with it. The first cap is of the S iberian red fox ; it is a travelling cap, and the form is entirely Tartar. The second cap is Russian, consisting of white ermine, and bordered with blue fox skin ; it cost me at Yakutsk twenty-five roubles, which is four guineas and one rouble. The surtout coat seventy rouble:^ ; the fox-skin cap six roubles. The gloves are made of the feet of the fox> and lined with the Tartar hare, and cost five roubles. The frock is in form and style truly Tartar. It was presented to me, and came from the borders of the Frozen Ocean^ at the moiith of the river Kolyma. It is made of a spotted reindeer calf ^ the edging is the same as that on the surtout. You will see, on the inside of the skin, a number of spots ; these were occasioned by a small insect bred there from the eggs of a species of fly, which together with the vast numbers of miisqiiitos, obliges this charming animal to migrate annually north and south, as the seasons change. ''The boots are mbdeakoof reindeer skin, and ornamented with European cloth; the form' is Tartar; they cost eight roubles. The 390 LiVE Aim tn^AVias socks for the boots are made of the skin oftm old reindeer. They are worn on the inside of the boots, with the hair to the feet, with or without stockings. These were presented to me, and came from the borders of the Frdzen Ocean. The cloak, which they ^re wrapped up in, was made in London. I travelled on foot with it in Denmark, Sweden, Lapland, Finland, and the Lord knows where. I have slept in it, eat in it, drank in it, fought in it, nego- ciated in it : through every scene it has been my constant and hardy servant, from my departure till my return to London. And now to give it an asylum (for I have none), I send it to you. Lay it up ; as soon as I can, I will call and lay myself up with it. I have mentioned the prices of the above articles, to give you a notion how dear fur dresses are, even in the remotest parts of the vast dominions of Russia. These clothes were not all that I wore last winter ; I wore many others, and froze my nose and ears after all. You have no idea of the ex- cessive coM in those regions.'* fM'll^ The Society, in whose service Ledyard was now engaged, had its origin with a few individuals in London, but the number of its members soon increased to about two hundred, among whom were some of the most eminent OF JOHN LEDYARD. 391 xaefx m the kingdom. Their immediate object wa» to promote discoveries in the interior of Africa, and a fund was raised by a subscription from each member, for the purpose of effecting that object The society was denominated the ^rican Association, and was patronized by the king. A committee was to be annually chosen by ballot, whose duty it was to transact the affairs of the Society, by taking charge of the funds, employing persons to travel, collecting intelligence, and keeping up a correspondence with various parts of Africa. The first committee appointed, and that with which Ledyard made his arrangements, consisted of Lord Rawden, the Bishop of Landaff, Sir Joseph Banks, Mr. Beaufoy, and Mr. Steuart. Among the other members, who joined the Society at the beginning, were Mr. Addington, the Earl of Bute, General Conway, the Duke of Grafton, Edward Gibbon, John Hunter, Dr. Lettsom, the Earl of Moira, the Duke of Northumberland, Lord Sheffield, Benjamin Vaughan, and Mr. Wilberforce. An institution, supported by names of such weight and respectability, would paturally attract public attention, and ensure all the success of which tt^^,n^ti^re of its designs was susceptible. For many ages the continent of Africa had ^1 » < 392 Livt AtiP rtthVkiM been a neglected portlion of tbe'^iobei of which the fest of the world had t^en litdfi aceountr The learning, ctnd «plendotir^ «&d prowess tif Egypt were departed; Carthage, with all its glory, had sunk into the dust ; the proud mo« numents of Numidian greatness had been blotted from the face of the earth, and almost from the memory of man. The gloom of this scene was heightened, not more by the ravages of time in destroying what had been, than by the contrasts, which succeeding changes had produced. A eemibarbarous population, gathered from the wrecks of fallen nations, enemies to the arts and to the best social in* terei^ts of man, had gradually spread themselves oyer the whole northern borders of Africa, and presented a barrier to the hazards of enterprise^ no less than to the inroads of ciTilization. Whatever might be the ardour for discovery and the disregard of datiger, nobody eared to fienetrate into- these regions, ^here all wts un^ certainty, and where the ^haac* of success liore no proportion to the perils thiit must be ^encountered. ^^^ '* -^^ '-'W' «*-* ^iuifk^am \ j«.^r mjrx ^'^^ There i» ^o question, that the northern half kA Africa was better known to the Romans, at the time of Julius Cttsar, than to the Euro- peans in the middle of the eighteenth century. OV JOHN tSpYARD. A ii^w dcatlered na&ies of mens townft, and nfttions) oebupied the map of the interior^ traced there 'by a hesitating hand» on the dubious fttttUority of the Nubian geographer, EdnssH and the Spanish traveller, Leo Africanus. The rhymes of Swift on this subject were not more ■4:%,.\. i 'M l'^. V* witty than true : — i*t titi- j"Vo ** Geographew, in Afric maps, ^ , With savage pictures fill their gaps. ?■ ^\-f'i' •'.; ■.»*•* J And o'er unhabitable downs * -'#••• -v.. :^ii«i- Place elephants for want of towns**' « -*i ^>4 At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Leo penetrated as far as Timbuctoo and the Niger, but so imperfect were his descriptions even of what he saw, that very little geographical knowledge was communicated by them. He was on the banks of the Niger, but it could not be ascertained from his account, whether this river ran to the east or west, nor indeed^ whether it existed as a separate stream^ In short, down to the time when the African Anociation waa formed, almost the whole of this vast continent, its geography and physical resources, its inhabitants, governments, lan» guagea, were a desideratum in the history of nature and of man. It could not be doubted, that many^ millions of human beings inhabited these 39^ LIFE AND.'|,UAV£LS hidden regioQSb -Nor vrese the character and condition of these i people, their, iopAitutions.iand social advancement, mere matters of cucio^ity; ; they had a relation to the people of other parts of the globe ; and, when discovered and under- stood, might be turned to the common advan- tage of the great human family^ There are no nations, that may not profit by an inter- course between each other, either by an exchange of products peculiar to each, or by a reciprocal moral influence, or by both. ^i On these broad and benevolent principles, the society for promoting discoveries in Africa was instituted, and the scheme was worthy of the enlightened philanthropists by whom it was devised. Ledyard's instructions were few, simple and direct. He was to repair first to Egypt, travel thence across the continent, make such observations as he could, and report the results to the Association. Everything was left to his discretion. His past experience, the extraordinary energy of his character, his dis- ioterestedness, and the enthusiasm with which he engaged in the present undertaking, were all such as to ensure the confidence of his employers, and inspire them with sanguine hopes. ,T '^.;>' -Vr-.ii' u< t'-' ,ni ->Atr^t^ j.J^'i" ^ As for himsQlf, at no period of his life had he OF JOHN LED YARD. 395 reflected >vith so much satisfaction on his con- dition, or his prospects. Heretofore he had alV\^ays been alone, oppressed with poverty* and contending with an adverse fate. But now he was free from want, patronized by the first men in €rreat Britain, and engaged at their so- licitation, and under their auspices, in an enter- prise, fraught, it is true, with many dangers, but promising the glory of which he had ever been ambitious, and opening to him a field of adventure, which his imagination had pictured to him as the first to be chosen, after he had discharged what he deemed a paramount duty, in exploring the unknown parts of the continent to which he owed his birth. When he was departing from London for Egypt, he may be said to have been, for the first time in his life, at the summit of his wishes. All previous cares, defeats, and disasters appear to have been forgotten, or swallowed up in the deep interests of the present, and the cherished anti- cipations of the future. A letter written to his mother at this time will indicate the tone of his spiritSt '^ 'y'* '^/*''*^*t '^*^'^'"*f •«'*'*'."* "^f*v e^*'*;i*t*: » "Truly is it written, that the ways of God are p'ast finding out, and his decrees unsearch- able. Is the Lord thus great ? So also is he good. I am an instance of it. I have trampled i 396 LIFC AND TRAVBL8 the world under my feet, laughed at fear, and derided danger. Through millions of fierce savages, over parching deserts, the freezing north, the everlasting ice, and stormy seas, have I passed without harm. How good is my God! What rich subjects have I for praise, love, and adoration ! -'"*^^-^*^''''^^ ^'''^ ** I am but just returned to England from my travels of two years, and am going away into Africa to examine that continent. I expect to be absent three years. I shall be in Egypt as soon as I can get there, and after that go into unknown parts. I have full and perfect health. Remember me to my brothers and silvers. Desire them to remember me, for, if Heaven permits, I shall see them again. I pray Qod to bless and comfort you all. Farewell." At length the preparations for his departure were comj^eted. He had become well ac- quainted with the views of the committee ; and « sufilcient amount of money had been raised, by the ittbscriptions,'^ 3 provide for the expenses of hb journey tb Egypt, and to purchase such articles of merchandise as might be found ne- cessary to enable him t<^ 'Assume the character of a trader in a caravan to the interior, or for tntfeliing in any other manner, which he should ^jfm most expedient when on the spot. The OF- JOHlf LEDYARD. W }a3| latter be wrote to America was a short Qvt^, 4s|ted ^^t : JLiOndpn^. , xm, the twenty-niutii of ^'^ I suppose thr.t my letter and curiosities,: sent by Mr. Jarvis, are now half way over the. Atlantic. Here you have a little portrait, which I leave to the care of his brother in town. Enclosed with it is a poor portrait of me, taken by the dumb boy mentioned in my other letter. If it were any thing like painting, I would desire you to keep it. As it is, I beg you will send it to my mother. She will be as fond of it as if done by Guide. I would have sent it framed, if the opportunity would have permitted. To-morrow morning I set oulfor France. Adieu." : ,> 7 Accordingly he left London on the thirtietb of June. Mr. Beaufoy speaks of the interview he had with him, just as he was setting off, and adds these affecting remarks, as given in Led« yard's own words, - i ■■''.:.- I /. »* *" I am accustomed,' said he^ in our last conversation, ('twas on the morning of his de- parture for Africa), ^ I am accustomed to hasd- ships. I have known both hunger and naked- ness to the utmost extremity of human suffer- ing.. I have known what it is to have food given me as charity to a madman ; and I havo 398 LIF£ AND TRAVELS at times been obliged to shelter myself; und^ the miseries of that chajracter, to avoid ahea^ierf calamity. My distresses have been greater, than I have over owned, or ever wi!l ow», to any man. Such evils are terrible to bear; but they aever yet had power to turn me from my purpose. If I live, I will faithfully perform, in its utmost extent, my engagement to the society; and if I perish in the attempt, my honour will still be safe, for death cancels all bonds.'" u, ». . . ♦(nml " As I shall go to Cairo in a few days, from whence it may be difficult for me to write to you, I do it here, though unprepared. I am in good health and spirits, and the prospects before me are flattering. This intelligence, with my wishes for your happiness and an eternal remembrance of your goodness to me, must form the only part of my^ letter of any •1 OF JOHN" LEDYARD. 399 coBbequttice ; except that 1 de^^iC to be re-* membe#ed to the Marquis de la Fayette, bis ladyj Mr. Short, and other friends. Deducting the week I staid at Paris, and two day & at Marseilles, I was only thirty-four days from London to this plaice. it»y/oq f^>ii roy i:»V'>ij yyti. ill"! am sorry to inform you, that I regret having visited the gentleman you mentioned; and of having made use of your name. I shall ever think, though he was extremely polite, that he rather strove to prevent my embarking at Marseilles, than to facilitate it; for, by bandying me about among the members of the Chamber of Commerce, he had nearly, and very nearly, lost me my passage; and in the last ship from Marseilles for the season. He knew better; he knew that the Chamber of Commerce had no business with me; and, besides, I only asked him if he could, without trouble, address me to the captain of a ship bound to Alexandria ; nothing more. > "^ '^ ,/' Alexandria at large presents a scene more wretched than I have witnessed. Poverty, rapine, murder, tumult, blind bigotry, cruel persecution, pestilence ! A small town built on the ruins of antiquity, as remarkable for its miserable architecture, as 1 suppose the place once was for its good and great works of that 4QQ LIFS AND TRAVELS kind. Pompey's Pillar and Cleopatra'a Obe- lisk are now almost the only remains of remote antiquity. They are both, and particularly the former, noble objects to contemplate, and are certainly more captivating from the contrast of the deserts and forlorn prospects around them. No man, of whatever turn of mind, can see the whole, without retiring from the scene with a Sic transit gloria mundi" . f> i k . Having passed ten da3^s only at Alexandria, he pursued his journey up the Nile to Cairo, where he arrived on the nineteenth of August. Here again he wrote to Mr. Jefferson. ' ** I sent you a short letter from Alexandria. I begin this without knowing where I shall close it, or when I shall send it, or, indeed, whether I shall ever send it. But I will have it ready, in case an opportunity shall offer. Having been in Cairo only four days, I have not seen much of particular interest for you ; and, indeed, you will not expect much of this kind firom me. My business is in another quarter, and the information I seek totally new. Any thing from this place would not '* At all events, I shall never want a subject, when it is to you I write. I shall never think my letter an indifferent one, when it contains OF JOHN LEDYARD. tbe*decla»ation of my gratitude and my affedi ^n foryoD ;i EHdi this, notwithstanding you thought hard(d€ me for being employed by an English Assooiatioa, which hurt me much while I was ft( Parisv You know your own hearty and if ray suspicions are groundless, forgive them, since they proceed from the jealousy I have, not to lose the regard you have in times past been pleased to honour me with. You are not obliged to esteem me, but 1 am obliged to esteem youj or to take leave of my senses, and confront the opinions of the greatest and best characters I know. If I cannot, therefore, address myself to you 'as a man you regard, I must do it as one that regards you for your own sake, and for the sake of my country, which- has set me the exd«nple4' ^ Ui iJi^ .'-'««« , A-. ,-.' «v.x-..^W '«»«.- &l»«'4iJ^i>*-l'' ft t >u.<* I made my tqurfrom.Alexandriisi by water, aiftd entered, the Nile by the western branch of the mouths of the river. I was five days coming to Cairo, but this passage is generally made in four, and sometimes in three days. You have heard and read much of the Nile, and so had I» but when I saw it, I could not conceive it to be the same. What eyes do travellers see with ? Are they fools or rogues ? For Heaven's sake, hear the plain truth about it. First, in regard to its size. Obvious com- D I) «' 402 LIFE AND TRAVELS parisons in such cases are good. Do you know the river Connecticut ? Of all the rivers I have seen, it most resembles that in size. It is a little wider, and may on that account better compare with the Thames. This is the mighty, the sovereign of rivers, the vast Nile, that has been metamorphosed into one of the wonders of the world. Let me be careful how I read, and above all how I read ancient history. You have heard and read, too, much of its inunda- tions. If the thousands of large and small canals from it, and the thousands of men and machines employed to transfer by artificial means the water of the Nile to the meadows on its banks, if this be the inundation that is meant, it is true ; any other is false. It is not an inundating river. I came up the river from the fifteenth to the twentietji of August, and about the thirtieth the water will be at the height of the freshet. When I left the river, its banks were four, five, and six feet, above the water, and here in town I am told they expect the Nile to be only one or two feet higher at the most. This is a proof, if any were wanted, that the river does not overflow its banks. i"» : ^ ^ *' I saw the pyramids as I passed up the river, but they were four or five leagues off. It is warm weather here at present, and were ^« ^.fc OF JOHN LEDYARD. 403 it not for the north winds, that cool themselves in their passage over the Mediterranean, and blow upon us, we should be in a sad situation. As it is, I think I have felt it hotter at Phila- delphia in the same month. The city of Cairo is about half as large in size as Paris, and is said to contain seven hundred thousand inhabi- tants. You will therefore anticipate the fact of its narrow streets and high houses. In this number are contained one hundred thousand Copts, or descendants of the ancient Egyptians. There are likewise Christians, and those of different sects from Jerusalem, Damascus, Aleppo, and other parts of Syria. '"^" ""'' • ♦« With regard to my journey, I can only tell you with any certainty, that 1 shall be able to pass as far as the western boundaries of what is called Turkish Nubia to the town of Sennaar. I expect to get there with some surety. Be- yond that all is dark before me. My wishes and designs are to pass in that parallel across the continent. I will write from Sennaar if I can. ^v ■ • ■■.^.,^*' " You know the disturbances in this unhappy country, and the nature of them. The Beys, revolted from the Bashaw, have possession of Upper Egypt, and are now encamped with an army, pitiful enough indeed, about three miles , D D 2 I I u 1\ 404 LIFE AND TRAVELS south of Cairo. They say to the Bashaw, * Come out of your city and fight us ;' and the Bashaw says, * Come out of your entrenchments and fight me.' You know this revolt is a stroke in Russian politics. Nothing merits more the whole force of burlesque, than both the poetic and prosaic legends of this country. Sweet are the songs of Egypt on paper. Who is not * ravished with gums, balms, dates, figs, pome- granates, circassia, and sycamores, without recollecting that amidst these are dust, hot and fainting winds, bugs, musquitoes, spiders, flies, leprosy, fevers, and almost universal blindness ? I am in perfect health. Adieu for the present, and believe me to be, with all possible esteem and regard^ your sincere friend." 7 mww * « ^ » f V -,.. .*-. . > •■.V • .r, . , ,;>.! '•JIMOTP^^* ' *' "' • ■.•.-Kir "!»-.. .-t,j ','in* f»i fH^i' K OF JOHN LEDYARD. 406 »-»f(;'>iS;> } ■ ¥•: ' / ' J i- V rit^'^-''. '^''. '■■ 'h\ri- . >- • / ■» • J . f i0 : ■ 4 CHAPTER XIV. y-.i // "< . »,,. J.f.;'; vi K^> Remarks on the appearance of the country in passing up the Nile.'— Condition of a Christian at Cairo. — Interview with the Aga. - Miscella- neous observations on the customs of the Arabs, and other races of people found in Cairo. — Information respecting the interior of Africa. — Visit to the caravans and slave markets.— The traveller's reflections oti his condition and prospects. — His last letter to Mr. Jefferson.— Joins « caravan» and prepares to depart for Sennaar. — He is taken suddenly ilL — His death. — Account of his person and character. ' - V.,' As he was furnished with letters of recom- mendation to the British Consul at Cairo, he found little difficulty in procuring such accom- modations as he desired, and such information as enabled him to direct his attention imme- diately to the great object of his mission. His intention was to join a caravan, bound to the interior, and to continue with it to the end of its route. Beyond this he must be guided by circumstances, which could not be foreseen, and concerning which no calculation was to be made. He adopted a dress suited to the charac- ter he was to assume, and began in earnest to study the manners of the people around him, and particularly of the traders in the caravans, which were then at Cairo. Three months were passed in this occupation. He kept a journal of !■ 406 LIFE AND TRAVELS whatever he deemed most worthy of record, which was afterwards transmitted to the Afri- can Association. Such parts of the journal, as are contained in the proceedings of that body, will here be added. They bear the peculiar marks of the author's mind, his habits of obser- vation, his boldness of thought and opinion, and his quick perception of resemblance and contrast in the various races of men. "" August 14th. — I left Alexandria at mid- night, with a pleasant breeze north ; and was, at sunrise next morning, at the mouth of the Nile, which has a bar of sand across it, and soundings as irregular as the sea, which is raised upon it by the contentions of counter currents and winds. * ' — ' " ' ' ' c ** The view in sailing up the Nile is very confined, unless from the top of the mast, or some other eminence, and then it is an un- bounded plain of excellent land, miserably cul- tivated, and yet interspersed with a great num- ber of villages, both on its banks, and as far along the meadows as one can see in any direction. The river is also filled with boats passing and repassing — boats all of one kind, and navigated in one manner; nearly also of one sizci the largest carrying ten or fifteen tons. On board of these boats are seen onions, water-raelonS| OV JOHN LED YARD. 407 1 A: , dates, sometimes a horse, a camel (which lies down in the boat), sheep, goats, dogs, men, and women. Towards evening and morning they have music. - r ,: ^ , dci ^ " MThenever we stopped at a village, I used to walk into it with my conductor, who, being a Musselman, and a descendant from Mahomet, wore a green turban, and was therefore re- spected, and I was sure of safety; but, in truth, dressed as I was in a common Turkish habit, I believe I should have walked as safely without him. I saw no propensity among the inhabitants to incivility. The villages are most miserable assemblages of poor little mud huts, flung very close together without any kind of order, full of dust, lice, fleas, bugs, flies, and all the curses of Moses ; people poorly clad, the youths naked ; in such respects, they rank infinitely below any savages I ever saw. ** The common j^ople wear nothing but a shirt and drawers, and they are always blue. Green is the royal, or holy colour ; none but the descendants of Mahomet, if I am rightly informed, being permitted to wear it. ; " August 19th. — From the little town where we landed, the distance to Cairo is about a mile and a half, which we rode on asses ; for the ass in this country is the Christian's horse, h t.. it " W^ 408 LIFE AND TRAVELS as be is allowed no other animal to ride upon. Indeed I find the situation of a Christian, or, what they more commonly call here, a Frank, to be very, very humiliating, ignominious, and distressing. No one, by a combination of any causes, can reason down to such effects as ex- perience teaches us do exist here ; it being impossible to conceive, that the enmity I have alluded to could exist between men ; or, in fact, that the same species of beings, from any causes whatever, should ever think and act so differently as the Egyptians and the English do. • " I arrived at Cairo early in the morning, on the nineteenth of August, and went to the house of the Venetian Consul, Mr. Rosetti, charg^ d'affaires for the English Consul here. After dinner, not being able to find any other lodging, and receiving no very pressing invita- tion from Mr. Rosetti, to lodge with him, I wetit to a convent. This convent consists of missionaries, sent by the Pope to propagate the Christian faith, or at least to give shelter to Christians. The Christians here are principally from Damascus ; the convent is governed by the order of RecoHets ; a number of English, as well as other European travellers, have lodged there. " August 26th.— This day I was introduced OF JOHN- LED YARD. 409 by Rosetti to the Aga Mahommed, the confi- dential minister of Ismael, the most powerful of the four ruling Beys. He gave me his hand to kiss, and with it the promise of letters, pro- tection, and support, through Turkish Nubia, and also to some chiefs far inland. In a sub- sequent conversation, he told me I should see in my travels a people, who had power to trans- mute themselves into the forms of different animals. He asked me what 1 thought of the affair. I did not like to render the ignorance, simplicity, and credulity of the Turk apparent. I told him, that it formed a part of the charac- ter of all savages to be great necromancers ; but that I had never before heard of any so great, as those which he had done me the ho- nour to describe ; that it had rendered me more anxious to be on my voyage, and if I passed among them, I would, in the letter I promised to write to him, give him a more particular account of them, than he had hitherto had. He asked me how I could travel, without the language of the people where I should pass ? I told him, with vocabularies. I might as well have read to him a page of Newton's Principia. He returned to his fables again. Is it not curious, that the Egyptians (for I speak of the natives of the country, as well as of him, whea u <'J 410 LIFE AND TRAVELS I make the observation) are still such dupes to the arts of sorcery ? Was it the same people who built the pyramids ? "I cannot understand that the Turks have a better opinion of our mental powers, than we have of theirs ; but they say of us, that we are * a people who carry our minds on our fingers' ends ; meaning, that we put them in exercise constantly, and render them subservient to all manner of purposes, and with celerity, despatch, and ease, do what we do. j.ifvij i ^ . ** I suspect the Copts to have been the origin of the Negro race ; the nose and lips correspond with those of the Negro. The hair, whenever I can see it among the people here (the Copts), is curled ; not close, like the Negroes, but like the Mulattoes. I observe a greater variety of colour among the human species here, than in any other country; and a greater variety of feature, than in any other country not possess- ing a greater degree of civilization. I have seen an Abyssinian woman^ and a Bengal man ; the colour is the same in both ; so are their features and persons. .»,. t ' " I have seen a small mummy ; it has what I call wampum-work on it It appears as common here as among the Tartars. Tattooing is as prevalent among the Arabs of this placci OF JOHN LEDYARD. 411 as among the South Sea Islanders. It is a little curious, that the women here are more generally, than in any other part of the world, tattooed on the chin, with perpendicular lines descending from the under lip to the chin, like the women on the Northwest Coast of America. It is also a custom here to stain the nails red, like the Cochin Chinese, and the northern Tartars. The mask, or veil, that the women here wear, resembles exactly that worn by the priests at Otaheite, and those seen at the Sand- wich Islands. , " I have not yet seen the Arabs make use of a tool, like our axe or hatchet ; but what they use for such purposes, as we do our hatchet and axe, is in the form of an adze, and is a form we found most agreeable to the South Sea islanders. I see no instance of a tool formed designedly for the use of the right or left hand particularly, as the cotogon is among the Yakuti Tartars. :« 'J.; ^ • o- :. :.> ! ^^-'. .-^izi-rTim/ " There is certainly a very remarkable affinity between the Russian and Greek dress. The fillet round the temples of the Greek and Rus- sian women, is a circumstance in dress, that perhaps would strike nobody as it does me ; and so of the wampum- work too, which is also found among them both. They spin here with 4J2 LIFE AND TRAVELS the distaff and spindle only, like the French peasantry, and others in Europe; and the common Arab loom is upon our principle, though rude. I saw to-day an Arab woman white, like the white Indians in the South Sea islands, and at the Isthmus of Darien. These kind of people all look alike. Among the Greek women here, I find the identical Archangel headdress. . , ... ^ , . > , : ** Their music is instrumental, consisting of a drum and pipe, both which resemble those two instruments in the South Seas. The drum is exactly like the Otaheite drum ; the pipe is made of cane, and consists of a long and short tube joined : the music resembles very much the bagpipe, and is pleasant. All their music is concluded, if not accompanied, by the clap- ping of hands. I think it singular that the women here make a noise with their mouths like frogs, and that this frog music is always made at weddings, and, I believe, on all other occa- sions of merriment where there are women. " It is remarkable that the dogs here are of just the same species found among the Otahei- tans. It is also remarkable, that in one village I saw exactly the same mf chines used for diver- sion as in Russia. I forget the Russian name for it. It is a large kind of wheel, on the extre- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 413 mities of" which there are suspended seats, in which people are whirled round over and under each other. ** The women dress their hair behind, exactly in the same manner in which the women of the Kalmuk Tartars dress theirs. '• • • ^^ ** In the history of the kingdom of Benin, in Guinea, the chiefs are called Aree Boee, or street kings. Among the islands in the South Sea, Otaheite, and others, they call the chiefs Arees, and the great chiefs Aree le Hoi, I think this curious ; and so I do, thatit is a cus- tom of the Arabs to spread a blanket when they would invite any one to eat or rest with them. The American Indians spread the beaver skins on such occasions. The Arabs of the deserts^ like the Tartars, have an invincible attachment to liberty : no arts will reconcile them to any other life, or form of government, however mo- dified. This is a character given me here of the Arabs. It is singular that the Arab language has no word for liberty ^ although it has for slaves. The Arabs, like the New Zealanders, engage with a long, strong spear. - " I have made the best inquiries I have been able, since I have been here, of the nature of the country before me ; of Sennaar, Darfoor, Wangara, of Nubia, Abyssinia, of those named/ « 414 LIFE AND THAVELS f or unknown by name. I should have been happy to have sent you better information of those places than J am yet able to do. It will appear very singular to you, in England, that we, in Egypt, are so ignorant of countries which we annually visit. The Egyptians know as little of geography as the generality of the French ; and, like them, sing, dance, and traffic without it. -' -r . . ,.v '' I have the best assurances of a certain and safe conduct by the return of the caravan that is arrived from Sennaar ; and Mr. Rosetti tells me, that the letters I shall have from the Aga here, will ensure me of being conveyed, from hand to hand, to my journey's end. The Ma- hometans in Africa are what the Russians are in Siberia, a trading, enterprising, superstitious, \varlike set of vagabonds, and wherever they are set upon going, they will, and do go ; but they neither can nor do make voyages merely commercial, or merely religious, across Africa ; and where we do not find them in commerce, we find them not at all. They cannot, however vehemently pushed on by religion, afford to cross the continent without trading by the way. , id sv, ■ d.: ** October 14th. — I went to-day to the market- 'place, where they vend the black slaves that OF JOHN LEDYARD. 415 come from towards the interior parts of Africa. There were two hundred of them together, dressed and ornamented as in their country. The appearance of a savage in every region is almost the same. There were very few men among them: this indicates that they are prisoners of war. They have a great many beads and other ornaments about them that are from the East. I was told by one of them that they came from the west of Sennaar, fifty-five days' journey, which may be about four or five hundred miles. A Negro chief said, the Nile had its source in his country. In general, they had their hair plaited in a great number of small detached plaits, none exceeding in length six or eight inches: the hair was filled with grease and dirt, purposely daubed on. ' " October 16th.— I have renewed my visit to-day, and passed it more agreeably than yes- terday ; for yesterday I was rudely treated. The Franks are prohibited to purchase slaves, and therefore the Turks do not like to see them in the market. Mr. Rosetti favoured me with one of his running charg^ d'affaires to accom- pany me ; but having observed, yesterday, among the ornaments of the Negroes, a variety of beads, and wanting to know from what country they came, I requested Mr. Rosetti, previously to my second visit, to show me- *v 416 LIFE AND TRAVELS jti/i i^i^ from his store samples of Venetian beads. He showed me samples of fifteen hundred different kinds : after this I set out. t^- , . .** The name of the country these savages come from, is Darfoor, and is well known on account of the slave trade, as well as of that in gum and elephants' teeth. The appearance of these Negroes declares them to be a people in as savage a state as any people can be ; but not of so savage a temper, or of that species of countenance, that indicates savage intelligence. They appear a harmless, wild people ; but they are mostly young women, tii?: a'sntwi 1 1*^* i-ji " The beads they are ornamented with are Venetian ; and they have some Venetian brass medals, which the Venetians make for trade. The beads are worked wampum-wise. I know not where they got the marine shells they worked among their beads, nor how they could have seen white men. I asked them if they would use me well in their country, if I should visit it ? They said yes, and added, that they should make a king of me, and treat me with all the delicacies of their country. Like the Egyptian women, and like most other savages, they stick on ornaments wherever they can, and wear, like them, a great ring in the nose, either from the cartilage, or from the side : f « » OF JOHN LEDYAttD. 417 they also rub on some black kind of paint round the eyes, like the Egyptian women. They are a sizeable, well-formed people, quite black, with what, I believe, we call the true Guinea face, and with curled short hair; but not more curled or shorter than I have seen it among the Egyptians ; but, in general, these savages plait it in tassels plastered with clay or paint. Among some of them the hair is a foot long, and curled^ resembling exactly one of our mops. The pre- vailing colour, where it can be seen, is a black and red mixed. I think it would make any hair curl, even uncle Toby's wig, to be plaited and plastered as this is. This caravan, which I call the Darfoor caravan, is not very rich. The Sennaar is the rich caravan. " October 19th. — I went yesterday to see if more of the Darfoor caravan had arrived ; but they were not. I wonder why travellers to Cairo have not visited these slave markets, and conversed with the Jelabs, or travelling mer- chants of these caravans ; both are certainly sources of great information. The eighth part of the money expended on other accounts, might here answer some good solid purpose. For my part, I have not expended a crown, and I have a better idea of the people of Africa, c^ its trade, of the position of places, the nature of E E .4 418 LIFE AND TBAVEtS Ihe country, and odanner of trateUing, tkan ever I had by any other means ; and, I believe, better than any other means would afford me. "Oc^o^25th. — I have been again to the slave market; but neither the Jelabs (a name which in this country is given to all travelling merchants), nor the slaves are yet arrived in town ; they will be here to-morrow. I met two or three in the street, and one with a shield and •spear. I have understood to day, that the king of Sennaar is himself a merchant, and concerned in the Sennaar caravans. The merchant here, who contracts tO; convey me to Sennaar, is Pro- curer at Cairo to the King of Sennaar ; this is a good circumstance, and one I knew not of till to-day. Mr. Rosetti informed me of it. He informed me also, that this year the importa- tion of negro slaves into Egypt will amount to twenty thousand. The caravans from the inte- rior countries of Africa do not arrive here uniformly every year; they, are sometimes absent two or three years^ : t~ ■-^'^^ '"- r* " *' Among a dozen of Senuaar slaves, I saw three personable men of a good bright olive colour, of vivacious and intelligent counte- nances ; but they had all three (which first at- tracted my notice) heads uncommonly formed ; the forehead was the narrowest, the longest, and OF JOHN LEDYARD. 419 most protuberant I ever saw. Many of these slaves speak a few words lof the Arab language ; but whether they learned them before or since their captivity I cannot tell. : "A caravan goes from here to Fezzab, which they call a journey of fifty days ; and from Fezzan to Tombuctou, which they call a journey of ninety days. The caravans travel about twenty miles a day, which makes the distance on the road from here to Fezzan, one thotisand miles ; and from Fezzan to Tombuctou, one thousand eight hundred miles. From here to Sennaar is reckoned six hundred miles. I have been waiting several days to have an interview with the Jelabs, who go from hence to Sennaar. I am told that they carry in general, trinkets; but among other things soap, antimony, red linen, razors, scissars, mir- rors, beads ; and, as far as I can yet leaif , they bring from Sennaar elephants' teeth, the gum called here gum Sennaar, camels, ostrich fea- thers, and slaves. ^*'- .'* *< Wangara is talked of here as a place produc- ing much gold, and as a kingdom; all accounts, and there are many, agree in this. The King of Wangara (whom I hope to see in about three months after leaving this) is said to dispose of just what quantity he pleases of his gold ; somc- E F. 2 ;\i 420 LIFE AND TRAVELS times a great deal, and sometimes little or none; and this, it is said, he does to prevent strangers knowing how rich he is, and that he may live in peace." In a letter to the Association are expressed his undiminished zeal in their cause, the high motives which impelled him onward, and his utter indifference to every thing but the success of his undertaking. ^u«| it^^.,.!.^ j. ^. ,« : " Money ! it is a vile slave ! I have at pre- sent an economy of a more exalted kind to .observe. I have the eyes of some of the first men of the first kingdom on earth turned upui me. I am engaged by those very men, in tht inost important object that any private indivi- dual can be engaged in. I have their appro- bation to acquire or to lose ; and their esteem, also, which I prize beyond every thing, except the iifdependent idea of serving mankind. 3hould rashness or desperation carry me through, whatever fame the vain and injudicious might bestow, I should not accept of it ; it is the good and great I look to ; fame bestowed by them is altogether different, and is closely allied to a * Well done* from God ; but rashness will not be likely to carry me through, any more than timid caution. To find the necessary medium of conduct, to vary and apply it to contingen- OF JOHN LEDYARD. 421 cies, is the economy I allude to ; and if I suc- ceed by such means, men of sense in any suc- ceeding epoch will not blush to follow me, and perfect those discoveries, which I have only abilities to trace out roughly, or a disposition to attempt. A Turkish sofa has no charms for me : if it had, I could soon obtain one here. Believe me, a single * Well done ' from your Association has more worth in it to me, than all the trappings of the East ; and what is still more precious, is, the pleasure I have in the justification of my own conduct at the tribunal of my own heart/' ' ^ ^ u / .> Y m 4i^> - ^ ''^- On the fifteenth of November he again wrote to Mr. Jefferson as follows. ** This is my third letter to you from Egypt. I should certainly write to the Marquis de la Fayette, if I knew where to find him. I speak of him often among the French at Cairo. But if our news here, with respect to the affairs of France be authentic, he would hardly find time to read my letter, if his active spirit is employed in the conflict in proportion to its powers. It is pos- sible, however, that my compliments may reach him, and I desire it may be through your means. Tell him that I love him, and that the French patriots in Cairo call on the name of Suffrein and La Fayette, the one for point- \ 'i 422 LIFE AND TRAVELS blank honesty, and the other as the soldier and the courtier. The old veteran in finance and civil eco^nomy, Mr. Necker^ is welcomed to the helm. '■ • ' • .■ -■• .. -M'^- ..•/;^- nt «>t,u^ , "I have now been in Cairo three months, and it is within a few days only, that I have had any certainty of being able to proceed in the prosecution of my voyage. The difficulties that hav€ attended me^ have occupied me day and night I should otherwise not only have written to you oftener, but should have given you some little history of what I have heard and seen. My excuse now is, that I am doing up my baggage for my journey, and most curious baggage it is. I shall leave Cairo in two or three days. ^^ ,,.... i ?_• ^^.-^-^ ^t .. i^nr^i, " Perhaps I should not have pleased you, if I had written much in detail. I think I know your taste for ancient history ; it does not com- port with what experience teaches me. The enthusiastic avidity with which you search for treasures in Egypt, and I suppose all over with the East, ought in justice to the world, and your own r^nerous propensities, to be modified, corrected, and abated. I should have written you the truth. It is disagreeable to hear it, when habit has accustomed one to falsehood. You have the travels of Savary in ^his country. OF 30HS LEDYARD. 423 Bum them. Without entering into a discussion that would be too long for a letter, I cannot tell you why I think most historians have written more to satisfy themselves, than to benefit others. I am certainly very angry with those, who have written of the countries where I have travelled, and of this particularly. They have all more or less deceived me. In some cases* perhaps, it is diflficult to determine which does the most mischief, the self-love of the historian or the curiosity of the reader ; but both toge-^ ther have led us into errors, that it is now too late to rectify. You will think my head is turned to write you such a letter from Egypt, but the reason is, I do not intend it shall be turned. " I have passed my time disagreeably here* Fteligion does more mischief in Egypt than all other things, and here it has always done more than in most other places. The humiliating situation of a Frank would be insupportable to me, except for my voyage. It is a shame to the sons of Europe, that they should suffer such arrogance at the hands of a banditti of ignorant fanatics. I assure myself, that even your curiosity and love of antiquity would not detain you in Egypt three months. «. -in ry- \ \ 424 -^: LIFE AND TRAVELS ** From Cairo I am to travel south-west, about three hundred leagues, to a black king. Then my present conductors will leave me to my fate. Beyond^ I suppose I shall go alone. T expect to cut the continent across between the paral- lels of twelve and twenty degrees of north lati- tude. If possible, r shall write you from the kingdom of this black gentleman. If not, do not forget me in the interval of time, which may pass during my voyage from thence to Europe, and as likely to France as anywhere. I shall not forget you ; indeed, it will be a con- solation to think of you in my last moments. Be happy."- "^'^^ » ii: n.fw -^^siiYi This is the last letter, which Ledyard is known to have written, either to Mr. Jefferson, or to any other person. He wrote to the se- cretary of the Association, probably by the same conveyance, stating that, after much vexatious delay, all things were at last ready for his departure, and that his next communi- cation might be expected from Sennaar. The Aga had given him letters of recommendation, his passage was engaged, the terms settled, and the day fixed, on which the caravan was to leave Cairo. He wrote in good spirits and apparent health, and the confidence of the As- # OF JOHN LEDYARD. 425 sociation had never been more firm, nor their .hopes more sanguine, than at this juncture. Their extreme disappointment may well be imagined, therefore, when the next letters from -Egypt brought the melancholy intelligence of his death. -f^J:' ■J il» vfSt fji During his resi ^sace at Cairo, his pursuits -had made it necessary for him to be much exposed to the heat of the sun, and to other '.deleterious influences of the climate, at the most unfavourable season of the year. The conse- quence was an attack of a bilious complaint, which he thought to remove by the common remedy of vitriolic acid. Whether this was administered by himself, or by some other per- son, is not related, but the quantity taken was so great, as to produce violent and burning .pains, that threatened to be fatal, unless im- mediate relief could be procured. This was attempted by a powerful dose of tartar emetic. 3ut all was in vain. The best medical skill in Cairo was called to his aid without effect, and he closed his life of vicissitude and toil, at the moment when he imagined his severest cares were over, and the prospects before him were more flattering, than they had been at any former period. He was decently interred, and mB m^r LIFE AND TRAVELS all suitable respect was pakl to his obsequies by such friieiidsy as he had found among the European residents in the capital of Egypt. ^ IT The preci"«i day of his death is not known, but the event is supposed to have happened towards the end of November, 1788. He was then in the thirty-eighth y^r of his age. ^' ' u So much has been drewn from the traveller's own writings in tiie preceding narrative, that nothing can be added to make the reader better acquainted with the constitution of his mind, the qualities of his heart, or the characteristics ofijhis genius. Mr. Beaufoy's description of lum is short, but discriminating; and the more worthy of regard, as having l>een founded on personal knowledge; n. -- \> 1- . o ^* To those who have never seen Mr. Ledyard, it may not, perhaps, be uninteresting to know, that his person, though scarcely exceeding the middle size, was remarkably expreissive of ac- tivity and strength ; and that his manners, though unpolished, were neither uncivil nor unpleasing. Little attentive to difference of rank, he seeiheid to consider all men as his equals, and as such he respected them. His genius^ though uncultivated and irregular, was original aod comprehensive. Ardent in his lS-U. -.iLh ilitOT JOHN LEDYARDkt:/ 427 wishcia, yet calnl in his deliberations; daring in his purposes, but guarded in his measures ; impati^dit of controul» yet capable of sUong endurance ; adventurous beyond the conception of ordinary men, yet wary and considerate, and attentive to all precautions, he appeared to be formed by Nature for achievements of hardihood and peril." } His letters afford convincing proofs of his kind and amiable disposition, gratitude to his benefactors, humanity, and disinterestedness. This last virtue, indeed, he practised to an * excess. No man ever acted with less re^^ard r to self, or on a broader scale of philanthropy i and general gopd. That he finally accomplished little, compared with the magnitude of his de- signs, was his misfortune, but not his fault. Had he been less eccentric, however, in some of his peculiarities, more attentive to his imme- diate interests, more regardful of the force of circumstances, it is possible that his efforts y would have been rewarded with better success. i The acts of his life demand notice less on ac- count of their results, than of the spirit with r which they were performed, and the uncom- mon traits of character which prompted to their execution. Such instances of decision. '» IT 428 LIFE AND TRAVELS OF JOHN LEDYARD. energy, perseverance, fortitude, and enterprise, have rarely been witnessed in the same indi- vidual ; and, in the exercise of these high attri- butes of mind, his example cannot be too much admired or imitated. < - , 4 'j^l' ■ ■fM :* A # ' So* > i J ^Jk ^ J J** i. •1 THE END. ^ ..V . lad^ ^Idpii^n if-' ;]-:f^: ^i^.? hid -ciy:r ^mi^u ■ ^^ \' :iidi ,5»lc ;■ i .■.ommUii mayn't < ' BRACKBLL AND BAYLIS, JOHNSOIfVcOURT. /;;) s^ I i i. ' iil '1^