Connecticut Historical Collections

" He soon went to New York, and suiled for Loiulori in 1771, as a common sailor. When Captain Cook saileel on his third voyage of discing ry, Ledyard, who Cell an irresislible deaire lo e.\'|)iore ihose rej^'ions of Ihe j,'lobe uliich were yet undiscc^vered or irnperleclly known, accejued the humble station of corporal of marines, rather than forego an o|)poriiinily so inviting lo his inc|iiisiiive and adventurous sfdrii. lie was a favorite of the illustrious navigator, and was one of the witnesses of his tragical end in 1778. He surprised iiis friends in America, who had iieard nothing of him for ten years, by a visit in 1781. Having otTered his services lo several merchants lo conduct a tr.'iding voyage to the northwot coast and meeting with no encouragement, he again embarked for England in 1782. He now resolved to traverse the continent of America from the northwesl coast, which Cook had partly exploied, to the eastern coast, with which he was already perfectly familiar. Disappointed in his intention of hailing on a voyage of commercial adventure lo iS'ootka sound, he passed the British channel to 0.^tend, with only ten guineas in hi.s jiurse, determined to travel civer land to Kamsthaika, whenceilu- passage is short to the western coast of America. AVhen he came to the gulf of liothnia, he atieinptcd lo cro.ss the ice, that he might reach Kam- schatka by the shortest way ; but tindiiig that the water was not frozen in the middle, he returned to Stockholm. He then traveled northward into the arctic circle; and passing round the head of the gulf, descended on its eastern side to Peter.sbnigh. There his e.Nlraordinary api)earance attracted general notice. Without stockings or shoes, and too poor to provide himself with either, he was invited to dine with the Portuguese ambassador, wlio su[iplied him with twenty guineas on the credit of Sir Joseph Banks. Through his interest, he also obtained permission lo accompany a detachment of stores, which was to be sent to Yakutz for the use of Mr. Billings, an Englishman, who was intrusted with the schemes of northern discovery, in which the Empress was then engaged. From Yakutz, which is situated in Siberia, six thou- sand miles east of Petersbiirgh, he proceeded to Oczakow, or Ochoisk, on the Kam- schaikan sea; but as the navigation was completely obstructed by ice, he returned to Yakutz, intending to wait lor the conclusion of the winter. Here, in consequence of some unaccountalJle suspicion, he was seized in the name of the Empress by two Rus- sian soldiers, wlio conveyed him, in the depth of winter, through the north of Tarlary to the frontier of the Polish dominions, assuring him at their departure, that if he re- turned to Prussia, he shoukl certainly be hanged, but if he chose lo return lo England, thev wished him a pleasant journey. Poor, forlorn, and friendless, covered with rags, and exhausted by fatigue, disease and misery, he proceeded to Konigsberg, where the interest of Sir Joseph iianks enabled him to procure tlie sum of hve guineas, by means of which he arrived in England. " He immediately waited on Sir Joseph, who recommended him to an adventure as perilous as that fro.m which he had just returned. He now was informed of the views L E D Y A R D . 327 of the association, which had been lately formeJ for promoting the discoverj' of the interior iiarts of Africa, which weie then little known. Sparrman.Paterson and Vail- lani had traveled into Calliaria, and Norden and Bruce had enlarged the acquaint- ance of Europeans uilh Egypt, Nubia and Abyssinia. In regard toother parts of this quarter of the gh^be, its geography, excepting in relation to its coasts, wa> in- volved in darkness Ledyard engaged with enthusiasm in nn enterprise which lie had already prujccled for himself: and receiving from Sir Joseph a letter of intro- duction to one of the members of the committee appointed to direct the business, and promote the object of the association, he went to him without delay. The descrip- tion which that gentleman lias given of his first interview, strongly marks the charac- ter of this hardy traveler. ' Before I had learned,' says he, ' from the note tlie 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 belbre him, and tracing a line from Cairo to Sennaar, and from ihence westward in the latitude ami supposed direction of the JN'iger, I told liiin that was the route, by which I was an.xious ihat Alrica might, if possible be explored. He said, he should iliiiik himself singularly iDrluiiatc to be entrusted with the adventure. I asked him when he would set out ? To-morrow morning, was his answer.' "From such zeal, decision and intrepidity, the society naturally formed the most sanguine expectations. He sailed from London, June ',iO, 17S8, and in thirty six days, seven of which were spent in Paris, and two at Marseilles, arrived in the ciiy of Al- exandria; and having there assumed the dress of an Egyptian traveler, proceeded to Cairo, which he reached on the nineteenth of August. He traveled with peculiar advantages. Endowed with an original and comprehensive genius, he beheld with interest, and desciibed with energy, the scenes and objects around him ; and by com- paring them with what he had seen in other regions of the globe, he was enabled to give his narrative all the varied effect of contrast and resemblance. His remaiks on Lower Egypt, had that counliy been less generally known, might have ranked with ihe most valuableof geographical records. Theygreatly heightened the opinion which his employers already entertained, of his singular (jualiticationsfor the task wliich he had undertaken. Nor was his residence at Cairo altogether useless to the association. By visiting the slave markets, and by conversing with the Jelabs, or traveling mer- chants of the caravans, he obtained, without any expense, a belter idea of the jieopje of Africa, of its trade, of the position of places, (he nature oi the country, and the man- ner of traveling, than he could by any other means have acquired ; and the communi- cations on these suiijects, wliich he transinitled to England, interesting and instructive us they were, alforded the society tlie most gratifying proofs of the ardent spiiit of enquiry, the unwearied attention, the persevering research, and the hiboriuus, inde- fatigable, anxious zeal, with which their author pursued the object of his mission. " He had announced to iiis employers, that he had received letters of earnest re- commendation from the Aga ; that the day of his departure was appointed ; that his next dispatch Would be datml Irom Sennaar; and the coinimttee expecied with iin- ]iaiience the resuh uf his juurney. Bui ihat jourr.ey was never to be perfoimed. The vexation occasioned by repealed delays iii the departure of the caravan, brought on a bilious complaint, which being increased at first by incautious treatment, batJled the skill of the most approved physicians of (Jairo, and terminated his caillily existence, January 17, 17HI). "The society heard with deep concern the death of a man, whosehigh sense of honor, magnanimous contempt of danger, and earnest zeal lor the extension of knowledge, had been so conspicuously displayed in their service ; whose ardor, tempered by calm deliberation, whose daringspiiit, seconded by the most prudent caution, and whose im- patience of control, united with the power of supporting any fatigue, seemed to have qualified hiin above all other men, for the very arduous task of traversing the wildest and most dangerous part of the continent of Africa. Despising the accidental dis- tinctions of society, lie seemed to regard no man as his superior; but his manners, though unpolished, were not disagreeable. His uncultivated genius was peculiar aiicl capacious. The hardships to which lie submitted in the prosecution of his enterprises and in the indulgence of his curiosity, are almost incredible. He was sometimes glad to receive food as in charity to a madman, for that character he had been obliged to assume in order to avoid a heavier calamity. His judgment of the female charac- ter is very honorable to the sex. ' I have always remarked,' says he, ' that women in all countries are civil and obliging, tender and liumane: that they are ever inclined to be gay and cheerful, timorous and modest; and that they do not hesiiate, like men, to perform a generous iiction. Not haughty, nor arrogant, nor supercilious, lliey are full of courtesy, and fond of society ; more liable in general to err than man, but in general also more virtuous, and performing more good actions, than he. To a woman, whether civili"ed or savage, I never addressed myself, in the language of decency 328 LISBON and friendship, ■williont receiving,' a decent and friendly answer. With inan it Las often been otherwise. In wandering? over the barren phiins of mhospilabie Denmark, through lione.st Sweden and frozen Lapland, rude ami churlish Finlaiul, unprincipled Russia, and the wide spread regions of the wandering Tartar ; if hungiy, dry, cold, wet, or sick, the women have ever been friendly to nie, and uniformly so. And adtl to this virtue, so worthy the appellation of benevolence, tlieir actions have been per- formed in so free and kind a manner, that if I was dry, I drank the sweetest draught, and if hungry, I ate the coarsest morsel, with a double relish.' " LISBON Lisbon was formerly included within the limits of Norwich. It was incorporated as a distinct town in 1786. It is a small irregular town- ship, being the point of land hetween the Quinnebaug and Shetucket rivers, which unite at the southern point of the town. It is bounded north by Windham and Canterbmy, westwardly by the Shetucket, sep- arating it froin Norwich and Franklin, and eastwardly by the Quinne- baug, dividing it from Griswold and Preston.