Memoirs of the Life and Travels of John Ledyard: From His Journals and Correspondence |
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acquainted adventure Africa America appear arrived Asia Asiatic Barnaoul boats Buretti Cairo canoe Captain Cook character chief circumstances civilized colour Commandant continent Cook's custom discovery dress Empress England enterprise expedition favour friends heart honour human hundred Indians inhabitants Irkutsk islands JOHN LEDYARD journal journey Kalmuks Kamtschatka Karamyscheff Kazan kind Kolyvan lake land language Ledyard letter London manner ment miles missionary Monguls months natives nature never Nootka Sound North Northwest Coast observed Ocean Okotsk Omai Otaheite Pacific Ocean Pallas Paris passed person Petersburg Poulaho present procure purpose remarks resemblance respect river river Kolyma Russian sailed savage says season seen Sennaar sent ship shore Siberia snow Society Islands Southold suppose Swedish Lapland Tartars Teraiobu thing thought tion Tobolsk town traveller tribes versts vessel voyage winter write Yakuti Yakutsk Yenissey Zealand
Popular passages
Page 403 - So geographers, in Afric maps, With savage pictures fill their gaps, And o'er unhabitable downs Place elephants for want of towns.
Page 359 - ... without receiving a decent and friendly answer. With man it has often been otherwise. In wandering over the barren plains of inhospitable Denmark, through honest Sweden, and frozen Lapland, rude and churlish Finland, unprincipled Russia, and the wide-spread regions of the wandering Tartar — if hungry, dry, cold, wet or sick, the women have ever been friendly to me...
Page 159 - ... 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 no damage, and, being fully at leisure to keep up an unremitted and uniform action, made great havoc among the Indians, particularly among the chiefs, who stood foremost in the crowd and were...
Page 126 - It is natural to an ingenuous mind, when it enters a town, a house, or ship, that has been rendered famous by any particular event, to feel the full force of that pleasure, which results from gratifying a noble curiosity. I was no sooner informed, that this sloop was the same in which the famous Bering had performed those discoveries, which did him so much honor, and his country such great service, than I was determined to go on board of her, and indulge the generous feelings the occasion inspired.
Page 391 - 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 Sennaar, 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.
Page 312 - ... 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 gaining the opposite continent. But I submit.
Page 155 - 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 distinction; 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...
Page 142 - ... 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...
Page 157 - 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 withdraw his men and get them into the boats, which were then lying ready to receive them. This was effected by the sergeant; 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...
Page 56 - His manly form, mild but animated and expressive eye, perfect self-possession, a boldness not obtrusive, but showing a consciousness of his proper dignity, an independent spirit, and a glow of enthusiasm giving life to his conversation and his whole deportment, — 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 enterprise. They gained the confidence of the great navigator,...