public character, and from this circumstance insure 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 of France, any islands or unknown regions, that might be actually discovered. A memorial, and other suitable papers, were sent to the King's ministers, applying for such a privilege, and for letters of recommendation to the European public agents residing in those parts of the world, at which the vessel would probably touch.

On the 23d of February, 1785, Ledyard wrote to his brothers from L'Orient; "My affairs in France are likely to prove of the greatest honor 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 mean time, 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 perse

verance.

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 his repose. After the date of the above letter, we hear no more of the L'Orient negotiation, 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 prospects 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 afflicted him more severely than all the rest, the last resort for carrying into effect his darling plan of northwestern 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 him for other deeds than a tame submission to the control 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; and after his concerns relative to the voyage were closed, he hastened to that capital.

CHAPTER VII.

Meets with Mr. Jefferson at Paris. - Project of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast with Paul Jones. Jefferson and Lafayette. Ledyard proposes a Journey through Russia and Siberia to Bering's Strait. - Observations in Paris. Proceeds to London. - 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 country, received Ledyard with great kindness, and approved most highly his design of an expedition 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 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 possessed smal. 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 evident, that a large portion of that immense country, separated from the United States by no barrier of nature, would eventually be embraced 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.

Ledyard had not been many days in Paris, before he became acquainted with Paul Jones, at that time acting under a commission from the Congress of the United States, to demand the amount of certain prizes, which he had taken during the war, and sent into French ports. This intrepid adventurer, being now unemployed in any military or public service,