LEDYARD, JOHN, 1751-89; b. Conn.; prepared himself for missionary labors, and was for is time among time Indians of the Six Nations. In 1776 he went to London, and accompanied capt. Conk on his ihird and last voyage. Ile was at this time a cor poral of marines in the British service, and in 1789, when off the American coast. deserted, and endeavored to organize a n.w. trading expedition. In this he failed, and two years later again went to Emden, •l• nee he undertook a tour of exploration in the extreme n. of Europe. Starting front Stockholm on he traversed the coast-line of the gulf of Bothnia, and continued his course to Siberia. IIe was arrested at Irkutsk by orders of the Russian government, and expelled from the country with orders not to return under penalty of death. This harsh action appears to have been taken on the suspicion that he was a spy or on account of jealousy. He reached London with diffi culty in a most forlorn condition, where he was kindly received, and by sir Joseph Banks and some other persons sent on an expedition of exploration to Africa. He
reached Cairo, but was there attacked by a fit of sickness which put an end to his life. Lode:1M's diary of his voyage with rapt. Cook was published in an abridged form in Hartford, Conn., 1787. Others of his manuscripts were issued in London among the memoirs of the society for encouraging discoveries in central Africa. lie• possessed a restless temperament and an adventurous disposition, but his travels do not appear to have resulted in any considerable service to mankind. It is remarkable that he should have left his native country at the outbreak of the revolution, should have entered the naval service of Great Britain in a branch of it devoted to the comparatively peaceful duty of exploration, and should have deserted this service immediately after the close of the war between the two countries.