FLINT, TIMOTHY, an American clergymau and writer, whose career is curiously illustrative of the shifting phases through which professional men occasionally pass in the United States. Born in July 1780 at North Reading in Massachusetts, he became, after passiug through the theological course it Harvard University, in 1802 pastor to a congregational church at Luuenburg, Massachusetts. Here he remained for twelve years, but political differences with leading members of his church having rendered his position very uncomfort able, he in 1814 resigned his charge. In the following year he proffered his services to a missionary society, and in September 3815 he act out with his family in a two-horse waggon for the then almost unoccupied western valleys of the Mississippi and Ohio. Having spent the first winter in Cincinnati, he pushed forward, and during seven or eight successive summers preached his way through Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas. His health failing, ho resigned his mission, and during the next two or three years tried farming and school-teaching at New Orleans, on the borders of Lake Portchartraine, and at Alex andria on Red River, without much success in either vocation. At length, finding that in the west he had utterly broken down in health and pocket, he turned homeward, and reached Massachusetts in safety, though as he fancied only to die in his native place. His health improved however, but he now found himself at the age of five-and forty with life to begin anew, and his proper calling closed to him by his confirmed ill-health. Ile set to work with the undaunted energy so characteristic of his countrymen. He had made ample notes of the countries he passed through in his missionary travels, and he now composed from them ' Recollections of Ten Years' Residence and Travels in the Valley of the Mississippi,' which he published at Boston in 1826. The truth and picturesque force of the descriptions secured for his book a favourable reception in Europe as well as in America : it was reprinted in London, and translated into French. Mr. Flint at once determined to make literature his profession, and somewhat oddly, considering his ' antecedents,' his first venture, after formiug this resolution, was as a novelist in 'Francis Berrie°, or the Mexican I'atriot,' an autobiograph,. But the news of the European success of his Mississippi Recollections' incited him to writs a second part to that work, or rather a more formal work on the same country, then an almost undescribed one. It was published at Cincinuati in 1S27 under the title of 'The Geography of the Mississippi Valley,' and with the ' Recollections' formed by far the most valuable account which had up to that time been published of the geography of the western states, and the two works still remain perhaps the best description of the scenery and physical features of the groat valley of the Mississippi.
During the 'text three years Mr. Fliut published three more novels, 'Arthur Claming,' a sort of 'Robinson Crusoe' story—the adventures of the hero occurring however in Australia nod Illiuois ; ' George Mason, or the Backwoodsman ;' and the Shoshonee Valley,' in which an adventurous Baptist missionary, well skilled in 'trapping; plays an important part, and in which there can be little doubt the author's own experience furnished much of the materials. [lie novels hardly meeting with the success he desired, Mr. Flint now recurred to his early scientific pursuits. While a clergyman at Luncnburg, he had been a diligent student iu natural history and chemistry ; indeed his fondness for the latter had involved him in some trouble. Fur when he and his flock began to disagree, some of the more ignorant or unscrupulous of the malcontents sot afloat a report that his occupa tion in the 'laboratory' was that of making counterfeit coin ; and such was the effect of the report, that Mr. Flint deemed it necessary to prosecute one or more of the parties for slander. Returning to his scientific studies,he now lectured on natural history, geology, chemistry, the steam-engine, the application of science to the arts, &c.; and iu 1832 published his lectures at Boston.
He next turned his attention to periodical literature ; in the first instance acting, during 1833, as editor of the 'Knickerbocker Maga zine.' On that passing into other hands he removed to Cincinnati, where, for three or four years, he edited the Western Monthly Maga zine; ' at the same time writing numerous tales and essays for several other periodicals; a Life of Daniel Boone, the Backwoodsman ; ' a ' History of the Indian Wars of the West;' translations, &c.
At length entirely worn-out, he returned once more to his native town, and there, a few months after his wife, he died August 16th, 1810. Timothy Flint takes no very high rank as a writer—he wrote too much and too fast to write well—but there is much descriptive power and 'some originality in his works, and his story is one so remarkable, as an example of energy, perseverance, and honest self helpfulness, as to deserve a somewhat more ample relation thau his mere literary rank would claim. But when it is remembered that he commenced authorship nt forty-five, and that all his books were written during coutinueua we shall be ready to recognise the ability as well as to admire the spirit of the author.