OLIPHANT, olti-fant. LAURENCE ( 1 S29 -S5 ) An English author and traveler, son of Sir Anthony Oliphant. He was born at Cape Town in 1629. Laurence Oliphant passed his early boyhood in England, but in 1841 he went to Ceylon, where his father was Chief Justice; trav eled with his parents in Europe (1S46-47) ; re turned to Ceylon as private secretary to his fa ther; practiced as criminal lawyer; Went on a hunting excursion in Nepal; returned to Eng land, and was called to the English and the Scotch bar. Ile was in Russia and the Crimea (1852) ; in Canada and the United States as secretary to Lord Elgin. Governor-General of Canada (1853-54) ; at Sebastopol, and served under Omar Pasha at the battle of Ingour (1855) ; at New Orleans, engaged ill a filibuster ing expedition (1856) ; in China and Japan with Lord Elgin 11857-59) ; with Oaribabli in Italy (1860) ; /3.* to the British legation in Japan, where he was dangerously wounded by and afterwards he travel in Egypt, Poland, and Palestine. Ile was elected to Parlia ment ill 1S65, hut two years later he resigned to join the brotherhood founded by T. L. llarris (q.v.) at Broeton ill western New York. lie married in 1872, and his wife and mother joined the community. For years the Oliphants were the spiritual slaves of Harris; but they finally came to distrust him. After breaking with him,
Oliphant settled for a time at Haifa in the Bay of Acre, where he devised schemes for restor ing the Jews to the Holy Land. lie died at TYV lek(1111:1111, near London, December 23, 1858. Oliphant served as special correspondent for the Times 1)11 y:11 IOUs ON'a S1011,4 :111d was a brilliant journalist. llis molly published books are most ly aveounts of his travels. Among them are: .1 Journey to Khatniandu (1552) : The Russian s of the Black Sea (1653) ; and Ear/ of Elgin's Mission to Chirp( and Japan (1859). llis strange erratic character is boldly displayed ill rpisot/es ill a Life of -1 Herat (1:::s17 1 ; his re ligious opinions ill ,`:yiniğicitimita I556) ; h',/igion (16881; and his novel Hosso/boai ( 1:56). What he might ha been may be seen in his novel Piccadilly (Blackwood's .1lagazine, 18651, one of the most brilliant satires on English life ever St rittvIl. With less sueeess he worked the same vein in Pcto (1653). Consult the Memoir of Laurence Oliphant anal Ms Wife, .Llicc Oliphant, by Slargaret Oliphant (Edin burgh. ROI ).