Chapter M: Ferdinand De Lesseps

_Dear Sir_:

I have just returned to my office from the house of Mr. Washburn, where I had the honor to meet Madame de Lesseps,—an honor and pleasure wholly unexpected to me.

I went to see Mr. Washburn for the purpose of conferring with him in relation to yourself and the great International Canal through the Isthmus of Panama.

Mr. Washburn was absent. But Mrs. Washburn very kindly invited me to stay and lunch with them. As we had been in Congress twelve years together, he in the House, and I in the Senate from Wisconsin, and as our families were so well acquainted at Washington, I could not decline her invitation, especially as it would give me such an opportunity to make the acquaintance of your excellent wife.

But what I wanted to say to Mr. Washburn and have him join me in saying to you, is thus: I am not satisfied with the Message of President Hayes upon the subject of the Isthmus routes.

While I am, as an American citizen, prepared to stand by the Monroe doctrine, so far as it opposes the _control_ of these routes by Great Britain or any other power, I do not think the Monroe doctrine goes so far as to assert that we as the great Republic of the New World propose to take the control into our hands.

While we may be more interested in that route than any other nation, we cannot assert for ourselves what we are unwilling to allow to other nations,—the domination of the route, which, from its position on the earth, of right belongs to all mankind.

So long as we assert the doctrine of President Monroe we stand upon the defensive. We stand for the freedom of the seas. Our policy, our traditions, our arms will maintain that.

But if we assert the doctrine of President Hayes, we leave the ground on which Monroe stood and upon which our people would stand solid, even to the point of war, and we place ourselves in antagonism to the very idea which makes the Monroe Doctrine strong among our own people, and strong throughout the world.

If we follow Mr. Hayes, instead of defending the freedom of the seas we dominate the Isthmus ourselves, and lay our hands upon the commerce of the World.

When this subject comes to be discussed, calmly (but I fear that cannot be until the next President election is over), the sound sober thought of our people will repudiate this new departure of Mr. Hayes, and will sustain the Monroe Doctrine, in its true meaning, viz:

That the routes across the Isthmus, between North and South America, shall not pass under the domination of any foreign power to levy tribute upon our commerce nor upon the commerce of any other nation.

The Isthmus of Panama, the Isthmus of Suez, and the Bosphorus, ought to be free channels of commerce to all nations in peace, and in war; and no less in war than in peace. And the law of nations should provide that if any nation shall attempt to close or blockade them in peace _or in war_, that nation should be treated as having made war upon the commerce of all other nations.

As I go to my home in Wisconsin this evening and shall not be able to meet you, I beg to say that I hope you will not be discouraged in your great work. The people of America will be in sympathy with you, upon the basis that no control shall ever be permitted to any government, and that its freedom shall be guaranteed by the civilized nations, both in peace and in war.

With great respect,
I am very truly yours,
J. R. DOOLITTLE.

THE EARLIEST KNOWN AUTOGRAPH OF BENEDICT ARNOLD

(The original letter is owned in New York City. It it particularly
interesting as showing Arnold’s dual trade—in books as well as drugs.
A few of the characters are almost illegible, and we do not guarantee
our correct transcription of them. It is also in evidence from the
body of the letter that the “servant-girl question” was alive in
1765.—ED.)

NEW HAVEN, _March_ 2d, 1765.

_Sir_

Your favour of the 28^{th} ult^o came duly to hand—am much obliged to you for your Trouble in sending me a Maid—but had engaged one for Six Months before this came. Mr. W^m Johnston wrote me word that Mrs. Hobby Imagined the maid you have send (_sic_) was not able to do our business upon which we Engaged an other—as the Girl is willing to return and says it will be no disapointment (_sic_) we have Sent her back again.

I have cred^t your acc. ¹⁹⁄₆ according to your desire & have sent you

—Vitriol ʒ2 9^d 1.6
Liqu-Laud Sy^d ʒ2p. ⅙ 3.9
Stoper Vial ½
Common Vial 2^d 1.4
——————
£0.0.7

N. B.—(illegible)
I shall have in a day or two.
The Books you wrote for are Sold.

I am Sir
Your oblig^d Serv^t
Bened^t Arnold.

To Dr. John Dickinson,
Middletown,
[Conn.]

THE MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Which was founded in 1877, ceased to appear in 1893, not long after the death of Mrs. MARTHA J. LAMB, who had then been its editor for nearly ten years; and has never since been equalled, until the present time. A legal obstacle preventing the word “American” in connection with the title, the present Magazine will bear the name of

THE MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, WITH NOTES AND QUERIES.

(The latter phrase formed a part of the title of the Magazine of American History in 1880, and is adopted as peculiarly descriptive of an important part of the new publication.)

The Publisher (who will act as Editor for the present) desires it to be understood that this difference in title does not indicate any difference in the character or contents of the Magazine. It will be as near an exact duplicate of the original Magazine of American History in form, size—even in type,—as is possible, while the character and scope of its contents will be the same as won for the former in the past such approval as is found in the following paragraphs, taken from many such in one year:

“This periodical is without a rival in its domain, and is becoming
indispensable to all intelligent readers. It is an unfailing source of
historical and documentary evidence of the growth and expansion of our
vast country.”—_Christian Advocate._

“It is more than a periodical; it gathers into permanent and
accessible form material that would otherwise be lost, or only found
with great effort. Its articles are uniformly well written, and the
illustrations and print complete the attractiveness of the
magazine.”—_New York Commercial Advertiser._

“This magazine is one of the best periodicals in America.”—_New York
Tribune._

“It is always a pleasure to welcome the MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN HISTORY,
with its antiquarian interest, its historical and biographical value,
its fine type and paper, and its antique illustrations.”—_Brooklyn
Eagle._

“Each number presents an admirable collection of papers, and maintains
the high character of the gifted editor, who, in her history of New
York city, displayed the highest qualities of an author. The magazine
is as instructive as it is entertaining.”—_Scientific American._

“This publication has steadily increased in interest. It fills a niche
of its own, and fills it so admirably as to ward off any attempt at
competition.”—_Baltimore American._

“The editor is giving great dignity to our country in recording the
lives of families that are noble in the highest sense.”—_Boston
Globe._

“This periodical richly deserves the high rank accorded to it by
leading historical scholars in the two hemispheres.”—_Boston
Transcript._

“It is crowded with facts of historical interest. The editor is
remarkably at home with her subject, and her selections are made with
a thorough appreciation of the wants of her readers.”—_Manufacturers’
Review._

“It is beyond all question the most admirable historical periodical
published. It is filled with articles prepared after long research by
prominent students of history, and original documents never before
published appear from time to time, adding to its value.”—_Detroit
Commercial Advertiser._

“It is rich in illustration and its make-up is of the highest order.
Its articles are on subjects of real interest and value to all
students of American history.”—_Westminster Teacher._

In the February number will appear an interesting Lincoln article, by Mr. F. E. Stevens, author of “The Black Hawk War.” It will be illustrated with two heretofore unknown portraits of contemporaries of Mr. Lincoln. There will also be a valuable article by Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet, on “Some Popular Myths of American History,” which will also contain an unpublished letter of Washington’s of peculiar interest.

A specific department—of Genealogy—not found in the M. A. H. will be added to the others, under the able care of Mr. William Prescott Greenlaw, the well-known Librarian of the New England Historic Genealogic Society. This will afford an excellent opportunity for such queries, which are usually inserted only in periodicals issued at much longer intervals than monthly.

During the next six months there will appear a series of articles on the Progress of Discovery of the Mississippi River, by Mr. Warren Upham, Secretary of the Minnesota Historical Society—as follows:

1. The Voyage of Vespucci past the mouths of the Mississippi.

2. De Soto and Moscoso on the Mississippi, 1541–3.

3. The expedition of Oñate, 1601.

4. Groseillers and Radisson, 1655–6 and 1660; besides a variety of other articles, covering the whole field of our country’s history; and a number of articles of less length, from the various writers who have offered their assistance to make the Magazine as interesting and valuable as its title and aim demand.

All that is necessary to insure the permanence of this most valuable publication is a hundred subscriptions, in addition to those pledged or already received. Towards this consummation, the various institutions of learning, as well as the old subscribers, are requested to lend their aid. Specimen copies will be sent on receipt of the price, 50 cents. Address the publisher.

The publication of this, the first number, has been delayed by having to change printers at the last moment; but after the March number shall have appeared, it is expected to publish regularly before the 15th of each month.

GENEALOGICAL

All communications for this department (including genealogical
publications for review) should be sent to William Prescott Greenlaw,
address: Sudbury, Mass., from April to November, inclusive;
Commonwealth Hotel, Bowdoin St., Boston, Mass., from December to
March, inclusive.

QUERIES

[A limited number of queries will be inserted for subscribers free; to
all others a charge of one cent per word (payable in stamps) will be
made.]

_1. a._ WEBB—Wanted, the date of birth, baptism, or proof of parentage of Nathaniel Webb, Sr., of Woolwich, Me., who married Jane, dau. of Samuel and Jane (Derby) Blanchard, of Weymouth, Mass.

_b._ BLANCHARD, PHILLIPS—John Blanchard, b. at Weymouth, Mass., March 27, 1660, son of Nathaniel, is said to have married Abigail, dau. of Nicholas Phillips. Nicholas Phillips, of Weymouth, and Nicholas Phillips, of Boston, both had daughters Abigail of the right age to marry Blanchard. Which was her father?

G. 1.

_2. a._ DERBY—Wanted, the birth and parentage of John Derby, Darby, or Darbyshear, who moved from Dunstable to Groton about 1705, and died before 1725. He married about 1697 Mary Blanchard, of Dunstable, and had children Mary, William, and James.

_b._ BLANCHARD—Mary (Blanchard) married for her second husband Nathaniel Wood. She was the daughter of John^3 (Samuel,^2 Thomas^1) Blanchard and Hannah ——. Wanted: the birth of Mary Blanchard, the maiden name of her mother, Hannah, and the record of Hannah’s birth, parentage and marriage.

_c._ BURR—A certain Samuel Gault, (or Galt, Gaalt, etc.), born about 1780, married about 1810 Mercy Burr, “a Green Mountain girl,” who is supposed to have been born about 1790. Their first child, James Washington Burr Gault, was born in 1812, in or near Smithfield, Madison Co., N. Y. Wanted: birth, marriage, and parentage of Mercy Burr.

_d._ GAULT—Samuel Gault was the son of Alexander Gault, a Scotch-Irish immigrant who has a Revolutionary record. Wanted: birth record of Samuel Gault and any information about his parents.

_e._ WILDER—The “Book of the Wilders,” p. 283, says: “There is a church record in Northampton that states that, ‘Catherine, daughter of Catherine and Aholiab Wilder, was baptized in 1741,’ which is all that we can learn of his [Aholiab’s] wife.” Their children were Catherine, Aholiab, Daniel Witherby, Samuel, and Joshua. Who was Catherine, and when and where did she marry Aholiab Wilder?

_f._ BROWN-SHELDON—The “Index of the Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Recorded in Providence,” p. 109, Marriages, gives: “Brown, John, and Sarah Sheldon, Jan. 3, 1747. 1:18.” Wanted: parentage of John Brown, and of Sarah Sheldon.

_g._ BULLOCK—Who was Comfort Bullock, born in Rehoboth, Mar. 9, 1762, married 1st to Sybil Pierce, of Dartmouth, Dec. 19, 1784, and 2d, in Rehoboth, Dec. 4, 1788, to Bethia Bowen? He was said to have been the son of the Comfort Bullock who was born at Barrington in 1741 and married to Holmes Whitman in 1768, but this Comfort proves to have been a girl, and Holmes Whitman, her husband. The date of birth of the first named Comfort is from family records which do not give his parentage.

B. 1.

_3. a._ MAVERICK—Was Moses Maverick, of Marblehead, a son of Rev. John Maverick, of Dorchester? Is there any known evidence that Moses was a brother of the King’s Commissioner, Samuel Maverick, of Noddles Island? Moses was admitted Freeman at Dorchester in 1633 while Rev. John was minister there, a fact indicating relationship, but I can find no positive evidence. Savage and Palfrey did not believe that Samuel was son of Rev. John, but perhaps some later investigator has found conclusive evidence one way or the other.

S. 1.

_4. a._ QUINCEY—“Col.” Edmund^2 (Edmund^1) of Braintree, b. 1627, d. Jan. 7, 1697–8. He was a Major in the 1690 Expedition. Is there good authority for the title Colonel? Is the date of his commission known?

_b._ COGAN—What relationship existed between Mr. John Cogan, of Boston, who died 27 April, 1658. Henry Coggin, of Barnstable, who died 16 June, 1649, and John Coggin who m. Mary Long, of Charlestown, Dec. 24, 1664? Please give references.

_c._ SLOPER—Proof wanted of the parentage of Mary Sloper who married in Boston, Apr. 3, 1751, Thomas Uran, of Boston. Ambrose Sloper, of Portsmouth, N. H., deeded land, 1758, to his sons Ambrose and Richard, of Boston. Mary (Sloper) Urann’s first child was named Ambrose Sloper and another, Richard; she died in Boston, Nov. 28, 1815, aged 85. Can she have been a daughter of Ambrose^2 Sloper, (Richard^1) b. 20 Jan., 1684, and Mary Pickering?

_d._ ROGERS—Joanna, born Dec. 30, 1722; m. Dec. 30, 1750, Elisha^5 Morse, of Foxboro, Mass. (See Morse Memorial, 1850: p. 57.) Who were her parents?

_e._ LEWIS—Maiden name and parentage of Jane ——, who m. Thomas^3 Lewis (Thomas,^2 George^1) of Eastham and Falmouth, Mass. He was b. July 15, 1656, and d. Mar. 19, 1718.

_f._ BICKFORD-YOUNG—Jeremiah Bickford and Hannah Young were m. in Eastham 26 Oct., 1705. Would like proofs of the parentage of both and any information relating to John Bickford, of Dover, who testified, Mar., 1669, “aged 60 years or thereabouts,” and Samuel Bickford, variously called of Salisbury, Amesbury, and Newbury, who testified 1669, “aged about 21,” and Jan. 9, 1667, “aged 27.” This Samuel (see Hoyt’s Salisbury and Amesbury Families) married Mary Cottle about 1667, and went to Nantucket.

E. 1.

_5. a._ HALE—Samuel Hale, of Dana and Holland, Mass., cooper, married first (intentions Dec. 23, 1773, Petersham), Elizabeth Green, of Granby; married second, between 1788 and 1790, a widow Abigail ——. Samuel Hale died Sept. 4, 1813, age 67, Abigail, his wife, died March 12, 1820, age 71; gravestones in Dana Center, Mass. Wanted: ancestry of Samuel Hale and his second wife, Abigail.

_b._ PRATT—Wanted, parents’ names and date of birth of Anna Pratt who married July 7, 1747, John Stone, Jr., in Groton, Mass.

_c._ PARKER—Wanted, date of birth and ancestry of Aaron Parker, of Oxford, Mass., who was married to Abigail Covel, June, 1752.

_d._ ELDREDGE—Wanted, ancestry and date of birth of Samuel Eldredge who married about 1804 Sarah Emery, b. Aug. 7, 1785, and lived in Middlebury, Vt.

_e._ OSBORN—Wanted, date of birth and ancestry of Ephraim Osborn, of Fitchburg, Mass., who married Sarah Fisk, November 26, 1759.

_f._ HAZZARD—Wanted, ancestry of Mary Hazzard, born Vermont, 1791, married Samuel Blanchard, who was a soldier in the War of 1812.

_g._ HODGE—Wanted, date of birth and ancestry of Elizabeth Hodge who married in or near Boston, Gen. Robert Earll, who served in War of 1812, from New York State.

T. 1.

_6. a._ STETSON—Who was Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Stetson, of Pembroke? They were probably married about 1704 or ’5. The eldest child was Abisha.

_b._ RAY-SMITH—Parents wanted of Samuel Ray and his wife Miriam Smith who were married at Wrentham, 1713.

_c._ WATERS—Who was the wife of William Waters, who came early to Boston? Their marital troubles were “aired” in General Court and she finally went back to England. The son, William Waters, was in 1665, or earlier, “Clerk of Writs” at Dameril’s Cove. Whom did he marry?

_d._ LINCOLN—Who were the parents of Elizabeth Lincoln, who married Elisha Bonney, of Pembroke, Mass., in 1728?

S. 2.

_7. a._ ELLISON—Ancestry desired of Edward Ellison, who removed from Uxbridge, Mass., to Chester, Vt., his son Josiah being born there, Nov. 5, 1800.

_b._ LUND—Ancestry desired of Eliza Ann Lund, born Oct. 2, 1805, Philadelphia, Pa.; according to tradition family supposed to be of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard.

_c._ HARLOW—Ancestry desired of Levi Harlow, born about 1747; he was of Tauton, Mass., in 1783, and died, Springfield, Vt., June 30, 1832.

_d._ COBB—Ancestry desired of Silence Cobb wife of Levi Harlow, born about 1747 and died, Springfield, Vt., June 27, 1831.

E. 2.

MINOR TOPICS

A COMMITTEE TO VISIT NOVA SCOTIA.

_By His Excellency, Geo. Washington, Esq., Commander-in-Chief of the
United Colonies._

TO MOSES CHILD:

The Honorable, the Continental Congress, having lately passed a Resolve, contained in the following words, to wit:—“That two persons be sent at the expense of the Colonies to Nova Scotia, to inquire into the state of that Colony, the disposition of the inhabitants towards the American cause and the condition of the fortifications, dockyards, the quantity of the warlike stores and the number of soldiers, sailors, and ships of war there and to transmit the earliest intelligence to Gen. Washington.”

I do hereby constitute and appoint you the said Moses Child to be one of the persons to undertake this business, and as the season is late and this a work of great importance, I entreat and request that you will use the utmost despatch, attention and fidelity in the execution of it. The necessity of acting with a proper degree of caution and secrecy is too apparent to need recommendation. You will keep an accurate account of your expenses, and upon your return you will be rewarded in a suitable manner for the fatigue of your journey and the service you render your country by conducting and discharging the business with expedition and fidelity. Given under my hand this 24th day of November, 1775.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Moses Child, born Waltham, Mass., Apr. 6, 1731; died Feb. 8, 1793.

He was appointed Special Agent of the United Colonies by virtue of the
above commission.

The original of the above is in Historic Genealogical Society, Boston,
Mass.

[Where can any full account of the results of this mission be found?—ED.]

BOOK NOTICES

DESCENDANTS OF REINOLD AND MATTHEW MARVIN, OF HARTFORD, CT., 1638, AND
1635. SONS OF EDWARD MARVIN OF GREAT BENTLEY, ENGLAND. By GEORGE
FRANKLIN MARVIN, of New York, and WILLIAM T. R. MARVIN, of Boston.
T. R. MARVIN AND SON, Publishers, 73 Federal Street, Boston, 1904.
8vo. 659 pages.

Not many families can expect the publication of their genealogies under more favorable auspices. Mr. William T. R. Marvin, the joint-author, printer and publisher of this book, inherited the traditions of his art, and his taste for genealogical studies from his father, who, nearly half a century ago, printed a genealogy of the Marvins. A comparison of that little duodecimo of 56 pages with this later volume shows the marked progress made during the last half century in the arts of compiling and printing family histories. The vital details of all branches of the family, beginning with the English ancestry and extending through nine generations in America have been gathered with scrupulous care, and the biographical memoranda presented have been selected with discrimination. The arrangement of the data, the illustrations, the complete index, and all of the details of book-making are such as one would expect from an educated man, having a deep interest in the subject and a lifelong experience as a genealogist and a printer. This book may well be taken for a model by anyone contemplating the publication of a genealogy....

THE STEBBINS GENEALOGY

BY RALPH STEBBINS GREENLEE AND ROBERT LEMUEL GREENLEE. In two volumes.
Chicago, Illinois. Privately printed, 1904. 4to. 1386 pages.

These two magnificent volumes are devoted to Rowland Stebbins (who died at Northampton, Mass. December 14, 1671), and his descendants. A study of the name in England is presented, but no positive connection of the immigrant is shown. The compilation was made under the direction of a Chicago genealogist, Mr. Edward A. Claypool, and the work was printed in Chicago. Both compilation and printing seem to be very well done. One of the first genealogies printed in New England (1771) was of a branch of this family. The paper used is of an excellent quality, and, while the size and weight of these massive volumes is against durability, it is probable that they will long survive many of the genealogies of recent years where little or no care has been exercised in the selection of paper.

All of the descendants of the hardy pioneer settler of the Connecticut Valley, whose race furnished a pioneer genealogist, have good reasons to be thankful to the Messrs. Greenlee for their splendid history of the family.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR 1905

I expect to publish within the coming twelve months several interesting items of Americana, viz:

I.—THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND COMPANY, GOVERNOR’S FOOT-GUARD of the
State of Connecticut; by Jason Thomson, Esq., of the New Haven Bar (a
member of the Company). This was originally issued as a pamphlet, but
has long been out of print. The Company is the third oldest military
organization in the United States, beginning its history with service
in the Revolution when Benedict Arnold, its first captain, took the
Colony powder by force from the hesitant Selectmen of New Haven, and
marched to Cambridge, accompanied by Israel Putnam, to join the
patriot forces there. It has since served in the War of 1812, the War
of the Rebellion, and the Spanish-Cuban War. The history of such an
organization is obviously well worth preserving and enlarging by
illustrations, as I have done. It will contain:

1. A rare plate of Benedict Arnold, in uniform, as he appeared
before _Quebec_.

2. A colored plate, showing the present uniform of the Company.

3. A most interesting reproduction of a document of unique
interest—the original manuscript petition to the Assembly of
Connecticut, praying for the incorporation of the Company. This is
signed by all the original members of the Company, including Arnold
and his brother-in-law, Pierpont Edwards, who afterwards, by the
irony of Fate, became the executor of his estate, at the discovery
of his treason.

The original is owned by the New Haven Colony Historical Society,
and will be reproduced, not by engraving, but by an actual
photograph—folding to fit the size of the page. The edition will be
limited to 250 copies, of which 248 will be for sale.

200 will be octavo (6 × 9) gilt top, bound in cloth. $3.00.

50 will be large paper, bound in boards, 8 × 11, untrimmed edges,
gilt top, special paper. $5.00.

_Postage extra on each._

The printing will be from type, distributed as soon as the work has
been done, and this edition will never be duplicated.

II.—THE POEMS OF EDWARD COATE PINKNEY. With a biographical sketch of
of the poet, by Eugene L. Didier, author of a “Life of Edgar A. Poe,”
“Life of Madame Bonaparte,” etc. The original edition of these poems
is now one of the rarest items of Americana. It was published in 1825,
and won the admiration of the chief American critics, Poe among them,
who pronounced Pinkney to be “the first of American lyrists,” and his
poem, “_A Health_,” (of which I give two verses herewith) “especially
beautiful—full of spirit and brilliancy.”

A HEALTH

I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone,
A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon;
To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given
A form so fair that, like the air, ’tis less of earth than heaven.

Her every tone is music’s own, like those of morning birds,
And something more than melody dwells ever in her words;
The coinage of her heart are they, and from her lips each flows
As one may see the burthened bee forth issue from the rose.

Only Pinkney’s untimely death—before he was twenty-five—prevented his
becoming one of the foremost poets of our country. The _North American
Review_, then the highest literary authority in the country, said: “If
the name of Thomas Carew or Sir John Harrington had been attached to
these poems, we should, in all probability, like others, have been
completely taken in.” Another critic declared: “Some of his poems are
not surpassed by any similar productions in the English language.” I
risk nothing in saying that Pinkney’s readers of 1905 will re-echo
these praises—and I trust all who have heretofore sustained me in my
historical publications will give as hearty support to this, my first
effort in the field of American poetry. The edition will consist of
250 copies, of which 200 will be in octavo (6 × 9) form, gilt top,
uncut edges, at $3.00.

50 copies, on special paper, large paper (8 x 11). $5.00.

_Postage extra on each._

EACH STYLE WILL HAVE A PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR, from an authentic original.

III.—ADVENTURES IN THE WILDS OF AMERICA AND THE BRITISH-AMERICAN
PROVINCES. By Charles Lanman, author of _A Dictionary of Congress_,
_The Private Life of Daniel Webster_, etc., etc. With an Appendix by
Lieut. Campbell Hardy, Royal Artillery.

2 vols., octavo. 500 pp. each. Illustrated. Portrait, and memoir of
the author by William Abbatt. Price $10.00.

Large paper (8 x 11) 3 vols. (consecutive paging), special fine
paper. Only 15 copies. $20.00.

Originally published in 1857, this most valuable and interesting
work has long been out of print and scarce, and hence not known to
the present day as its merits deserve.

While other books on similar subjects have been issued since, I
think none of them—or all combined—equal this, as a record not alone
of sport, but of travel, description of scenery, literature and
legend (for the author has recorded many most beautiful Indian
legends). The range of his journeys was from Florida to Labrador,
and from the Atlantic to the present St. Paul and Minneapolis. His
style needs no encomium from me. I prefer to quote from letters to
him from WASHINGTON IRVING and EDWARD EVERETT:

MY DEAR SIR:

I am glad to learn that you intend to publish your narrative and descriptive writings, in a collected form. I have read parts of them as they were published separately, and the great pleasure derived from the perusal makes me desirous of having the whole in my possession. They carry us into the fastnesses of our mountains, the depth of our forests, the watery wilderness of our lakes and rivers, giving us pictures of savage life and savage tribes, Indian legends, fishing and hunting anecdotes, the adventures of trappers and backwoodsmen; our whole arcanum, in short, of indigenous poetry and romance: to use a favorite phrase of the old discoverers, “they lay open the secrets of the country to us.”

I return you thanks for the delightful entertainment which your Summer rambles have afforded me. I do not see that I have any literary advice to give you, excepting to keep on as you have begun. You seem to have the happy, enjoyable humor of old Izaak Walton, and I trust you will give us still further scenes and adventures on our great internal waters, depicted with the freshness and skill of your present volumes.

With the best wishes for your further success, I am

Very truly, your obliged

WASHINGTON IRVING.

EDWARD EVERETT wrote:

I fully concur with the opinions expressed by Mr. Irving on the subject of a collective edition of your narrative and descriptive writings. While I am not familiar with all of them, from those which I have read and from his emphatic and discriminating commendation, I am confident the series would be welcomed by a large class of readers. You have explored nooks in our scenery seldom visited, and described forms of life and manners of which the greater portion of our busy population are entirely ignorant.

Wishing you every success, I am

Very truly yours,

EDWARD EVERETT.

A selection of a few of Mr. Lanman’s chapters will give a slight
idea of the variety of his book:

Legends of the Illinois—Lake Winnipeg—Fish of the Upper
Mississippi—Down the St. Lawrence—The Saguenay River—The Hermit of
Aroostook—The Falls of Tallulah—The Valley of Virginia—The Cheat
River Country—Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers—Accomac—A Week in a
Fishing Smack—A Virginia Barbecue—Esquimaux of Labrador—The Western
Pioneer.

IV.—GARDEN’S ANECDOTES OF THE REVOLUTION (both series). The author,
Alexander Garden, was Major in Lee’s Legion—and his work is one of the
best on its theme. The first volume was published at Charleston, in
1822; the second in 1824. Each is scarce and valuable, the second
particularly so. I propose revising the text, to eliminate errors, and
to issue my edition in two octavo volumes (6 x 9) with a number of
illustrations, including one or more of the author, and one each of
the brothers Pinckney (not heretofore published), and a number of
landscapes.

The edition will be limited to 200 copies (6 × 9) and 50, large
paper (8 x 11)—the former in cloth, gilt top, with paper label; the
latter in charcoal boards, gilt top, and untrimmed edges. The prices
will be $10.00 and $15.00 respectively.

N. B.—All these works will be printed in large type (Small Pica, same
as this line) on fine paper, well bound and produced in the general
style of my other publications. Address, William Abbatt, 281 Fourth
Ave., N. Y.

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

_TO_ WILLIAM ABBATT
281 FOURTH AVE., NEW YORK