LEDYARD, John (1751-1789), traveller, was born in Groton, Connecticut, U.S., in 1751. After vainly attempting to settle down to the study of law and theology, Ledyard adopted the life of a seaman, and, finding his way to London, was engaged in 1776 as a corporal of marines by Captain Cook, for his third voyage of discovery. On his return in 1778 Ledyard had to give up to the Admiralty the copious notes he had kept, but was nevertheless able to publish a somewhat meagre narrative of his experiences (Hartford, U.S., 1783). He continued in the British service till 1782, when, his ship being off Long Island, he managed to escape. Ledyard returned to Europe again in 1784, his purpose being to obtain the means of fitting out an expedition to the north-west coast of America. Having failed in his attempts, he decided to reach his goal by travelling across Europe and Asia. On his arrival in Stockholm (1786) he attempted to cross to Abo in Finland on the ice; but, meeting with open water, he turned back, walked all the way round the head of the gulf, down through Finland, and on to St Petersburg, where he arrived in March 1787 without shoes or stockings, and penniless. He made friends, however (among others Pallas), and got permission from the Government to accompany Dr Brown, a Scotch physician in the Russian service, to Siberia. Ledyard left Dr Brown at Barnaul, went on to Tomsk and Irkutsk, then visited Lake Baikal, and, reaching the Lena, sailed down to Yakutsk, where he arrived on September 18. With a Captain Billings he returned to Irkutsk, where on February 14, 1788, he was suddenly arrested, hurried across Siberia and Europe to the frontier of Poland, and ordered not to return under pain of death. On reaching London, Ledyard was befriended by Sir Joseph Banks, who engaged ...