sted to him the
commercial advantages to be derived from a trade between the north-west
coast of America and China; and the views which he took of this subject
very much influenced the succeeding events of his life.

Towards the end of December, 1782, we find Ledyard serving on board a
king's ship in Long Island Sound, from which he obtained leave of
absence to visit his mother; but, either from a sense of duty and
honour, which obliged him not to act with the enemies of his country, or
from a dislike of the service, he never returned. He had conceived, and
now began to endeavour to execute, the grand project of a trading voyage
to Nootka; for this purpose he went to New York and Philadelphia, and,
after addressing himself to various individuals, he prevailed at last on
the Honourable Robert Morris to promise him a ship. The projected
voyage, however, was ultimately abandoned.

Finding, nevertheless, that they all failed him, and heartily sick of
the want of enterprise among his own countrymen, he resolved to try his
fortune in Europe. He visited Cadiz, from thence took a passage to
Brest, and from Brest to L'Orient, where he was successful in prevailing
on some merchants to fit out a ship for his north-west adventure; but
this project also failed, and Ledyard became once more the sport of
accident.

He now proceeded to Paris, where he was received with great kindness by
Mr. Jefferson, the American minister, who so highly approved of his
favourite scheme of an expedition to the north-west coast, that, we are
told by his biographer, the journey of Lewis and Clarke, twenty years
afterwards, had its origin in the views which Jefferson received from
Ledyard. Here, also, he met with the notorious Paul Jones, who was
looking after the proceeds of the prizes which he had taken and carried
into the ports of France. This adventurer entered warmly into his views,
and undertook to fit out two vessels for the expedition. It was settled
that Jones was to command the vessels, and carry the furs to the China
market, while Ledyard was to remain behind and collect a fresh cargo
ready for their return, after which he meant to perambulate the
continent of America, and show his countrymen the path to unbounded
wealth. Jones, it seems, was so much taken with the plausibility of a
scheme, which presented at once the prospect of adventure, fame, and
profit, that he advanced money to Ledyard to purchase a part of the
cargo for the outfit; b