304 JOHN LEDYARD. 



merchants who had promised to undertake the 

 enterprise for some reason refused to fulfil their 

 engagements, and abandoned it. All the brilliant 

 hopes of Ledjard were thus again disappointed and 

 he himself overwhelmed with despair. His means 

 were exhausted. After fifteen years' experience of 

 the world, he still remained without having accom- 

 plished a single purpose upon which he had set his 

 heart, or which was worthy of his genius. 



He nevertheless bore up manfully against his 

 adverse and unpropitious fate. He proceeded to 

 Paris, and there visited the American minister, Mr. 

 Jefferson. He was received with great kindness by 

 that liberal-minded statesman, who at once appre- 

 ciated the largeness and the sagacity of his views. 

 He* introduced Ledyard to the celebrated Paul 

 Jones. The latter became interested in the specu- 

 lations and theories of Ledyard, and proposed to 

 realize them. Two vessels were to be chartered for 

 the purpose and commissioned by the king, Louis 

 XVI. After being deeply interested in the enter- 

 prise for a short time, Jones suddenly cooled in his 

 ardor, demurred to the arrangements proposed, 

 and eventually abandoned the project entirely. 

 Thus was Ledyard again adrift in the world, with 

 the bad fortune which usually attended him. During 

 his residence in Paris he saw much of the court, 



