The Lives of Celebrated Travellers, Vol. 2 (of 3)

In Short

This second volume of James Augustus St. John’s biographical compendium traces the lives, journeys, and discoveries of notable eighteenth-century European explorers, botanists, and diplomats. Crossing the Mediterranean, traversing the high plains of Central Asia, and trekking deep into the North African interior, these men mapped unknown topographies, documented exotic flora and fauna, and recorded the customs of foreign societies. St. John balances meticulous historical detail with narrative flair, capturing both the intellectual rigor of early modern scientific inquiry and the raw, unpredictable peril of travel in an era before modern communication.

The Story

The volume opens in the late seventeenth century with French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, whose early obsession with plant life leads him across France, Spain, and eventually into the Levant. Tournefort’s journey sets a template for scientific exploration, as he scales Mount Ida, sails the Black Sea, and braves rugged terrain to collect specimens before returning to France. Soon after, Dr. Thomas Shaw takes up the mantle in North Africa. Serving as chaplain in Algiers, Shaw investigates ancient ruins, navigates the Nile, scales Mount Sinai, and records detailed observations on the geography, wildlife, and indigenous societies of Egypt and the Barbary coast, despite suffering robbery and captivity along the way.

The narrative shifts to the Swedish naturalist Frederic Hasselquist, a pupil of Linnaeus driven to examine the natural history of the Levant. Hasselquist journeys along the Nile from Rosetta to Cairo, fascinated by the sights of Egyptian life, the mysteries of the pyramids, and the uncanny skills of local serpent-charmers, though his ambitious trek is cut short by early death. Interspersed with these scientific voyages are accounts of diplomatic and political missions, such as John Bell’s expedition through imperial Russia to the Chinese border. Bell navigates the treacherous, ice-choked Volga River, passes through snowy steppes, observes the hunting practices of Eastern cultures, and crosses into Mongolia, offering a vivid glimpse into the vast table-lands of Central Asia and the courtly rigidity of the Chinese empire.

Central to the volume’s narrative arc is the remarkable life of the American-born adventurer John Ledyard, whose restless spirit drives him from poverty in London to serving as a marine under Captain Cook. Driven by an insatiable urge to explore, Ledyard undertakes a harrowing 1,200-mile winter trek around the frozen Gulf of Bothnia on foot, battling extreme sub-zero cold across desolate, snow-covered regions.

The book's emotional and dramatic climax belongs to James Bruce of Kinnaird, whose massive physical stature and iron determination carry him through Abyssinia and the Nubian desert. Bruce navigates fierce tribal wars, crosses rivers bordered by fragrant groves, and withstands terrifying sand-storms with moving pillars of sand before emerging to tell his tale. The volume concludes with brief accounts of philanthropic and scientific figures, including Jonas Hanway and Antonio de Ulloa, whose global pursuits in naval command, colonial administration, and social reform round out a sweeping portrait of an era defined by curiosity and conquest.

How It Unfolds

Botanical foundations in the Levant Joseph Pitton de Tournefort rejects theological studies to pursue his passion for botany, traveling through the Pyrenees and eventually launching a royal expedition to Candia, Constantinople, Georgia, and Erzeroom to catalog the region's flora.

Antiquities and perils of Barbary Dr. Thomas Shaw explores the ruins of Carthage, measures the pyramids of Egypt, and studies desert ecology, surviving violent winds, shipwreck risks, and plundering by nomadic desert tribes along the North African coast.

Along the moving road of the Nile Frederic Hasselquist travels up the Nile to Cairo, studying ancient Memphis, the construction of the pyramids, and the secret practices of Egyptian serpent-charmers while cataloging the region's unique animal species.

Ice and falcons on the Volga John Bell embarks on a Russian embassy to China, navigating the volatile Volga River through floating winter ice, documenting the capture of magnificent wild falcons, and crossing the Mongolian steppes into Pekin.

A desperate trek through frozen wastes John Ledyard, unable to cross the frozen Gulf of Bothnia by boat, undertakes an extraordinary 1,200-mile foot journey through deep winter snows and deadly arctic temperatures around the gulf to reach his destination.

Triumphs and sand-storms in the East James Bruce traverses the war-torn landscapes of Abyssinia and the Nubian desert, enduring brutal heat, navigating around moving columns of sand, and securing safe passage through the diplomatic mastery of local allies.

The People

• James Bruce: A Scottish explorer of formidable physical strength and unyielding confidence. Driven by a desire to discover the source of the Nile and map the interior of Africa, he faces deadly desert sand-storms, political violence in Abyssinia, and widespread skepticism upon his return.
• John Ledyard: A relentless American adventurer who craves world discovery above personal comfort or financial security. Facing severe poverty and bureaucratic rejection in Europe, he channels his ambition into serving with Captain Cook and undertaking dangerous solo wilderness treks on foot.
• Dr. Thomas Shaw: An observant English scholar and chaplain whose intellectual curiosity propels him across North Africa. Driven to reconcile classical history with modern geography, he systematically documents ancient Roman ruins, local customs, and desert natural history while enduring physical captivity and harsh climates.
• Frederic Hasselquist: A dedicated Swedish naturalist and student of Linnaeus who seeks to uncover the botanical and zoological secrets of the Holy Land and Egypt. Constrained by limited funds and fragile health, he relies on keen observation and persistence before succumbing to illness in the field.

In Its Own Voice

"At every winding of the stream, says he, such a variety of villages, gardens, and plantations present themselves to our view, that from Rosetta to Cairo, and from thence all the way down by the other branch, to Damietta, we see nothing but crowds of people, or continued scenes of plenty and abundance." — Frederic Hasselquist describing the lush banks of the Nile.

"In the month of January the cold was increased to the extremity, that Reaumur’s mercurial thermometers, which in Paris, in the great frost of 1709, it was thought strange to see fall to fourteen degrees below the freezing point, were now down to thirty-seven." — An account of the brutal sub-zero climate encountered near Tornea.

"These hillocks were from seven to thirteen feet high, drawn into perfect cones, with very sharp points, and well-proportioned bases. The sand was of an inconceivable fineness, having been the sport of hot winds for thousands of years." — James Bruce observing the surreal formations left behind by desert sand-storms.

What It's Really About

Beneath its sequence of travel narratives, the book examines the eighteenth-century European impulse to measure, order, and comprehend the global unknown. St. John highlights the dynamic tension between rigorous Enlightenment science—represented by botanical classification, geographic surveying, and archaeological analysis—and the unpredictable, chaotic reality of field exploration. The text repeatedly asks what drives individuals to abandon domestic security for extreme physical hardship. It reveals that the pursuit of knowledge in this era was rarely an abstract, academic exercise; rather, it was an intimate, dangerous confrontation with geography, disease, cultural misunderstanding, and mortal peril.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals directly to lovers of history, classic travel literature, and true survival tales. Reading St. John feels like sitting with an erudite, highly articulate curator who knows every detail of his subjects' lives and narrates them with quiet reverence and dramatic clarity. The prose carries a rich, measured cadence that places the reader directly on the deck of a Nile kanja, inside the frozen forests of Russia, or amid the blinding dust of a desert caravan.

The book is not without its historical difficulties. Readers must navigate nineteenth-century prose structures, occasional dense passages detailing ancient classical geography, and period-typical Orientalist attitudes toward foreign cultures and religions. Yet these elements also provide a fascinating, unvarnished window into how nineteenth-century writers framed the achievements of their predecessors. What stays with you long after reading is the sheer endurance of these figures—men who walked across continents, faced down armed bandits, and cataloged the natural world using little more than raw courage, sharp intellect, and an insatiable curiosity.