THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF MR DUNCAN CAMPBELL. THE INTRODUCTION. Of all the writings delivered in an historical manner to the world none certainly were ever held in greater esteem than those which give us the lives of distinguished private men at full length; and, as I may say, to the life. Such curious fragments of biography are the rarities which great men seek after with eager industry, and when found, prize them as the chief jewels and ornaments that enrich their libraries; and deservedly, for they are the beauties of the greatest men's lives handed down by way of example or instruction to posterity, and commonly handed down likewise by the greatest men. Since, therefore, persons distinguished for merit in one kind or other are the constant subjects of such discourses, and the most elegant writers of each age have been usually the only authors who choose upon such subjects to employ their pens, and since persons of the highest rank and dignity, and genii of the most refined and delicate relish, are frequently curious enough to be the readers of them, and to esteem them the most valuable pieces in a whole collection of learned works, it is a wonder to me, that when any man's life has something in it peculiarly great and remarkable in its kind, it should not move some more skilful writer than myself to give the public a taste of it, because it must be at least vastly entertaining, if it be not, which is next to impossible, immensely instructive and profitable withal. If ever the life of any man under the sun was remarkable, this Mr Duncan Campbell's, which I am going to treat upon, is so to a very eminent degree. The It affords such variety of incidents, and is accompanied with such diversity of circumstances, that it includes within it what must yield entire satisfaction to the most learned, and admiration to persons of a moderate understanding. prince and the peasant will have their several ends of worthy delight in reading it; and Mr Campbell's life is of that extent that it concerns and collects (as I may say) within itself every station of life in the universe. Besides, there is a demand, in almost every page that relates any "new act of his, for the finest and closest disquisitions that learning can make upon human nature, to account how those acts could be done by him; for he daily practised, and still practises, those things naturally which puts art to the rack to find out how nature can so operate in him; and his fleshly body, by these operations, is a living practical system or body of new philosophy, which exceeds even all those that have hitherto been compounded by the labour and art of many ages. If one that had speculated deep into abstruse matters, and made it his study not only to know how to assign natural reasons for some strange new acts, that looked like miracles by being peculiar to the individual genius of some particular admired man, but carrying his inquiry to a much greater height, had speculated likewise what might possibly be achieved by human genius in the full perfection of nature, and had laid it down as a thesis by strong arguments, that such things might be compassed by a human genius (if in its true degree of perfection) as are the hourly operations of the person's life I am writing, he would have been counted a wild, romantic enthusiast, instead of a natural philosopher. Some of the wisest would be infidels to so new and so refined a scheme of thinking, and demand experiment, or cry it was all against reason, and would not allow the least tittle to be true without it. Yet the man that had found out so great a mystery as to tell us what might be done by human genius, as it is here actually done, would have been a great man within himself; but wanting farther experimental proof, could lay no claim to the belief of others, or consequently to their esteem. But how great, then, is the man who makes it constantly his practice actually to do what would not otherwise have been thought to be of such a nature as might ever be acquired by mortal capacity, though in its full complement of all possible perfection? He is not only great within himself, he is great to the world: his experiments force our belief, and the amazing singularity of those experiments provokes both our wonder and esteem. If any learned man should have advanced this proposition, that mere human art could give to the deaf man what should be equal to his hearing, and to the dumb man an equivalent for his want of speech, so that he should converse as freely almost as other hearing or talking persons; that he might, though born deaf, be by art taught tures with such prodigious variety, can anything be more agreeably instructive in a new way than to intersperse the reasons, and account for the manner how nature, having a mind to be re how to read, write, and understand any language, as well as students that have their hearing, would not the world, and many even of the learned part of it, say that nothing could be more extravagantly wild, more mad and frantic?markable, performs by him acts so mysterious. The learned Dr Wallis, geometry professor of I have premised this introduction, compounded Oxford, did first of all lay down this proposition, of the merry and the serious, with the hopes of and was counted by many to have overshot the engaging many curious people of all sorts to be point of learning, and to have been the author of my readers, even from the airy nice peruser of a whimsical thesis. And I should not have won- novels and romances, neatly bound and finely gilt, dered if, after a man's having asserted this might to the grave philosopher, that is daily thumbing be done before it was actually done, some blind over the musty and tattered pieces of more solid devout people in those days, had accused him of antiquity. I have all the wonders to tell that heresy, and of attributing to men a power of work- such a merry kind of a prophet has told, to ening miracles. The notion of the antipodes was tertain the fancies of the first gay tribe, by which by the most learned men of the age in which St means I may intice them into some solid knowAugustin lived, and by the great St Austin him-ledge and judgment of human nature; and I have self treated in no milder a manner; yet if the several solid disquisitions of learning to make, acability of teaching the deaf and the dumb a lan-counting for the manner of these mysterious guage proved a truth in experience afterwards, ought not those to turn their contempt into admiration, ought not those very people to vote him into the Royal Society for laying down the proposition, who, before it proved true, in fact, would have been very forward to have sent him to Bedlam? The first instance of this accomplishment in a dumb person was proved before King Charles II by this same Dr Wallis, who was a fellow of the Royal Society, and one of the most ingenious of that society. operations, never touched upon before in due form and order by the hands of the ancient or modern sages, that I may bribe the judgment of this last grave class so far as to endure the intermixing entertainment with their severer studies. CHAPTER I. MR CAMPBELL'S DESCENT, FAMILY, BIRTH, Etc. Or the goodness and antiquity of the name and family of this gentleman, nobody can ever make any question. He is a Campbell, lineally descended from the house of Argyll, and bears a distant relation to the present duke of that name in Scotland, and who is now constituted a duke of England, by the style and title of Duke of Greenwich. But notwithstanding this, should I come afterwards and say, that there is now living a deaf and dumb man, and born so, who could by dint of his own genius teach all others deaf and dumb to read, write, and converse with the talking and hearing part of mankind, some would, I warrant, very religiously conclude, that I was about to inIt happens frequently that the birth of extraortroduce some strange new miracle-monger and dinary persons is so long disputed by different impostor into the world, with a design of setting people, each claiming him for their own, that the up some new sect of anti-christianism, as for-real place where he first took breath grows at midable as that of Brachmans. last dubious. And thus it fares with the person who is the subject of the following sheets; as, therefore, it is my proposal to have a strict regard to historical faith, so I am obliged to tell the reader that I can with no certainty give an ac. count of him till after he was three years old, from which age I knew him even to this day. I will answer for the truths which I impart to the public during that time, and as for his birth and the circumstances of it, and how the first three years of his life passed; I can only deliver them the same account I have received from others, and leave them to their own judgments, whether it ought to be deemed real or fabulous. Should I proceed still farther and say, that this same person, so deaf and dumb, might be able also to show a presaging power, or kind of prophetical genius (if I may be allowed the expression) by telling any strange persons he never saw before in his life, their names at first sight in writing, and by telling them the past actions of their lives, and predicting to them determined truths of future contingencies, notwithstanding what divines say, that "in futuris contingentibus non datur determinata veritas," would not they conclude that I was going to usher in a new Mahomet? Since, therefore, there does exist such a man in London, who actually is deaf and dumb, and was The father of our Mr Duncan Campbell (as born so, who does write and read, and converse these relate the story) was from his infancy of a as well as anybody, who teaches others deaf and very curious inquisitive nature, and of an enterdumb to write and read and converse with any-prising genius, and if he heard of anything surbody, who likewise can, by a presaging gift, set down in writing the name of any stranger at first sight, tell him his past actions, and predict his future occurrences in fortune, and since he has practised this talent as a profession with great success for a long series of years upon innumerable persons in every state and vocation in life, from the peeress to the waiting-woman, and from the lady mayoress to the milliner and sempstress, will it not be wonderfully entertaining to give the world a perfect history of this so singular a man's life? And while we are relating the pleasant adven-l prising to be seen, the difficulty in practice was enough to recommend to him the attempting to get a sight of it at any rate or any hazard. It is certain that during some civil broils and troubles in Scotland, the grandfather of our Mr Campbell was driven with his wife and family, by the fate of war, into the isle of Shetland, where he lived many years, and during his residence there, Mr Archibald Campbell, the father of our Duncan Campbell, was born. Shetland lies north-east from Orkney, between 60 and 61 degrees of latiude. The largest isle of Shetland, by the natives called the main-land, is 60 miles in length, from south-west to the north-east, and from 16 to one mile in breadth. The people who live in the smaller isles have abundance of eggs and fowl, which contributes to maintain their families during the summer. them. As he knew them a self-interested people, he bethought himself that if he should tell them of the plenty of fowls and eggs they would get there, he might not only be taken in a passenger, but made a partner in the money arising from the stock. It succeeded accordingly: when he proposed it, the whole crew were all at work, The ordinary folks are mostly very nimble and and in four hours, pretty well stored the vessel, active in climbing the rocks in quest of those and then, returning on board, set sail for Holeggs and fowl. This exercise is far more divert- || land. They offered Mr Campbell to put him in ing than hunting and hawking among us, and at his own island, but having a mind to see would certainly, for the pleasure of it, be followed Holland, and, being a partner, to learn their way by people of greater distinction, was it not at- of merchandize, which he thought he might turn tended with very great dangers, sufficient to turn to his countrymen's advantage, he told them he sport into sorrow, and which have often proved would go the voyage out with them, and see the fatal to those who too eagerly pursue their game. country of those who were his deliverers, a neMr Archibald Campbell, however, delighted ex- cessary way of speech, when one has a design to tremely in this way of fowling, and used to con- soothe barbarians, who, but for interest, would descend to mix with the common people for have left him unredeemed, and, for aught they company, because none of the youths of his rank knew, a perpetual sole inhabitant of a dreadful and condition were venturesome enough to go rock, encompassed round with precipices, some along with him. three hundred fathom high. Not so the islanders The most remarkable experiment of this sort (who are wrongly called a savage set of mortals), is at the isle called the Noss of Brassah. The no, they came in quest of him after so bitter a Noss standing at sixteen fathom distance from night, not doubting to find him, but fearing to the side of the opposite main, the higher and find him in a lamentable condition. They hunted lower rocks have two stakes fastened in each of and ransacked every little hole and corner in the them, and to these there are ropes tied; upon rock, but all in vain; in one place they saw a the ropes there is an engine hung which they great slaughter of fowls, enough to serve forty call a cradle, and in this a man makes his way families for a week, and then they guessed, though over from the greater to the smaller rocks, where they had not the ill fortune to meet the eagles he makes a considerable purchase of eggs and frequently noted to hover about those isles, that fowl; but his return being by an ascent makes they might have devoured part of him on some it the more dangerous, though those on the great precipice of the rock, and dropped the remnant rock have a rope tied to the cradle, by which into the sea. Night came upon them, and they they draw it and the man safe over for the most were afraid of falling into the same disaster they part. Over this rock Mr Archibald Campbell went to relieve Mr Campbell from. They reand five others were in that matter let down by turned each to their proper basket, and were cradles and ropes; but before they could be all || drawn up safe by their respective friends, who drawn back again it grew dark, and their associ- were amazed that one basket was drawn up ates not daring to be benighted, were forced to empty which was let down for Mr Campbell, and withdraw, and Mr Campbell was the unfortunate that there was not the least intelligence to be had person left behind, having wandered too far, and concerning him but the supposititious story of his not minded how the day declined, being intent having been devoured by eagles. The story was on his game. He passed that night, you may told at home, and with the lamentation of the easily guess, without much sleep, and with great whole family, and all his friends, he was looked anxiety of heart. The night, too, as he lay in upon to be murdered or dead. the open air, was, to add to his misfortunes, as Return we now to Mr Archibald Campbell, boisterous and tempestuous as his own mind; but still alive, and on board the Holland vessel, sein the end the tempest proved very happy for cure, as he thought within himself, that from the him. The reader is to understand that the Ham- delivery he lately had by the gift of Providence, burghers, Bremeners, and Hollanders, carry on he was not intended to be liable to any more a great fish trade there. Accordingly, a Holland misfortunes and dangers of life, in the compass of vessel that was just coming in the sound of so small a voyage. But his lot was placed otherBrassah, was by this tempest driven into a creek wise in the book of fate than he too fondly imaof the rock, which nature had made into a har-gined; his time of happiness was dated some pages bour, and they were providentially saved from the bottom of the sea by a rock, from which, humanly speaking, they could expect nothing but destruction, and being sent to the bottom of that sea. As never could a man be taken hold of with so sudden and surprising a disaster, so nobody could meet with a more sudden and surprising relief than Mr Campbell found when he saw a ship so near. He made to the vessel, and begged the Hollanders to take him in. They asked him what he would give them, "or," said the barbarous sailors, "we will even leave you where you are." He told them his disaster, but they asked money, and nothing else would move lower down, and more rubs and difficulties were to be encountered with before his stars intended to lead him to the port of felicity. Just as he arrived within sight of Amsterdam a terrible storm arose, and, in danger of their lives for many hours, they weathered out the tempest, and a calm promising fair afresh, they made to the coast of Zealand; but a new hurricane prevented the ship from coming there also, and after having lost their masts and rigging, they were driven into Lapland. There they went ashore in order to careen and repair their ship, and take in provisions. While the ship was repairing by the Dutch, our islander made merry with the inhabitants, being the most inclined to their su-|| perstitious customs; he there became acquainted with a very beautiful woman, who fell in love with him, and after a very short space of time he married her. About the time when the ship departed, his wife, who was very rich, was big with child of a son, namely, Mr Duncan Campbell. He wrote a letter, by the master of the vessel, to his parents in Shetland, concerning the various adventures he had met with, which was delivered the June following, about the time of fishing, to his parents; and several persons had copies thereof, and, for aught I know, some retain them to this very day; sure I am, that many remember the particulars of this surprising affair, who are now living in that island. The letter being very remarkable and singular in all its circumstances, I shall present it the reader, word for word, as it was given into my hands, together with some others which he wrote afterwards, in all which I am assured, by very credible persons and undoubted authorities, there are not the least alterations but what the version of it from the then Scotch manner of expression into a more modern English dress made absolutely necessary. My dearest Father, The same odd variety of accident which put it out of my power to be personally present with you for so long a time put it likewise out of my power to write to you. At last fortune has so ordered it, that I can send a letter to you before I can come myself, and it is written expressly to tell you the adventures I have met with, which have detained me this tedious space of time from my dear father, and because the same captain of a ship that brings you this might as easily have brought your son to speak for himself. I shall in the next place lay before you the necessity there is for my stay a little longer among the strange natives of the country where I now inhabit, and where I am in a manner become naturalized. You have, no doubt of it, been informed by my companions, some of whom I hope got safe back again, if not all, that I was lost where many a brave man has perished before me, by going over the high precipices of the mountain Brassah in a basket, sliding down by a rope. I must suppose I have given you the anguish of a father for a son, who you thought had lost his life by such a fool-hardy attempt, and I implore your pardon with all the power of filial contrition, penitence, and duty. You have always showed me such singular marks of paternal affection that I know your receipt of this letter will fill your heart with joy, and cause you to sign me an absolution and free pardon for all the errors I have committed, and think the sufferings I have undergone for my rashness and indiscretion a sufficient atonement for my crime of making you, by my undutifulness, a partner of my sorrows. To free you the more from this uneasiness, I know I need only tell you that every grief of mine is gone excepting one, which is, that I must still lose the pleasure of seeing you a little longer. There was never surely a more bitter night than that which must by me be for ever remembered, when I was lost in the mountain of Brassah, where I must, for aught I know, have lived for ever a wild single inhabitant, but that the storm which made the night so uneasy to me, rendered the first approach of daylight beyond measure delightful. The first providential glimpse of the morning gave me a view of a ship driven by the tempest into a creek of the rock that was by nature formed like a harbour; a miraculous security of deliverance as I thought, both for the ship's crew and myself. I made all the haste I could, you may be sure, to them, and I found them to be Dutchmen that were come for fish; but in lieu of fish I instructed them to load it with eggs and fowl, which we compassed very happily in a short space of time, and I was to be a sharer with the captain in the lading, and bargained to go for Holland to see the sale and nature of the traffic, but when we were at sea, after much bad weather, we made towards Zealand, but we were driven upon the coast of Finland by a new storm, and thence to Lapland, where I now am, and from whence I send you this letter. I could not come into a place so properly named for my reception. As I had been undutiful to you, and fortune seemed to make me an exile or a banished man, by way of punishment for the vices of my youth; so Lapland (which is a word originally derived from the Finland word, lappi, that is, exiles, and from the Swedish word, lap, signifying banished, from which two kingdoms most of our inhabitants were banished hither for not embracing the Christian religion) was certainly the properest country in the world to receive me. When first I entered this country I thought I was got into quite another world. The men are all of them pigmies to our tall, brawny Highlanders; they are, generally speaking, not above three cubits high, insomuch that though the whole country of Lapland is immensely large, and I have heard it reckoned by the inhabitants to be above a hundred German leagues in length, and fourscore and ten in breadth, yet I was the tallest man there, and looked upon as a giant. The district in which I live now is called Uma Lapmark. You must understand, sir, that when I landed at North Cape, in Kimi Lapmark, another district of Lapland, there was at that time a most beautiful lady come to see a sick relation of her father's, who was prefect or governor of Uma Lapmark, which is a post of great distinction; this lady, by being frequently in the company of French merchants, who traffic now and then in that province of Uma Lapmark, understood French, and having heard of a man six foot and a half high, desired to see me, and when I came she happened mightily to like my person; and she talked French, which when I answered she made great signs of joy that she could communicate her sentiments to me, and she told me who she was, how rich, and that not one in the company besides could understand a syllable we said, and so I might speak my mind freely to her; she told me the customs of the country, that it was divided into cantons, like our shires, and those cantons into rekars, or certain grounds allotted to families that are just like our clans. As she was beyond measure beautiful, she was extremely good-humoured (a thing rarely to be met among Lapland women), of a better stature |