Liberty County, Georgia. He graduated at Franklin College, Georgia, in 1841 and at the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1845. For a few years he practiced as a physician in Macon, Georgia, but in 1850 entered Harvard to study under Agassiz, and in 1851 accompanied Agassiz on an exploring expedition to Florida. After graduating at Lawrence Scientific School, Cambridge, he in turn was professor of natural sciences in ^Oglethorpe University, of natural history in Franklin College, of chemistry and geology in the University of South Carolina and, from 1869 to his death, of natural history and geology in the University of California. Professor Le Conte did much to popularize the study of geology in America, and contributed much valuable information to scientific literature. His most important publications include Religion and Science; Elements of Geology; Compend of Geology; and Evolution and Its Relation to Religious Thought.
Leconte de Lisle (le-kdnt de lelf), Charles Marie, a French poet, was born on the island of Reunion, Oct. 25, 1818. He enjoyed the advantages of a thorough education, and after a few years of travel entered upon a literary life in Paris. As he grew older, his ardent nature found a congenial field in the study of Greek ideals and Oriental pantheism. Besides his own poems, he translated many Latin and Greek classics. Leconte greatly influenced the younger poets of his time, and his fame is increasing rather than diminishing. He showed great and deep sympathy with the dumb emotion in nature, and made his readers feel the vaster aspects of forest, sea and sky. He also showed a wonderful comprehension of all feelings and passions that agitate the soul, but appeared himself unmoved by them; and he surveyed human life with almost perfect clearness and calmness. He died on July 17, 1894.
Lec'ture=Bu'reaus, or offices from which lecturers may be engaged for popular audiences, upon the whole are a growth of the last decade, not only in the United States, but abroad. They represent an attempt at better organization of adult education. Lecture-bureaus have developed out of the employment of lecturers by workingmen's associations, trade-unions, temperance societies, university-extension boards and, especially, by associations formed for conducting popular lectures. In Sweden the oldest lecture-bureau dates from 1898. In 1902 this bureau employed 50 lecturers to give 900 lectures. In the United States lecture-bureaus have attained great importance; and several have been established in connection with public school systems, as in the case of New York City. In England private lecture-bureaus have scarcely been able to compete with the
university-extension movement. In France lecture-bureaus have developed since the thorough governmental investigation (1895) of adult education. Lecture-bureaus are essentially mediating agencies whose function it is to bring together those who require instruction and inspiration and those who are qualified to give them. They are usually supported by a percentage of the fees or price of admission and by a charge for the registration of lecturers. Among the best known lecture-bureaus in the United States are the Pond (J. B.) Lyceum Bureau at Everett House, Fourth Avenue and Seventeenth Street, New York City; and the Phipps Lyceum Bureau, 1690 Broadway, New York City. Most of the American lecture-bureaus also are musical agencies,
Ledyard (led'yerd), John, an American explorer, was born at Groton, Conn, in 1751. He entered Dartmouth College to prepare for missionary work among the Indians. But such was his passion tor travel that, after floating down the Connecticut in a canoe, he shipped as a common sailor. In 1776-80 he accompanied Cook on the voyage around the world. In 1787 he obtained permission from the Russian government to accompany a Scotch physician in the Russian service to Siberia. Atter going with Dr. Brown to southern Siberia Ledyard proceeded alone to Tomsk and Irkutsk, visited Lake Baikal and sailed down the Lena to Yakutsk, a distance ot 1,400 miles. He sought permission to proceed to Ohkotsk; but this was refused. Returning to Irkutsk he was suddenly arrested— for what cause has never been fully explained — hurried to Poland and there dismissed with the warning that he would be hanged if he set foot in Russia again. Ledyard made his way to London, "disappointed, ragged and penniless"— to use his own words — "but with a whole heart," and was cordially befriended by Sir Joseph Banks. In 1788 he took command of a British exploring expedition into Africa, but died at Cairo, Jan. 17, 1789. He was one of the greatest of exploring travelers. See Sparks' Memoir
Lee, Ann. See SHAKERS.
Lee, Charles, an American Revolutionary general, was born in 1731 at Dernhall, Cheshire, England. He inherited a taste for military life. He took part in Brad-dock's campaign. He espoused the cause of the colonies in 1773. His military reputation gained him an appointment as major-general. His career disappointed confidence, His base ingratitude was never known until 1857, when a document was found in which, while a British prisoner (1777), ^e had submitted to the British general a plan for the overthrow of the American army. He rejoined the American army at Valley Foi-ge (1778). From this time his course was marked by greater inefficiency and insubor-
