ing or fishing. Having been appointed superior of the missions on the Orinoco in 1728, he sailed up this river and visited all the settlements, Indian as well as Spanish, that were situated in this prov- ince. He was appointed rector of the College of Carthagena in 1734, and of that in Madrid in 1738. He published " El Orinoco ilustrado y de- fendido : historia natural, civil y geografica de las naciones situadas en las riberas de esto gran rio " (enlarged ed., 2 vols., with plates, Madrid, 1745). The history of the Orinoco has been often reprinted. The best edition is probably the one published at Barcelona (2 vols., 1791). It was translated into French by Eidous (3 vols., Paris, 1758). Unlike that of most Spanish writers, Gumilla's style is re- markable for its simplicity. The Abbe Raynal, in his " Histoire du commerce des Europeens dans les deux Indies " has borrowed some of his most effec- tive passages from the work of Gumilla.
GUMMERE, John, educator, b. in Willow
Grove, Pa., in 1784; d. in Burlington, N. J., 31
May, 1845. For more than forty years he was a
successful teacher in the towns of Burlington, N. J.,
Horsham, Pa., Rancocus, N. J., and Westtown,
Pa., and conducted with his son, Samuel J., a
boarding-school in Burlington. In 1833-'43 he
was professor of mathematics, and part of the time
Erincipal, of the Friends' college at Haverford.
[e then returned to the Burlington academy, where
he remained until his death. He became a mem-
ber of the American philosophical society in 1814,
and in 1825 was given the degree of M. A. by
Princeton. A memorial of his life was printed for
Srivate circulation by W. J. Allinson (Burlington,
f. J., 1845). He published " A Treatise on Sur-
veying " (New York, 1814), and " An Elementary
Treatise on Theoretical and Practical Astronomy "
(1822). — His brother, Samuel R., educator, b. in
Horsham, Pa., 3 March, 1789 ; d. in Burlington,
N. J., 13 Sept., 1866, was the principal of a board-
ing-school for girls at Burlington from 1821 till
1837, and was known as a successful teacher. In
1840-'50 he was clerk of the chancery court of
New Jersev. He published "Treatise on Geog-
raphy " (Philadelphia, 1817); "A Revision of the
Progressive Spelling-Book " (1831) ; and a " Com-
pendium of Elocution " (1857).
GUNDLACH, Juan, Cuban naturalist, b. in
Marburg, Hesse-Cassel, in 1810. His father was
professor of physics and mathematics of the
university of his native city. Young Gundlach was
graduated there as doctor of philosophy in 1837
and in 1839 went to Cuba, where he began to make
collections in natural history. He has continued
this work to the present time (1887), with the
exception of a few years before 1875, when the
insurrection in the island compelled him to reside in
Porto Rico. In 1867 he arranged the Cuban
collections at the Paris exposition, receiving a silver
medal for his services. His name is associated
with over sixty species, including one of land mollusks
called “Gundlachia Hjalmarsoni,” and two
called “Unio Gundlachi.” At his death his large
and valuable collections will become the property
of the island of Cuba. Gundlach is a member of
scientific societies in all parts of the world, and
has published numerous papers on natural history,
which have been reprinted in the annals of the
“Academia de Ciencias de la Habana.”
GUNN, Donald, Canadian jurist, b. in Falkirk,
Caithness-shire, Scotland, in September, 1797 ; d. in
St. Andrew's, Manitoba, 30 Nov.. 1878. In 1813 he
went to the northwest, and entered the service of
the Hudson bay company, in which he remained
ten years. In 1823 he settled at Red river, and
was for about twenty years one of the judges of
the court of session, being president of the court
for a part of that time. When the legislative
council was instituted in Manitoba he became a
member, and retained his seat until that body was
abolished in 1876. He was thoroughly versed in
the natural history of the northwest, and contrib-
uted many papers on this subject to the " Miscel-
laneous Collections of the Smithsonian Institu-
tion," and other publications. He was a member
of the board of management of Manitoba college.
GUNN, James, senator, b. in Virginia in 1739;
d. in Louisville, Ky., 30 July, 1801. He received
a common-school education, studied law, was ad-
mitted to the bar, and removed to Savannah, Ga.,
where he practised his profession. He was elected
as U. S. senator to the 1st congress, and was re-elect-
ed in 1789. Mr. Gunn was one of the members of
congress who voted for establishing the seat of
government at Washington.
GUNNISON, John W., engineer, b. in New
Hampshire in 1812 : d. near Sevier Lake. Utah, 26
Oct., 1853. He was graduated at the U. S. mili-
tary academy, became 2d lieutenant of topographi-
cal engineers, 7 July, 1838 ; 1st lieutenant, 9 May,
1846 ; and captain, 3 March, 1853. He served in
the Florida war of 1837-'9, was engaged for near-
ly ten years in the survey of the northwestern
lakes and in the improvement of the harl>ors, and in
1849-'51 was associated with Capt. Howard Stans-
bury in making maps of the Great Salt Lake re-
gion, drawing up an able report on his work. In
1853 he had charge of the expeditions and survey
of a central route for a railway from the Missis-
sippi river to the Pacific ocean. While thus en-
gaged he was murdered, with seven of his explor-
ing-party, by a band of Mormons and Parvante In-
dians, his body being pierced by seventeen arrows
and otherwise mutilated. He is the author of a
" History of the Mormons of Utah: Their Domes-
tic Polity and Theology" (Philadelphia, 1852).
GURLEY, Phineas Densmore, clergyman, b.
in Hamilton, Madison co., N. Y., 12 Nov.,"l816; d.
in Washington, D. C, 30 Sept., 1868. He was
graduated at Union in 1837, with the highest hon-
ors of his class, and at Princeton theological semi-
nary in 1840. After holding pastorates in Indian-
apolis, Ind., and Dayton, Ohio, he accepted in 1854
a call from the F street church in Washington,
D. C, which in 1859 was united with the 2d Pres-
byterian church of the same city, and continued to
be the pastor of both congregations until his death.
In 1859 he was chosen chaplain of the U. S. sen-
ate. Dr. Gurley numbered among his regular
hearers several presidents of the United States,
among them Mr. Lincoln, at whose death-bed he
was present, and whose funeral sermon he deliv-
ered. He took an active part in the negotiations
that resulted in the union of the old-school and
new-school branches of the Presbyterian church.
GURLEY, Ralph Randolph, clergyman, b. in Lebanon, Conn., 26 May, 1797; d. in Washington, D. C., 30 July. 1872. He was graduated at Yale in 1818, removed to Washington, D. C. and was licensed to preach as a Presbyterian, but was never ordained. From 1822 till 1872 he acted as the agent and secretary of the American colonization society, visited Africa three times in its interests, and was one of the founders of Liberia. He also went to England to solicit aid in the work of colonization. During the first ten years of his agency the annual income of the society increased from $778 to $40,000. He delivered addresses in its behalf in all parts of the country, edited " The African Repository," and, besides many reports, wrote
