Cooper

James Feni more, an American novelist; born in Burlington, N. J., Sept. 15, 1789; studied at Yale College, and after a preliminary voyage entered the American navy a3 a midshipman at the age of 16. He remained in the navy during three years, and acquired that knowledge of seafaring matters and sea characters which afterward constituted one of his peculiar excellences. The ‘‘ Spy Pioneers” (1823) gave him a high place among novelists. Encouraged by succe he gave to the world upward of 30 novels, These are distinguished by admirable dclineations of nautical characters; while the prairies and desolate wilds of North America have never been delineated more truly and powerfully than in his writings. He acted from 1826 to 1829 as consul for the United States at Lyons. He afterward visited ha mn trayeled through Switzerland and Italy, and returned home in 1831.- For nearly 20 years afterward he continued his literary labors, and died in Coopers town, N. Y., Sept. 14, 1851.