His birthdate unknown, English clerk and opportunist JOHN LONG adjoined himself to a merchant traveling by sea to the Americas in 1768, for the purpose of his own edification. His journey began with a shipmate lost in the forest not long after the ship made first land in Newfoundland, and from there Long traveled through Canada for years, learning the ways of the native peoples. Voyages and Travels of an Indian Interpreter and Trader is a recounting of these years, telling of Long's witnessing of (and sometimes participation in) battles, scalpings, dances, superstitions, marriages, and dropped barrels of porter. A beautiful and insightful invitation into the world of the "savages" who he comes to understand on their own terms-and indeed, in their own language (he includes here a stunning vocabulary list)-Long's writing offers more than just adventure; it offers a detailed picture of the life and soul of the people who lived on the American continent long before Europe sailed West.
