John Wilkes: The Greatest Explorer Ever?

Well he is according to Cooper...and that has to count for something right? If old "Fenni" (to use a nickname gifted JFC by a girl I knew in college) thinks you are the greatest, what more could you possibly ask, wish, want or desire of fate?

I believe I'll let the man speak for himself:
"There are islands to the southward of Cape Horn, and a good many of them too, though none very near. It is now known, also, by means of the toils and courage of various seamen, including those of the persevering and laborious Wilkes, the most industrious and the least rewarded of all the navigators who have ever worked for the human race in this dangerous and exhausting occupation, that a continent is there also; but, at the period of which we are writing, the existence of the Shetlands and Palmer's Land was the extent of the later discoveries in that part of the ocean" (from Cooper's The Sea Lions (page number pending as I'm on campus and using the Project Gutenberg text)).

I read this a while ago (it's actually in the first volume of the meticulously proofread Kessinger reprint of the text. I'm really quite appreciative of the folks at Kessinger and all they do pour le monde du lettres , so I'm not complaining...just commenting. And it's not a snide comment. Well ok, it is. But it isn't meant to be taken as overtly so. I'm sorry Kessinger. I love you. Everyone head over there and buy rather overpriced sort of poorly proofed -- damn. I'll just stop now.

Anyway, Cooper's Sea Lions. What a book. It's seriously great in the vein of Pierre and Fanshawe...but all of Cooper's works are like that. It's like how ridiculous old people wearing way too much Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds go off about how pugs or some other god-awful-ugly breed of dog is just the "ccuuuutest wittle creatur' that ever walked the eaaaarth," only...less phony. And true. In this case. Yes, Fenni is a fabulous author. You learn to love him - you know? Even with all of his crazy patriotism and bizarre interludes...his science lessons for the audience he openly proclaims to be simpleminded...just everything really. Fenimore, you are "my reason for being" -- to quote a phrase from the Phillip Glass opera Einstein on the Beach (from Knee 5 -- my favorite! (They cut off the end...the best part! oh well...). If you haven't checked out Einstein on the Beach, definitely do so. At least the music. I'm not all too certain about the visuals. Something tells me that they were projected? I don't know. I should look this up.

But not right now. I'm on campus. So anyway, everyone go read The Sea Lions! Your life will by much improv'd by th' experience.