James Fenimore Cooper was an American writer. He was born in 1789 at Burlington, New Jersey and died in 1851. Educated at Tyale College, he entered the American navy as a midshipman at the age of nineteen. In 1820 appeared the novel of Precaution, the first production of his pen. Though successful it gave no scope for his peculiar powers, and it was not until the production of The Spy in 1821 and The Pioneers that he began to take a high place amongst contemporary novelists. After that came a steady flow of novels dealing with life on the sea and in the backwoods, most of which, like the Pilot, Red Rover, Waterwitch, Pathfinder, Deer-slayer, and Last of the Mohicans, are familiar names to the novel-reading public. After visiting Europe and serving as Consul for the United States at Lyons for three years, James Cooper returned to America, where he died at Cooperstown, New York in 1851. Besides his novels he wrote a history of the US navy, and some volumes descriptive of his travels. Research James Cooper
John Charles Fremont was an American explorer. He was born in 1813 at Norfolk, Virginia and died in 1890. Educated at Charleston, South Carolina, after a brief service in the navy he joined the US corps of topographical engineers, and married the daughter of SenatorBenton. In 1842 he explored a portion of the Rocky Mountains. In 1843 and 1844, with remarkable skill and energy, he conducted an exploration of the regions of Utah, the basin of the Columbia, and the passes of the Sierra Nevada. In 1846, while in conduct of another exploration in California, he assisted in the Bear Flag War, alleging instructions from George Washington, co-operated with Commodore Stockton in the conquest of California, but was court-martialed for disobedience to General Kearny.
In 1848 he explored, amid great hardships, the paths from Sante Fe to Sacramento, and made a similar expedition in 1853 and 1854. These explorations made him famous as the 'Pathfinder', and in 1856 the new Republican party made him its candidate for the Presidency, but was defeated. In 1861 he commanded in Missouri, but, prematurely ordering emancipation, was removed. In 1862 he commanded against Jackson in the Valley. In 1864 he was nominated for the Presidency by a convention of radical Republicans dissatisfied with Abraham Lincoln, but finally withdrew. Research John Fremont
The Charter Arms Pathfinder is an American selective double-actionrevolver introduced in 1964 as a defensive weapon for personal defence and concealed carriage by law enforcement officials. The Charter Arms Pathfinder is chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge, has a 6-chamber cylinder and a 3 inch barrel. Research Charter Arms Pathfinder
Oboe was a British radar-based blind bombing system of the Second World War adopted by the RAF in 1942. It used two transmitters based in the UK; one tracked the bomber, guiding it on a course across the target. The other also tracked the bomber and ordered it to drop its bombs at the computed bomb-release point. Since accuracy was of a very high order, bombing became very accurate, and the system was used by the Pathfinder force to drop marker bombs for the rest of a bombing force. Research Oboe
The PiAC 16H-1A Pathfinder II was an American compoundhelicopter for high-speed research utilising a ducted propeller ('ring-tail') at the rear and small span fixed wings and first flown in 1962. The PiAC 16H-1A Pathfinder II was powered by a General Electric T58-GE-5 providing a top speed of 370 kmh and a range of 725 km. The PiAC 16H-1A Pathfinder II carried a pilot and co-pilot or flight observer side-by-side together with up to six passengers in the main cabin. Research PiAC 16H-1A
HMS Onslaught was a British Onslow Class destroyer of 1540 tons displacement launched in 1941 as HMS Pathfinder. HMS Onslaught was powered by two Admiralty 3-drum type boilers providing a top speed of 34 knots. She was armed with two 4.7 inch guns; four 2 pdrpom-pom guns; eight 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and eight 21 inch torpedo tubes. Research Onslaught
HMS Pathfinder was a British Onslow Class destroyer of 1540 tons displacement launched in 1941. HMS Pathfinder was powered by two Admiralty 3-drum type boilers providing a top speed of 34 knots. She was armed with four 4.7 inch guns; four 2 pdrpom-pom guns; eight 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and eight 21 inch torpedo tubes. Following the end of the Second World War HMS Pathfinder was scrapped. Research Pathfinder
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research James Cooper
