He
took drawings of the place, and then went on a tour to many southern
cities. He was at Smyrna while fever was raging with fury, and went
amongst the sick and fever-stricken, fearless of the consequences.
In the course of his travels the ship in which he was a passenger was
attacked by pirates, and John Howard showed himself as brave in actual
battle as he was in fighting abuses; for he loaded the big gun with
which the ship was armed nearly up to the muzzle with nails and
spikes, and fired it into the pirate crew just in time to save himself
and his companions from destruction. The books in which he gave an
account of his experiences were eagerly read by the public, and
produced a profound effect.
His last journey was to Russia. At Cherson he received an urgent
request to visit a lady who had the fever. The place where she lived
was many miles off, and no good horses were to be obtained. But he
was determined not to disappoint her; so he procured a dray horse and
started for his destination on a wintry night, with rain falling in
torrents. As a result of this journey he was stricken down by the
fever, and died 20th January, 1790.
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