REVIEWS / 185 help bring additional life to the text. The quality of reproduction, Census of 1880 (two of the three most influential books on however, does not do justice to the artist. Based on my field of publishedin the 19th century). Sherwood highlights many of the expertise (large mammals), the material is well researched and factual. inconsistencies in Petroff‘s background andwork, as well as pointing I recommend, however, that the bibliography be updated in future out his sometimes less than ethical methods. For example, Petroff was editions. a journalist,not a scientist, butwith clever plagiarismof Dall’s ethno- I believe the authors have achieved their purposeof providing the graphic data, he created the illusion that he“at was least” Dall’s equal reader with an overview of naturalthe character and flavorof southeast as an ethnographer. Also, Sherwood believes that Petroff s census Alaska. This is not a book for experts to learn more about their report was of “doubtful accuracy,” but probably as good as could be discipline, although even experts will find interesting reading about done in the circumstances. species and interrelationships outside their field of study. I recommendA major portion of thisbook is devoted to U.S. government- this book to both residents and visitors interested in the natural historysponsored military explorations, including the expeditions of Raymond, of south coastal Alaska and coastal British Columbia..me Nature of Schwatka,Allen, Abercrombie, Cantwell, Stoney, and others. Southeast Ahka will increase people’s knowledge, understanding, and Sherwd writes that Lieutenant Frederick “Schwatka’s wanderlust appreciation of this unique coastal bioregion. This book should also was both intellectual and geographical.” After graduating from West fill a nicheas an important resourcefor the new and expandinginterest Point, Schwatka studied law and medicine while serving at different in wildlife viewing and ecotourism. army posts. He was eventually admittedto the bar and also received a medical degree from New York‘s Bellevue Hospital Medical John W. Schoen College. Of Lieutenant Henry Allen’s 1885 expedition, which covered Senior Conservation Biologist over 1500 miles and charted three major river systems for the first Division of Wildlife Conservation time, theauthor thinks it “deserves to beranked with the great Alaska Department of Fish and Game explorations of North America.” 333 Raspberry Road Also described are the more specifically scientific contributionsof Anchorage, Ahka 99518 Turner, Nelson, and Jacobsen, plusothers, and the valuable support U.S. A. of the Smithsonian Institution, as wellas the role of prospectors and missionaries. Leroy McQuesten, a Yukon Rivertrader and prospector, EXPLORATION OF ALASKA 1865-1900. By MORGAN B. explored part of the KoyukukRiver, obtaining rare mammalian species SHERWOOD. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 1992. 207 p., for Nelson, and also collected census informationfor Petroff. Some 41 illus., bib., index, 10 maps. Softbound. US$l5.00. explorers gained fame from being“versed in the art of advertising,” rather than from therigors or the resultsof their expeditions. In 1896, As the title suggests, this book is about the pioneering explorationsW.A. Dickey led a small expedition no more than 50 miles up the into the Alaskan interior in the latter half of the 19th century by the Susitna River to its fork. Later, he reported additional information Western Union Telegraph Company, U.S. Army, U.S. Geological obtained from prospectors whohad traveledthe distance up the Survey, and others. The book has recently been reissued - it is the Talkeetna and Chulitna rivers. Dickey received wide acclaim when second in the Universityof Alaska Press Classic ReprintSeries. This accounts of his “journey” were published in the New York Sun and study was originally publishedin Yale’s Western American Series. In National Geographic Magazine. Finally, the last chapterof the book keeping with the central theme of the series, it “tends to emphasize is devotedto the workof the U3. Geological Survey and the outstand- the hitherto-neglected roleof the national government in charting the ing contributions of Alfred Brooks. American West” (Cunliffe, 1967). Sherwood clearly describes the underlying political, economic, and Morgan Sherwood believes that “exploratory activities by the federal philosophical forces acting on events taking place in Alaska during governmentin Alaska were extensive,” giventhe existing social this period. For reader comprehension, itis desirable to present both attitudesand preoccupations in the (such as the the contextual framework of the period and the human element. To reformation after the Civil War) and the fact that Alaska’s small that end, the author gives the characters dimension,so that the readers population was politically impotent. The author thinks that the main understand more about the reasons behind the explorers’ actions.Part focus for further Alaskan historical research should be the scientific of the enjoyment of this text is learning about the people involved. exploration of Alaska, not its political evolution. Sherwood works to The book has a few minor shortcomings. Sherwood failed to mention presenta balanced account “between the impersonal institutional Father Jules Jette’, who, before turn the of the century,started to gather approach and excessive attention to individual heroism.” A furthergoal what was to become a substantial collection of ethnographic and was not onlyto present the physicaldata, but to reveal something about linguistic information about interior Athabaskans. Also, the book’s the background of the men and institutions who interpreted thatdata. central thesis is rather subjective, even though its slant provides a The study area is the inland Subarctic, essentially theterritory south necessary balance, considering previous works, and the author supplies of the Brooks Range. The temporal framework begins in 1865, the enough evidence to support his thesis. Overall, the book is a most year of the first methodical exploratiorrof Alaska by the Western Unioncompetent work, it iswell edited, themaps are informativeand Telegraph Company, and ends in 1900, a somewhat arbitrary date, coordinated with the text, and the illustrations, consisting of photo- but one based on administrative, political, and scientific factors. graphs and drawings, are excellent reproductions. In his 1965 review Sherwood gives a realistic evaluation of the significance of the of the book, VanStone (1965) predicted thatthis text “will surely be Western Union Telegraph Company Expedition, which later may havea basic sourcefor many years to come.” This projection has certainly indirectly influenced the United States decision to purchase Alaska. come true; today scholars consider this volume to be a landmark in A chapter is devoted to the scientific career of William Healey Dall, Alaskan historical literature. This edition continues to be a valuable who often frustrates historians and anthropologists becauseof his errors resource of informationand enjoyment to laymen,students, and and ambiguous generalizations. The author puts Dall’s work into a professionals. I recommend itto anyone interested in the exploration broader perspective, which caused James Vanstone (1965)to comment and history of Alaska. that “they tend to forget, or are ignorant of his [Dall’s] accomplish- ments in other fields and his accurate assessmentof the future needs REFERENCES of the newly acquired territory. ” Another predominant figure of the period is IvanPetroff, who was CUNLIFFE, M. 1967. Exploration of Alaska, 1865-1900. (Book Review.) a major contributor to Bancroft’s History of Alaska and the Tenth English Historical Review 82:189-190.

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VANSTONE, J.W. 1965. Exploration of Alaska, 1865-1900. (Book Review.) expedition (1848-49) and “Sir John Ross and Sir John Barrow,” in Science 148:789-790. which the relations between those two titans are examined. But it is the less significant articles, those which relate to the “small, Thomas J. Turck unexamined fringes of thesubject,” in Jones’s own words in his brief USDA Forest Service introduction, that are in some senses more interesting. Taking one of Heritage Resource Program these moreor less at random, “Captain Peter Kemp and KempLand,” Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area we find a detailed description of the background to the voyage of 902 Wasco Avenue, Suite 200 Magnet, Kemp’s ship, to the Antarctic, an accountof the voyageitself, Hood River, 97031 during which on 27/28 December 1833 he sighted that part of the U.S. A. continental coast now named Kemp Land, and as much as is known about Kemp himself. Jonesalso examines the question of whether Kemp POLARPORTRAITS: COLLECTED PAPERS. By A.G.E. JONES. was or wasnot the discoverer of HeardIsland, based upon his Whitby:Caedmon of Whitby, 1992. 428 p., illus.Hardbound, “observation” of land in the appropriate area on 27 November 1833 f25.50. Softbound, E14.50. and, after a detailed analysisof all the evidence, concludes that he was not and that the credit should indeed go to Captain JohnHeard, after Few books have more protein and less roughage than this collec- whom the island is named. Atonce, this isan interesting and informa- tion of the papers of A.G.E. Jones, the noted polar and maritime tive article. And yet it is clear that Jones is no storyteller; otherwise historian. In 428 pages are reprinted some fifty of his articles that origi- he would never had permitted himself the throw-away line early in nally appeared in well-knownjournals, for example,Polar Recordand the article that “On 21 April Captain Kemp fell overboard and was Mariner’s Mirror (not Mariners ’ Mirror, as is claimed in the contents drowned.” page), and in some not so well known, for example, the Falkland The book is replete with articles this of type. On reading them, one Islands Journal and the Royal Naval Medical Service Journal. The becomes aware of the breadth and depth of Jones’s interests and, in publishers, Caedmon of Whitby, whose works onScoresby, Rae and the case of this reviewer at any rate, of the limitations of one’s own are found on the shelvesof all polarlibraries, have, knowledge. Any selection of those most meriting mention must be presumably in the interests of economy, printed direct copies of the personal, ,but onewould contend that anyone interested in polar history papers as originally presented. would find something worthwhile. The reviewer’s preference would There are some infelicities. The most seriousof these is that those be for those articles relating to the Franklin search, that on James Clark articles that appeared in a page size that could not be accommodated Rossmentioned above, “Frederick JohnHornby” and “Robert in the volumeare not included, and these omissionsare some of Jones’s M’Cormick, Deputy Inspector General RN,” although Jones’s view most important contributions. Moreto the point, not all of those that of M’Cormick seems unduly censorious. Certainly, a surgeon who did appeared in journals the page size of which would permit inclusion not lose a life in seven years of polar service was either not as bad are presented, such as his paper “The voyage of theHopefull and the as Jones makes M’Cormick out to orbe incredibly fortunate.Further Rose, 1833-34,” published in Mariner’s Mirror in 1965. Less signifi- articles in this group are “Captain Robert Martin:A Peterhead Whaling cant is that in onearticle, “Robert Shedden and theNancy Dawson,” Master in the 19th Century” and “Henry Pegler, Captain of the Fore- reprinted from a note in Mariner’s Mirror, the footnotes are not top” (of HMS Terror). Martin was captain of the last ship to have collected at the bottom of the page but are interspersed in the text. contact with Franklin before the disappearance and Pegler is one of Moreover, while mostof the original illustrations have reprinted well, the very few 19th-century seamenfor whom it is possibleto construct some have had to be rephotographedor new pictures introduced, and a biography. there are no cross references with the articles, though in most cases To sum up, this is a most valuable publication at a very modest price. they are obviousenough. Unfortunately, in at least one article, One trusts that the publishers will consider preparing a companion “Voyages to South Georgia, 1795-1820,” the illustrations seem to have volume containing the rest of Jones’s papers in order that his complete works be available in easily accessible form. been completely omitted. The article “John Biscoe’s Voyage Round Polar Portraits is available directly from the publishers, Caedmon the World, is wrongly attributed in the contents to the 1830-1833” of Whitby, Headlands, 128 Upgang Lane, Whitby YO21 355, United Falkland Islands Journal, rather than to Mariner’s Mirror, in which Kingdom. it appeared, and the immediately following article, “John Biscoe in theFalkland Islands, 1830-1832,” isomitted from the contents Ian R. Stone altogether. Furthermore, the selection of articles seems to have been The Registry somewhat odd, bearing in mind the title of the book, sincecase, in one University of Kent at Canterbury “Sir Thomas Slade, 1703/4-1771,” the subject had no obvious polar Canterbury, Kent Cl2 7NZ connection atall, except for being the builderin 1759 of HMS Carcass, England which participated in the1773 expedition to Spitzbergen and in which sailed midshipman Horatio Nelson.All the above featuresare irritating GUIDE TO MARINE MAMMALS OF ALASKA. By KATEWNNE. and some make for uneven reading, which is accentuated by Jones’s Illustrated by PETER FOLKENS. Fairbanks: Alaska Sea Grant College rather jerky and abrupt style. Program, University ofAlaska Fairbanks, 1992. Softbound. However, this is to cavil. What a feast is herefor a rainy winter’s US$l5.00. evening or an interminable flight. Eacharticle is based upon thorough and detailed research in the archives, and those that focuson individuals This is a very “user friendly” guidebook to the marine mammal present an authoritative portraitof the subject. It is in the unravelling fauna common to waters offshore Alaska. In thepreface, the author of intricate detail of chart and log that Jones is at his strongest, and states that the guide “is intended to be informative yet readable, it is here that he places us most in his debt. But he goes further and complete yet brief and equally useful in a fisherman’s wheelhouse, seeks to exercise his historical judgment wayin a that is often idiosyn- tour boat stateroom,or biologist’s backpack.” Overall, the author has cratic and sometimes open to serious objection, but which is always succeeded on all accounts. The guide’ssize, spiral binding andcolor- astute and thought provoking. codedpages - keyed to threesections depicting 1) cetaceans, Significant articles in the collection include “Scott’s Transport, 2) pinnipeds, and 3) fissipeds - facilitate flipping throughentries to 191 1-12,” which is an account of the use of dogs, ponies, motor sledges locate specific identifiable traits for the subject at hand. This quick and skis on the last expedition, two papers on James Clark Ross and easy access to basic information is, after all, what a guidebook covering the voyageof HMS Cove (1835-36) and his Franklin search should provide.