Archer, Christon I.

English

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REVIEWS 383 having mainly historical significance, since explorer. In their view, part  of the explanation they seldom delve more deeply than the for Cook’s character might lie in his early surface ‘facts’ of a culture and almost never connections with Quaker families. Quite provide insight into the inner workings of the generally, the Stamps offer a credible cultural systems as these are understood by the description of  how Cook emerged from natives themselves. I have found them to be provincial obscurity, entered the navy, and very useful resource materials which began to make his mark in naval circles. considerably broaden and enrich our contemporary accounts. Turner’s work is no exception. The high quality of the illustrations (both in the original and in this reproduction) makes it an ideal source for the preliminary study of material culture;  and it contains numerous insights concerning such important contemporary concerns as shamanism, the status of old people, the treatment of incest, and so on. Moreover, Turner describes  for us two native cultures largely untouched by western civilization, so that his account, along with the other 19th century classics, remains the ultimate authority for assertions about the pre-contact character of these two lifeways. Whether as a work of merely historical interest or as  n aid to research on contemporary problems and interests, a copy of Turner’s nearly hundred-year-old account is a positive addition to any collection of Arctic materials, and it deserves a central place in the serious scholar’s library. Lee  Guemple Department of Anthropology University of Western  Ontario London, Ontario N6A 5C2 JAMES COOK MARITIME SCIENTIST. BY TOM AND CORDELIA STAMP; Caedmon of Whitby Press: Whitby, England; 1978. i-xiv, 159 pp. Illustrations, Bibliography, Index. Cloth. $3.95. Following the publication of J. C. Beaglehole’s definitive biography of Captain James Cook, one might suspect that  other historians would be deterred from writing on the subject. This would seem to be the case with Tom and Cordelia Stamp, two part-time researchers who simply could not devote a great deal of  time to travel and archival investigations. In fact, however, there  are good reasons for the Stamps to assess Cook’s contributionsentist and explorer. Cook was such a private person that historians have had difficulty penetrating his professional shell in order to see the real man. Since his  wife burned all of his private correspondence, few existing sources remain. The Stamps, residents of Whitby and steeped in local knowledge and traditions, offer insights into the social and economic milieu that produced the great Once Cook made his reputation as a cartographer in surveys of the St. Lawrence River and Newfoundland coasts, he was prepared for the three major voyages to the Pacific Ocean. The  authors follow the expeditions through the  journals of Cook and his associates, quoting sections of these accounts in an effort to have  the reader evaluate the explorer. This is an acceptable approach for general readers who  may not wish to consult the published journals. The Stamps examine a number of scientific themes such as maritime medicine and the successful application of  new navigational equipment. They offer a useful overview of Cook’s campaigns against scurvy and in favour of lifesaving innovations. There are no footnotes, but most of the sources are acknowledged in the text. Occasionally, the lengthy quotations appear to be pinned together and  the  authors tend to adopt eighteenth century views from their subject. The “savages” receive rather unsympathetic treatment from the Stamps who have adopted Cook’s view that most were cannibals. His own exposure to cannibalism in the South Pacific led him to suggest that the Hawaiians and Northwest Coast Indians followed similar practices. Although the  authors avoid negative comment about Cook and more specifically about his physical and mental deterioration during the Third voyage, the reader is given a good overview of his contributions. The enthusiasm of the Stamps for their subject and their knowledge of the small seaport towns that produced him allow glimpses of the real James Cook. Christon 1. Archer University of Calgary THE ASCENT OF DENALI. BY Hudson Stuck: (the Mountaineers, Seattle  Wushington 1977. (Also printed  in  Canada and published simultaneously in Great Britain.) 250pp., Photo- graphs, maps. Softbound. $6.50 The reprinting of Archdeacon Stuck’s classic account of the first complete ascent of  Denali (Mt. McKinley) will be welcomed everywhere in the world  of mountains and of Alaskan history. First printed in 1914, the year following the climb, in numbers sufficient to 

James Cook Maritime Scientist, by Tom and Cordelia Stamp

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James Cook Maritime Scientist, by Tom and Cordelia Stamp

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