19.136 an historical example of scholarly exploration & trading

From: Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard McCarty willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:23:09 +0100

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 19, No. 136.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                        www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                     Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu

   [1] From: Timothy Mason <tmason_at_club-internet.fr> (11)
         Subject: Re : Explorer

   [2] From: Virginia Knight <Virginia.Knight_at_bristol.ac.uk> (10)
         Subject: 19.135 an historical example? (fwd)

   [3] From: lachance_at_origin.chass.utoronto.ca (Francois (16)
                 Lachance)
         Subject: Re: 19.135 an historical example?

   [4] From: "Michelle Laughran - History" <mlaughra_at_sjcme.edu> ( )
         Subject: RE: Historical Example

   [5] From: "Borovsky, Zoe P." <zoe_at_humnet.ucla.edu> (6)
         Subject: RE: 19.135 an historical example?

   [6] From: "Borovsky, Zoe P." <zoe_at_humnet.ucla.edu> (83)
         Subject: RE: 19.135 an historical example?

--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:04:41 +0100
         From: Timothy Mason <tmason_at_club-internet.fr>
         Subject: Re : Explorer

William Dampier? (Preston & Preston's 'A Pirate of Exquisite Mind' is
his biography)

Maclay or Kubary - see Stocking's essay "Maclay, Kubary, Malinowski'
in "The Ethnograper's Magic".

Nicholas Thomas might help you. He used to be at the Australian
National University, but I think he's in England now. He has an
e-mail address, but I cannot recall it.

Best wishes

-- 
Timothy Mason
Universite de Paris 8
http://www.timothyjpmason.com
--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:05:35 +0100
         From: Virginia Knight <Virginia.Knight_at_bristol.ac.uk>
         Subject: 19.135 an historical example? (fwd)
More of a trader who was also an ethnographer, but how about Marco
Polo? I'm sure lots of people will suggest this.
Virginia Knight
----------------------
Virginia Knight, Institute for Learning and Research Technology
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 7154  Fax:  +44 (0)117 928 7112
University of Bristol, 8-10 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1HH
Virginia.Knight_at_bristol.ac.uk
Official homepage: http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/aboutus/staff?search=cmvhk
Personal homepage: http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/~ggvhk/virginia.html
ILRT homepage: http://www.ilrt.bristol.ac.uk
--[3]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:06:52 +0100
         From: lachance_at_origin.chass.utoronto.ca (Francois Lachance)
         Subject: Re: 19.135 an historical example?
Willard
Look to Timbuktu...
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Timbuktu#Shabeni.27s_Description_of_Timbuktu
<quote>
Shabeni was a merchant from Tetuan who was captured and ended up in
     England where he told his story of how as a child of 14, around 1787,
     he had gone with his father to Timbuktu. A version of his story is
     related by James Grey Jackson in his book An Account of Timbuctoo and
     Hausa, 1820
</quote>
Timbuktu was not only a great commerical trading centre but also one of
humanistic learning.
-- 
Francois Lachance, Scholar-at-large
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~lachance/jardin
Skill may be the capacity to manipulate perceptions of knowledge.
Magic is.
--[4]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:08:19 +0100
         From: "Michelle Laughran - History" <mlaughra_at_sjcme.edu>
         Subject: RE: Historical Example
*How about Marco Polo?
--[5]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:08:55 +0100
         From: "Borovsky, Zoe P." <zoe_at_humnet.ucla.edu>
         Subject: RE: 19.135 an historical example?
dear willard,
i came across Sir Joseph Banks
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/banks/banks.html
   by way of his account of travels to Iceland--see Islandica, vol.
XVIII. Sir Joseph Banks and Iceland. By Halld=F3r Hermannsson, 1928.
looks as if some of his letters are published.  if you're thinking of a
project, let me know and i'd love to hear more.  --zoe
--[6]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 07:09:48 +0100
         From: "Borovsky, Zoe P." <zoe_at_humnet.ucla.edu>
         Subject: RE: 19.135 an historical example?
hi willard,
i see this Endeavour journal has been transcribed and is online.  here is
banks' account on 6.april 1769:
from http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/series_03/03_start.htm
Pleasant breeze, at =BD past 11 land in sight again, at 3 came up with it,
proved to be two distinct Islands with many small ones near them Joining by
reefs under water.
The Islands themselves were long thin strips of land ranging in all
directions sometime ten or more miles in lengh but never more than a quarter
of a mile broad; upon them were many Cocoa nut and other trees and many
inhabitants several of whoom came out in Canoes as far as the reefs but
would not come without them; 6 particularly who for some time walkd along
shore abreast of the ship, on our passing the end of the Island launchd two
Canoes with great quickness and dexterity and 3 getting into each the[y] put
off as we thought intending to come to us. The ship was brought to and we
waited some time but they like their fellows came no farther than the reef,
where they stoppd and waited for two messengers who we saw dispatchd from
the great canoes wading and swimming towards them along the reef, they met
and after a council I suppose resolvd not to come off. The ship after
waiting some time stood off and when 2 or 3 miles from the shore was followd
by a canoe with a sail, but not thinking it worth while to bring too for her
she soon gave over the chase and returnd to the reef.
The people seemd as well as we could judge (who were a good =BD mile from=
  the
shore) to be about our size and well made, of a dark brown complexion, stark
naked, wearing their hair tied back with a fillet which passd round their
head and kept it sticking out behind like a bush. The greatest number of
them carried in their hands two weapons, one a slender pole from 10 to 14
feet in lengh at one end of which was a small knob or point not unlike the
point of a spear, the other not above 4 feet long made much like a paddle as
possibly it was intended, for their canoes were very different in size. The
two which we saw them launch seemd not intended to carry more than barely
the 3 men who got into each of them, others there were which had 6 and some
7 men; one of these hoisted a sail which did not seem to reach above 6 feet
high above the boat, this (as soon as they came to the reef and stoppd their
boat) they took down and converted into a shed to shelter them from a small
shower of rain which then fell. The Canoe which followd us to sea hoisted a
sail not unlike an English lugsail and near as lofty as an English boat of
the same size would have carried.
The people on the shore made many signals but whether they meant to frighten
us away or invite us ashore is dificult to tell: they wavd with their hands
and seemd to beckon us to them but they were assembld together with clubs
and staves as they would have done had they meant to oppose us. Their signs
we answerd by waving our hats and shouting which they answerd by shouting
again. Our situation made it very improper to try them farther, we wanted
nothing, the Island was too trifling to be an object worth taking possession
of; had we therefore out of mere curiosity hoisted out a boat and the
natives by attacking us oblige us to destroy some of them the only reason we
could give for it would be the desire of satisfying a useless curiosity. We
shall soon by our connections with the inhabitants of Georges Island (who
already know our strengh and if they do not love at least fear us) gain some
knowledge of the customs of these savages; or possibly persuade one of them
to come with us who may serve as an interpreter and give us an opportunity
hereafter of landing where ever we please without running the risk of being
obligd to commit the cruelties which the Spaniards and most others who have
been in these seas have often brought themselves under the dreadfull
nescessity of being guilty of, for guilty I must call it.
-----Original Message-----
From: Humanist Discussion Group
To: humanist_at_Princeton.EDU
Sent: 7/9/2005 2:21 AM
                 Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 19, No. 135.
         Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                     www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                          www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                       Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu
           Date: Sat, 09 Jul 2005 10:19:32 +0100
           From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk>
           Subject: an historical example?
I am looking for a good historical fit for a kind of person I am
trying to describe: an explorer with keen ethnographic and scientific
interests and abilities who was also a kind of merchant-trader,
exchanging goods with those he visited. To be just right, this
explorer will have had to visit many different sorts of people,
though perhaps all of them in one particular part of the world.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Yours,
WM
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Dr Willard McCarty | Senior Lecturer | Centre for Computing in the
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London WC2R 3DX | U.K. | +44 (0)20 7848-2784 fax: -2980 ||
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Received on Mon Jul 11 2005 - 02:32:34 EDT

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