Dr Hodgkin on the Progress of Ethnology. 133 



doubting that the members of the Ethnological Society have 

 anticipated me in the appreciation of the importance of the 

 subject, and are well assured that it needs not only numerous 

 labourers, but that, in a peculiar manner, it requires that a 

 system of union and co-operation should be employed to give 

 efficiency to exertions which must, to a great degree, be abor- 

 tive, whilst they possess an isolated and individual character. 

 It will be obvious, that a systematic investigation of whatever 

 relates to them as a whole and in detail, will not only be the 

 means of rescuing from oblivion much interesting matter which 

 is in danger of being irretrievably lost ; but will also affi)rd the 

 only satisfactory means of arriving at any certain knowledge of 

 the affinities and similarities of the differences and distinctions 

 which may exist between the people comprehended in these 

 several groups. It has been asked, what has an Ethnological 

 Society to do, and how is it to limit and define the labours 

 which it may embrace 1 The preceding sketch of what has 

 already been done for ethnology, seems to indicate, at least, 

 three kinds of communications which such a society must de- 

 sire to receive and employ, — 



1^^, Original information regarding any of the divisions or 

 sub-divisions of the different groups of mankind, furnished by 

 individuals who have enjoyed opportunities of collecting them, 

 and in doing which they may be materially assisted by the 

 sets of queries which have been drawn up for the use of tra- 

 vellers for this purpose. 



2d, Papers of that kind of which the society has already 

 excellent examples in the communications of Dr Richard 

 King regarding the Esquimaux, in which personal knowledge 

 of the people was seconded by a careful reference to original 

 authorities and observations, from the earliest records of the 

 race to the present time, with such constant regard to the 

 past and present geographical distribution, as not only to en- 

 able him to confirm or rectify previous statements, but to fur- 

 nish data respecting the limits and peculiarities of this group, 

 which must be of the greatest value to those who may take 

 up similar investigations concerning other groups geographi- 

 cally connected with them. Proceeding in this way, the so- 

 ciety will secure the ground already made, and prepare it for 

 richer cultivation by the accumulation of fresh facts. 



