176 THE NATUEAL HISTORY REVIEW. 



We trust soon to have to congratulate our author on the appear- 

 ance of other treatises from his pen. At present all the knowledge 

 we have of the Ichthyology of Spitsbergen is contained in Sir James 

 Eoss' Appendix to Parry's ' Fourth Voyage,' wherein four species 

 only of fishes are enumerated. The lower forms of life, also, require 

 much more attention than they have as yet, judging from published 

 records, received, l^o doubt we shall have our wishes gratified. 

 Meantime we tender our warmest thanks to Mr. Malmgren, for the 

 careful papers we have here been noticing, whicli are exactly of the 

 kind that the present state of Zoological Science needs respecting the 

 Pauna of every country from one Pole to the other. 



XVIII. — Hall's Esquimaux. 



Life with the Esquimaux : the Narrative of Capt. C. F. Hall, of 

 the whaling-barque ' G-eorge Henry,' from the 29th May, 1860, 

 to the 13th Sept. 1862. Two vols. 8vo. London, Sampson 

 Low, & Co. 1864. 



There is perhaps no race of men who are more curious in their 

 habits, and less affected, as yet, by the influence of civilization, than 

 the Esquimaux. Capt. Sherard Osborn has recently recalled the 

 attention of the public to the interesting problems which, after all 

 that has been accomplished, are still unsolved, and might perhaps be 

 determined by another ArcMc expedition ; but even without this 

 stimulus, Capt. Hall's book would certainly have been read with 

 much interest. 



The author is an American gentleman, living at Cincinnati, and of 

 a decidedly enthusiastic and religious turn of mind. Strongly im- 

 pressed with the belief that some, at least, of Franklin's unfortunate 

 companions might perhaps be still alive, " it seemed tome," he says, 

 " as if I had been called, if I may so speak, to try and do the 

 " work. My heart felt sore at the thought of so great a mystery in 

 connection with any of our fellow- creatures, especially akin to 

 " ourselves, yet remaining unsolved. "Why could not their true fate 

 " be ascertained ? Why should not attempts be made, again and 

 " again, until the whole facts were properly known?" 



Capt. Hall's idea was that the Esquimaux must be perfectly well 

 aware of the fate which had befallen the remnant of Franklin's ex- 

 pedition, and the present whereabouts of the survivors, should any 

 such exist. He proposed, therefore, to make friends with the Esqui- 



