1773 Swedish Guests ^ Eskimos 121 



contact with a number of Swedish men of science, and he 

 availed himself of their presence in London to invite them 

 to the Club dinners. He had frequently invited Solander 

 as his guest, who now would come by right of mem- 

 bership. He this year entertained a " Mr. De Geer." 

 The name of De Geer is that of a well-known noble 

 family in Sweden. Probably the individual in question 

 was Charles, Baron de Geer, a noted and wealthy naturalist 

 who especially studied insects and published a fine work 

 upon them. His cabinet of natural history is preserved 

 at Stockholm. Banks also again brought to the Club 

 Fabricius and Gahn. 



The Royal Philosophers were not wholly above the weak- 

 ness which Trinculo attributed to their fellow-countrymen 

 who " when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, 

 will lay out ten to see a dead Indian." The sensation this 

 year was the appearance of two Eskimos at dinner by 

 name Etujak and Tuklavinia, introduced by Mr. Walsh. 

 In what garb they came, what language they spoke, 

 which of the dishes on the table they partook of and 

 what they thought of them have not been recorded in 

 Josiah Colebrooke's carefully detailed record of the guests 

 and the fare. 1 



The Count de Salis appeared at dinner together with 

 Earl Stanhope and Benjamin Franklin, as guests of Sir 

 John Pringle. Solander lost no time in exercising his rights 

 as a member. On 4th November he had as his guests Count 

 Briihl, who had not dined at the Club for some consider- 

 able time, and Deluc, the Swiss geologist who this year 

 came to settle in England. Dr. Turton invited a " Mons r 

 Poissonier " on I7th June possibly the eminent French 

 physician and chemist to whose process for obtaining fresh 

 water by distilling that of the sea Bougainville attributed 

 the health of his crew in their voyage round the globe. 



1 A party of Esquimaux, consisting of two men with their wives and a 

 child, made a popular exhibition in London during the winter of 1772-3. 

 In the end both of the men died from fever, and the wives and child 

 returned to their northern home. 



