MEMOIR OF GEORGE M. DAWSON 501 



which also attracted much attention and led to explorations being un- 

 dertaken in several of the areas in question. The extent and character 

 of his geological work may be gathered from the titles of his papers, 

 which will be found in the accompanying bibliography by Doctor Ami. 



Doctor Dawson was a prolific writer. In addition to his numerous 

 and voluminous official reports, he contributed many papers on geolog- 

 ical, geographical, and ethnological subjects to the scientific magazines 

 and to the Transactions of various learned societies, both on this conti- 

 nent and in England. His last contribution was his address as President 

 of this Society, the proofs of which he read only a day or two before his 

 death. 



With regard to his ethnological work we cannot do better than quote 

 from Mr W J McGee's recent appreciative notice in the American Anthro- 

 pologist. Mr McGee says : 



" While several of Doctor Dawson's titles and the prefatory remarks in some 

 of his papers imply that his ethnological researches were subsidiary to his geo- 

 logic work, and while his busy life never afforded opportunity for monographic 

 treatment of Canada's aborigines, it is nevertheless true that he made original 

 observations and records of standard value, that much of his work is still unique, 

 and that his contributions, both personal and indirect, materially enlarged knowl- 

 edge of our native tribes. It is well within bounds to say that, in addition to his 

 other gifts to knowledge, George M. Dawson was one of Canada's foremost con- 

 tributors to ethnology, and one of that handful of original observers whose work 

 affords the foundation for scientific knowledge of the North American natives." 



Dawson's most notable contribution to ethnology was undoubtedly 

 his memoir on the Haida Indians of the Queen Charlotte islands ; but 

 he also published '' Notes on the Indian tribes of the Yukon district and 

 adjacent northern portion of British Columbia," a valuable memoir en- 

 titled " Notes and observations of the Kwakiool people of Vancouver 

 island," " Notes on the Shuswap people of British Columbia," and many 

 other papers. 



Doctor Dawson also rendered important public service in connection 

 with the Bering Sea arbitration. As one of the British commissioners, 

 he spent the summer of 1892 in the Bering Sea region for the purpose of 

 inquiring into the facts and conditions of seal life. The report of the 

 commission constituted the case of Her Majesty's government, and I 

 remember hearing at the time a high tribute paid to Doctor Dawson's 

 ability by one of the gentlemen connected with the United States side 

 of the case in the statement that had it not been for Doctor Dawson's 

 evidence and arguments a finding much more favorable to the United 

 States would probably have been rendered. In connection with his 

 services on this arbitration he was made a companion of the Order of 

 Saint Michael and Saint George (C. M. G.). 



