Annals of the Royal College of Suir(feons of England (1978) vol 6o
HUNTERIANA
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador The story behind a picture Anthony A Pearson MA PhD Professor Emeritus of Anatomy, University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon, and Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California
Introduction The oil paintings in the Hunterian Collection at the Royal College of Surgeons of England illustrate the wide range of John Hunter's interests, which included not only anatomy and surgery but experimental medicine, anthropology, and ethnology. His pictures relating to the races of man are an important part of this collection1. These include portraits of a Polynesian, a Chinese mandarin, two Cherokee Indians2, an American Indian and family, a Malay woman3, and a Labrador woman (Fig. i), supposedly named Mecock, with whom this paper is primarily concerned. It was not unu.sual for natives of primitive countries to visit London during the i8th century. They were often taken to England and patronised by prominent people like Sir Joseph Banks4, Dr Daniel Solander, and Captain James Cook. Portraits of many of them were painted by famous artists. In order to understand the significance of these visitors to England one must examine their proper place in history5. Some came of their own volition, while others were captured and forced to come. Still others were brought over as slaves or curiosities to be displayed in shows and carnivals. Some were brought to be trained as interpreters of their native language. Many Europeans with sincere motives believed that primitive people could be educated and transforned into Christian ladies and gentlemen. This was the 'noble savage' concept. This idea was expressed in I 669 by John Dryden6: 'I am free as in nature first made man, ere the base laws of servitude began, when wild in woods the noble savage ran'. Later this concept was further developed by Rousseau in France. Among the early portraits of Eskimos by
Europeans the pictures by John White (now in the British Museum) painted in the latter part of the i6th century should be mentioned. A man and a woman were brought by Frobisher4 from Baffin Island to England and their pictures painted by White. The three Eskimo women who were painted in England in John Hunter's time are shown wearing clothing made of skins and furs, probably from Labrador (Figs I, 2, and 3), but although their garments vere Eskimo in character they were evidently tailored by dressmakers in England and the much earlier pictures by John White probably illustrate more accurately the kind of clothing worn by Eskimos in Labrador. Another picture by John White (also in the British Museum) shows several Englishmen in a boat engaged in a fight with Eskimos. This was about two centuries before Mecock was captured on the coast of Canada and taken to England. The several accounts indicate that whole families were sometimes captured and taken to Europe, where they were taught English or French so that they could return and act as interpreters and missionaries among the fur traders of northern Canada-the primitive Eskimos were often savage and hostile to strangers and this was considered expedient. A few people like John Hunter, however, were evidently interested in Eskimos as representatives of racial types, and the pictures of Hunter's period are a contribution to the field of ethnology. It is interesting to speculate on the circumstances which prompted John Hunter to include these pictures in his collection. Since many of his records were destroyed the information in the Royal College of Surgeons of England about the pictures in the Hunterian Collection is incomplete. One
8
Anthony A Pearson
FIG. i A Labrador Woman. Unsigned oil painting originally identified as Mecock, now thought to be an Eskimo squaw named Ickongogue. (From the Hunterian Collection. Reproduced by courtesy of the Trustees of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.)
must turn to other museums and libraries to fill in the gaps. Let us examine the information that is available. The reader should bear in mind that this account is put together from a number of sources and that some of the statements may appear to be erroneous and sometimes contradictory. This is especially true with regard to dates and the spellings of proper nouns (names) by different authors. However, there is validity to the main theme. The spelling used here conforms to that used by the several authors in the source materials. In the i8th century the natives of Labrador were called both 'Esquimau Ingens' and Eskimos. Even well-informed people like Sir Joseph Banks sometimes failed to distinguish between Eskimos and Indians. The name
'Eskimo' was given to these people in Northern Canada by the Indian tribes to the south. They called themselves 'Innuit', meaning eaters of raw flesh.
The Hunterian portrait In Le Fanu's catalogue' of the portraits in the Hunterian Collection of the Royal College of Surgeons of England an oil on canvas, No 243, is identified as 'Mecock, a Labrador woman'. The picture is unsigned and the exact date and the name of the artist are not known. This portrait (Fig. i) shows a young woman with a full face, indicating a thick layer of facial fat. Her lower jaw is broad and her nose is straight, but not flat. Her straight, long, black hair, which is held in place by a light-coloured headband, hangs down her back.
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador She has dark broiwn eyes and distinct epicanthal folds, which give an oblique appearance to the palpebral fissures of her eyes. This is a Mongolian trait. Her skin is light brown and long otrnaments hang from her hair in front of her ears. She has a long head and a pleasant but mask-like expression on her face. She is wearing a loose brown garment of sealskin with wide sleeves. The sleeves have narrow, circular, dark brown bands separated by wide, lighter brown bands. The upper part of her garment hangs loosely over her left shoulder and down her back, suggesting a hood. However, she may be wearing a netsek of sealkin. A netsek, which was commonly wvorn by Eskimo women, was a large hood with an extension hanging down the back in which a baby could be carried. (In one of John White's paintings showing an Eskimo woman wearing a netsek the face of the baby can be seen peering over her shoulder.) A blue ribbon attached to the netsek might indicate that the woman was married. Unmarried girls and widows often wore ribbons of different colours. A netsek is illustrated in the catalogue of items in the museum of Marischal College, Aberdeen. There are several accounts which refer to this portrait. William Clift', who worked closely with John Hunter during his later years, recorded that the woman from the coast of Labrador in the Hunterian Collection was named 'Mecock' and that she had a son named 'Tucock', also spelled 'Tootack'. Her husband was said to have been killed when she was taken. Clift's record shows that this Labrador woman had smallpox while she was in England and that this infection was carried to Labrador, where more than 300 people died of the disease. This infection was thought to have been transmittd in her hair, which had been cut off during her illness and was given to her friends on her return to Labrador. William Clift got his information in I8oo from J S Charlton, who was connected wvith the College. Further research in other places like the British Museum Library and the Wellcome Instittute reveal that two families of Eskimos from Labrador visited England during the period I769--73. Several of these Eskimos had their portraits painted by well-known artists.
9
There are a number of discrepancies in the accounts which describe the;ir visits, and these will be reviewed. It seems certain, however, that in these two Eskimo families there were women named Mecock, Caubvick, and Ickongogue and, as will be seen, there is reason to doubt that the Hunterian portrait is indeed that of Mecock.
The story of Mecock In March of 1769 the Gentleman's Magazine reported the following: 'The Esquimau Lady, lately brought over from the coast of Canada, was presented to her R H the Princess Dowager of Wales, who was much gratified at the sight of a person so different in manners and appearance from the inhabitants of this part of the world. Her Royal Highness gave her a gold medal and ordered a rich habit to be made for her, after the manner of her country.' Lysaght4 has reviewed the story of the visits of Eskimos to London in John Hunter's time. This author relates that in 1767 three Eskimos were captured and taken to England, these being a woman named 'Mykock', her small child 'Tootac', and a I3-year-old boy. An account of these Eskimos given by Jannasch7 tells a slightly different story. He spent his childhood in Labrador among the Eskimos. His Eskimo nurse told stories of 'Mikak', the wife of Tuglavina, the chief magician. In 1768 the English raided the coast of Labrador, killed about 2o Eskimos, and captured some women and children. Among those captured was Mikak and her small son, who were taken to England; her husband, however, escaped. Mikak was intelligent and she learnt English quickly. She was presented to the Queen, who gave her a dress which was highly prized, her portrait was painted, and she was a sensation in London society. A few years after her return to Labrador the Moravians were given a grant of land by George III. The negotiations with the Eskimos were carried out in Mikak's tent and she wore the same dress that the Queen had given her. Mikak died in 1795. However, the smallpox was not mentioned. Jannasch included a portrait of this Eskimo woman with her small son painted by John Russell (Fig. 2). Her facial features, incltuding
to
Anthony A Pearson
was to be seen in London, brought by Commodore Shuldham from Newfoundland in order to be presented to His Majesty and to establish lasting friendships with the 'Eglots', as these people called the English. On Christmas Eve of the same year the Morning Chronicle and London Adviser carried much the same report. Surprise was expresed that raw meat eaters could decently handle a knife and fork. These notices refer to Eskimos who were brought to England at the instance of one George Cartwright, who traded with them and wished to establish a better relationship with them. Cartwright believed that if Eskimos were brought to England they would realise their backwardness and appreciate civilisation. George Cartwright was accompanied by a family of five Eskimos from Labrador consisting of Attiock (also spelled 'Attiuick' etc.), his squaw Ickongogue and her infant daughter, Attiock's brother Tooklavinia, and FIG. 2 An Eskimo woman, Mycock, with her his younger squaw Caubvick. This family dined son, by John Russell. (Reproduced by courtesy at the home of John Hunter. During the of Dr M Urban, Curator, Institut fur course of the evening they saw human bones; Volkerkunde der Universitdt Gottingen.) not understanding the significance of these, they were frightened by thoughts of being epicanthal folds, are characteristic of Eskimos. anatomised and cannibalised by an 0 In her right hand she holds a round object t S9 10 which resembles a medal; this helps to identify anatomist9 Cartwright4 obtained lodging for the her as the woman who was given a medal Eskimos (at io guineas a month) in Little by the Princess Dowager, as mentioned in Castle Street, near Oxford Circus, then known the I 769 account in the Gentleman's Magazine. The clothes and personal effects in the Russell as Oxford Market. So many curious people portrait resemble those shown in the portrait flocked to see them that an intense traffic of the Labrador woman in the Hunterian problem resulted. Their many visitors included Collection. However, the portraits are not celebrities like Banks, Solander, and Boswell. identical and it appears unlikely that they They were presented at Court and saw 'Cymbeline' at Covent Garden. They visited are pictures of the same woman. The portrait the family home of Cartwright at Markham by Russell, which according to Urban8 is of in where the Eskimo men Nottinghamshire, 'Mycock' (also spelled 'Mykok', 'Mikak', and riders and hunters. be excellent to proved 'Mecock'), shows a more lively, intelligent woman who looks quite capable of bargaining The Eskimo women enjoyed vsting and over a grant of land. Moreover, her cheeks dancing, especially Caubvick, who was the and chin bear linear decorative markings, younger and more graceful. The Eskimo visit, either painted or tattooed, which are absent however, ended in tragedy as a result of smallfrom the more placid features of the woman pox. Caubvick recovered from a mild attack, but the other members of the family died in the Hunterian portrait. in Plymouth. Here the story of smallpox being Attiock's family carried to Labrador in a squaw's hair is repeated. It was reported that the site of her in the Gentleman's it was reported In 1772 Magazine that an 'Esquimau' with his squaw tribe was found strewn with dead bodies.
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador It is believed that a family portrait of these Eskimos was painted in London and that it belonged to Sir Joseph Banks. Lord Brabourne owns drawings of two of these Eskimos, Caubvick (Fig. 3) and Attiock, by Nathaniel Dance, which were reproduced in the book on Joseph Banks by Lysaght4. The watercolour portraits7' 8 of the Eskimos Attiock and Caubvick (Fig. 4) in the Institut fur Volkerkunde of the University of G6ttingen were copied by Hunnemann from the original drawings by Dance and were given to Professor Blumenbach by Sir Joseph Banks. Three women and three portraits Thus we have three Eskimo women who are known to have visited London between I769
II
and I 773 and three portraits of Eskimo women dating from much the same period-the painting by Russell (Fig. 2), the drawing byDance (Fig. 3) (of which Hunnemann's painting is a close copy), and the painting by an unknown artist which now forms part of the Hunterian Collection (Fig. i). These three pictures are similar in some ways. The clothes, personal effects, and general appearance of the subjects are typical of young Eskimo women of that period. The fact that they were executed by different artists, with their own individual styles, makes the positive identification of these portraits difficult. However, there are distinctive features in each which suggest that they are pictures of three different individuals. Lysaght4 is of the opinion that the Hunterian portrait of a Labrador woman originally belonged to Sir Joseph Banks and that it is of Caubvick, not Mecock. We have seen above that there is good reason to agree with him on this last point and that Rusell's picture is probably the more authentic portrait of Mecock. But when the Hunterian portrait is compared with Dance's drawing of Caubvick (Fig. 3) it is difficult to believe that they are of the same woman. Caubvick was described as a vivacious girl who enjoyed dancing (the name Caubvick means 'wolverine') and Dance's portrait of a cheerful, full-lipped young woman with a slender figure is in keeping with this description. By contrast the woman in the Hunterian portrait appears to be more heavily built and a little older; her face is more oval, pensive, and more mature, suggesting a more serious personality. Assuming that Lysaght is correct in that the portrait by Dance is indeed that of Caubvick, this points to a possibility that has not hitherto been seriously considered but now seems most likely-that the woman from Labrador who sat to an unknown artist for the portrait that now hangs in the Royal College of Surgeons of England was neither Mecock nor Caubvick FIG. 3 Drawing of an Eskimo woman but the third Eskimo woman, Ickongogue, named Caubvick, by Nathaniel Dance for Attiock's squaw. Sir Joseph Banks, now owned by Lord Afterthoughts Brabourne. (Reproduced by permission of the Each time I visit London I am tempted to Trustees of the Knatchbull Family Portraits. see again Agatha Christie's mystery play 'The Photograph: Courtauld Institute, London.) Mousetrap'. However, when I walk through
12
Anthony A Pearson
FIG. 4 Portraits of the Eskimos Attiock (left) and Caubvick (right), copied by Hunnemann from the originals by Nathaniel Dance. (Reproduced by courtesy of Dr M Urban, Curator of the Institut fur V3lkerkunde der Universitat Gottingen.) the halls of the Royal College of Surgeons of England I find the ghosts of personalities lingering there in the rows of portraits far more intriguing and mysterious than any play in the theatre. In my compelling curiosity and frustration I am tempted to take a portrait by the frame and shake it saying, 'Why don't you talk to me?' A great deal is known about the Polynesian called 'Omai', but the Chinese mandarin and the charming young Malay woman remain as elusive and mysterious as the Sphinx. Like the two Cherokee Indians2, they may eventually tell us their story. While much has been written about the visits of American Indians and Eskimos to London in the i8th century, we know very little about their impressions of England. This was probably due to the language barrier and to their natural shyness or evasiveness. Their replies were more often what they thought the English wanted to hear rather than the truth. A small insight is provided in the report of one of these Eskimos4 who was annoyed and frightened by crowds of curious
people who followed him through the streets of London. In exasperation he exclaimed, 'Too much noise, too much people, too much house. Oh, for Labrador!' Like many other 'noble savage' experiments, the Eskimo visits in 1769 and 1772 ended in disappointments. When 'Mikak' returned to Labrador she rejoined her husband. They were both baptized and for a brief period were helpful to the work of the mission. In a short time they were tempted by dishonest traders, became disloyal, and led a wild life. Later they were remorseful and returned to the mision7. Smallpox brought tragedy to the Eskimoe sponsored by Cartwright and even to their village in Labrador. The accounts of Omai11' 12, however, tell a more pleasant story. This group of portraits in the Hunterian Collection is referred to as the 'racial types'. It is interesting to speculate what John Hunter knew about anthropology and ethnology. For example, was he aware that these Eskimos had certain Mongolian traits (for example,
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador
epicanthal folds), that they were dolichocephalic (long-headed), and that their skull capacity1" was relatively large? His keen interest in all phases of biological structure and his association with people like Banks and Solander would suggest that he was aware of certain racial traits and peculiarities. Banks7, recognising the importance of these Eskimo portraits, presented three of them (Figs 2, 4, 5) to Professor Blumenbach at the University of G6ttingen. Blumenbach used these pictures as part of his source material in stating his principle of the human races. At approximately this time Hunter was chairman of 'The Club', which was a society of literary and scientific men who held their meetings at Young Slaughter's coffee house in St Martin's Lane14. Here he would meet Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Solander and members of the Royal Academy of Arts, like Zoffany and Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is worth noting that many of the natives brought over from America were robust people in the prime years of their lives. John Hunter was well aware of the fear these natives had of the contagious diseases which were common in the Old World. Living in remote isolated villages in America, they had led a protected life. In London they had little immunity and were very vulnerable to measles, typhoid fever, and the many diseases common in Europe at that time. This may have prompted Hunter to encourage his friend Edward Jenner to experiment on his theory of immunisation against smallpox. During the visit of another group to England in 182 I an Eskimo man had a collapsible canoe made of sealskin in which he performed remarkable feats in the water5. Today gymnastic feats in canoeing are part of the contests in the Olympic Games; a complete roll-over in the water and return to an upright position is called the 'Eskimo roll'. The Eskimo probably never learnt to swim in the Arctic waters and such a feat was necessary for survival. In I603 an earlier group had demonstrated their skills in handling a canoe on the River Thames outside Cecil House. Early in the I8th century a native from Labrador in a kayak was rescued off the coast of Scotland. He was brought to Aberdeen in a famished and exhausted condition. He
13
could give no intelligible account of himself and he soon died. It was thought that he had lost his way and had travelled all the way from Labrador in his kayak, which is still in the museum at Marischal College in Aberdeen. In many respects his voyage was more remarkable than that of Columbus or the Kon-Tiki", or even the flight of Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic. If he had lived and come down to London he too might have been a celebrity patronised by people like Sir Joseph Banks and received presents from the King, and John Hunter might have added his portrait to his art collection. I wish to express my gratitude to Professor A J Harding Rains MS FRCS, to Dr Donald Crowther MRCS, and to Mr E H Cornelius for their help and encouragement. I must also thank Miss Helen Taubenblatt, whose friendly criticism and suggestions have contributed to the quality of my papers over a period of many years.
References l Le Fanu, W R (I96o) A Catalogue of Portraits and Other Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture in the Royal College of Surgeons of England. London, Livingstone. 2 Pearson, A A (1976) Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 58, 374. 3 Smith, Sir Rodney (I975) Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 57, 117. 4 Lysaght, A M (1971) Joseph Banks in Newfoundland and Labrador, 1766. Berkeley, University of California Press. 5 Foreman, C (I943) Indians Abroad. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press. 6 Dryden, J (I669) The Conquest of Granada, pt I, act I, scene i. In Bartlett, J Familiar Quotations. Boston, Little, Brown, I968. 7 Jannasch, H W (I958) Canadian Geological Journal, 57, 848 Urban, M (1975) Personal communication. 9 Kobler, J (ig6o) The Reluctant Surgeon: a Biography of John Hunter. Garden City, NY, Doubleday. Io Dobson, J (I969) John Hunter. London, Livingstone. I Clark, T (i969) Omai, the First Polynesian Ambassador to England. Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press. I2 Brock, Lord (I977) Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 59, 415. 13 Areins Kappers, C U (1929) The Evolution of the Nervous System in Invertebrates, Vertebrates and Man. Haarlem, DeErven F Bohn. 14 Whitley, W T (I928) Artists and their Friends in England 1700-1799. London and Boston, Medici
Society.
I5 Hesselberg, E (I970) Kon-Tiki and I. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
HUNTERIANA
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador The story behind a picture Anthony A Pearson MA PhD Professor Emeritus of Anatomy, University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon, and Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California
Introduction The oil paintings in the Hunterian Collection at the Royal College of Surgeons of England illustrate the wide range of John Hunter's interests, which included not only anatomy and surgery but experimental medicine, anthropology, and ethnology. His pictures relating to the races of man are an important part of this collection1. These include portraits of a Polynesian, a Chinese mandarin, two Cherokee Indians2, an American Indian and family, a Malay woman3, and a Labrador woman (Fig. i), supposedly named Mecock, with whom this paper is primarily concerned. It was not unu.sual for natives of primitive countries to visit London during the i8th century. They were often taken to England and patronised by prominent people like Sir Joseph Banks4, Dr Daniel Solander, and Captain James Cook. Portraits of many of them were painted by famous artists. In order to understand the significance of these visitors to England one must examine their proper place in history5. Some came of their own volition, while others were captured and forced to come. Still others were brought over as slaves or curiosities to be displayed in shows and carnivals. Some were brought to be trained as interpreters of their native language. Many Europeans with sincere motives believed that primitive people could be educated and transforned into Christian ladies and gentlemen. This was the 'noble savage' concept. This idea was expressed in I 669 by John Dryden6: 'I am free as in nature first made man, ere the base laws of servitude began, when wild in woods the noble savage ran'. Later this concept was further developed by Rousseau in France. Among the early portraits of Eskimos by
Europeans the pictures by John White (now in the British Museum) painted in the latter part of the i6th century should be mentioned. A man and a woman were brought by Frobisher4 from Baffin Island to England and their pictures painted by White. The three Eskimo women who were painted in England in John Hunter's time are shown wearing clothing made of skins and furs, probably from Labrador (Figs I, 2, and 3), but although their garments vere Eskimo in character they were evidently tailored by dressmakers in England and the much earlier pictures by John White probably illustrate more accurately the kind of clothing worn by Eskimos in Labrador. Another picture by John White (also in the British Museum) shows several Englishmen in a boat engaged in a fight with Eskimos. This was about two centuries before Mecock was captured on the coast of Canada and taken to England. The several accounts indicate that whole families were sometimes captured and taken to Europe, where they were taught English or French so that they could return and act as interpreters and missionaries among the fur traders of northern Canada-the primitive Eskimos were often savage and hostile to strangers and this was considered expedient. A few people like John Hunter, however, were evidently interested in Eskimos as representatives of racial types, and the pictures of Hunter's period are a contribution to the field of ethnology. It is interesting to speculate on the circumstances which prompted John Hunter to include these pictures in his collection. Since many of his records were destroyed the information in the Royal College of Surgeons of England about the pictures in the Hunterian Collection is incomplete. One
8
Anthony A Pearson
FIG. i A Labrador Woman. Unsigned oil painting originally identified as Mecock, now thought to be an Eskimo squaw named Ickongogue. (From the Hunterian Collection. Reproduced by courtesy of the Trustees of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.)
must turn to other museums and libraries to fill in the gaps. Let us examine the information that is available. The reader should bear in mind that this account is put together from a number of sources and that some of the statements may appear to be erroneous and sometimes contradictory. This is especially true with regard to dates and the spellings of proper nouns (names) by different authors. However, there is validity to the main theme. The spelling used here conforms to that used by the several authors in the source materials. In the i8th century the natives of Labrador were called both 'Esquimau Ingens' and Eskimos. Even well-informed people like Sir Joseph Banks sometimes failed to distinguish between Eskimos and Indians. The name
'Eskimo' was given to these people in Northern Canada by the Indian tribes to the south. They called themselves 'Innuit', meaning eaters of raw flesh.
The Hunterian portrait In Le Fanu's catalogue' of the portraits in the Hunterian Collection of the Royal College of Surgeons of England an oil on canvas, No 243, is identified as 'Mecock, a Labrador woman'. The picture is unsigned and the exact date and the name of the artist are not known. This portrait (Fig. i) shows a young woman with a full face, indicating a thick layer of facial fat. Her lower jaw is broad and her nose is straight, but not flat. Her straight, long, black hair, which is held in place by a light-coloured headband, hangs down her back.
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador She has dark broiwn eyes and distinct epicanthal folds, which give an oblique appearance to the palpebral fissures of her eyes. This is a Mongolian trait. Her skin is light brown and long otrnaments hang from her hair in front of her ears. She has a long head and a pleasant but mask-like expression on her face. She is wearing a loose brown garment of sealskin with wide sleeves. The sleeves have narrow, circular, dark brown bands separated by wide, lighter brown bands. The upper part of her garment hangs loosely over her left shoulder and down her back, suggesting a hood. However, she may be wearing a netsek of sealkin. A netsek, which was commonly wvorn by Eskimo women, was a large hood with an extension hanging down the back in which a baby could be carried. (In one of John White's paintings showing an Eskimo woman wearing a netsek the face of the baby can be seen peering over her shoulder.) A blue ribbon attached to the netsek might indicate that the woman was married. Unmarried girls and widows often wore ribbons of different colours. A netsek is illustrated in the catalogue of items in the museum of Marischal College, Aberdeen. There are several accounts which refer to this portrait. William Clift', who worked closely with John Hunter during his later years, recorded that the woman from the coast of Labrador in the Hunterian Collection was named 'Mecock' and that she had a son named 'Tucock', also spelled 'Tootack'. Her husband was said to have been killed when she was taken. Clift's record shows that this Labrador woman had smallpox while she was in England and that this infection was carried to Labrador, where more than 300 people died of the disease. This infection was thought to have been transmittd in her hair, which had been cut off during her illness and was given to her friends on her return to Labrador. William Clift got his information in I8oo from J S Charlton, who was connected wvith the College. Further research in other places like the British Museum Library and the Wellcome Instittute reveal that two families of Eskimos from Labrador visited England during the period I769--73. Several of these Eskimos had their portraits painted by well-known artists.
9
There are a number of discrepancies in the accounts which describe the;ir visits, and these will be reviewed. It seems certain, however, that in these two Eskimo families there were women named Mecock, Caubvick, and Ickongogue and, as will be seen, there is reason to doubt that the Hunterian portrait is indeed that of Mecock.
The story of Mecock In March of 1769 the Gentleman's Magazine reported the following: 'The Esquimau Lady, lately brought over from the coast of Canada, was presented to her R H the Princess Dowager of Wales, who was much gratified at the sight of a person so different in manners and appearance from the inhabitants of this part of the world. Her Royal Highness gave her a gold medal and ordered a rich habit to be made for her, after the manner of her country.' Lysaght4 has reviewed the story of the visits of Eskimos to London in John Hunter's time. This author relates that in 1767 three Eskimos were captured and taken to England, these being a woman named 'Mykock', her small child 'Tootac', and a I3-year-old boy. An account of these Eskimos given by Jannasch7 tells a slightly different story. He spent his childhood in Labrador among the Eskimos. His Eskimo nurse told stories of 'Mikak', the wife of Tuglavina, the chief magician. In 1768 the English raided the coast of Labrador, killed about 2o Eskimos, and captured some women and children. Among those captured was Mikak and her small son, who were taken to England; her husband, however, escaped. Mikak was intelligent and she learnt English quickly. She was presented to the Queen, who gave her a dress which was highly prized, her portrait was painted, and she was a sensation in London society. A few years after her return to Labrador the Moravians were given a grant of land by George III. The negotiations with the Eskimos were carried out in Mikak's tent and she wore the same dress that the Queen had given her. Mikak died in 1795. However, the smallpox was not mentioned. Jannasch included a portrait of this Eskimo woman with her small son painted by John Russell (Fig. 2). Her facial features, incltuding
to
Anthony A Pearson
was to be seen in London, brought by Commodore Shuldham from Newfoundland in order to be presented to His Majesty and to establish lasting friendships with the 'Eglots', as these people called the English. On Christmas Eve of the same year the Morning Chronicle and London Adviser carried much the same report. Surprise was expresed that raw meat eaters could decently handle a knife and fork. These notices refer to Eskimos who were brought to England at the instance of one George Cartwright, who traded with them and wished to establish a better relationship with them. Cartwright believed that if Eskimos were brought to England they would realise their backwardness and appreciate civilisation. George Cartwright was accompanied by a family of five Eskimos from Labrador consisting of Attiock (also spelled 'Attiuick' etc.), his squaw Ickongogue and her infant daughter, Attiock's brother Tooklavinia, and FIG. 2 An Eskimo woman, Mycock, with her his younger squaw Caubvick. This family dined son, by John Russell. (Reproduced by courtesy at the home of John Hunter. During the of Dr M Urban, Curator, Institut fur course of the evening they saw human bones; Volkerkunde der Universitdt Gottingen.) not understanding the significance of these, they were frightened by thoughts of being epicanthal folds, are characteristic of Eskimos. anatomised and cannibalised by an 0 In her right hand she holds a round object t S9 10 which resembles a medal; this helps to identify anatomist9 Cartwright4 obtained lodging for the her as the woman who was given a medal Eskimos (at io guineas a month) in Little by the Princess Dowager, as mentioned in Castle Street, near Oxford Circus, then known the I 769 account in the Gentleman's Magazine. The clothes and personal effects in the Russell as Oxford Market. So many curious people portrait resemble those shown in the portrait flocked to see them that an intense traffic of the Labrador woman in the Hunterian problem resulted. Their many visitors included Collection. However, the portraits are not celebrities like Banks, Solander, and Boswell. identical and it appears unlikely that they They were presented at Court and saw 'Cymbeline' at Covent Garden. They visited are pictures of the same woman. The portrait the family home of Cartwright at Markham by Russell, which according to Urban8 is of in where the Eskimo men Nottinghamshire, 'Mycock' (also spelled 'Mykok', 'Mikak', and riders and hunters. be excellent to proved 'Mecock'), shows a more lively, intelligent woman who looks quite capable of bargaining The Eskimo women enjoyed vsting and over a grant of land. Moreover, her cheeks dancing, especially Caubvick, who was the and chin bear linear decorative markings, younger and more graceful. The Eskimo visit, either painted or tattooed, which are absent however, ended in tragedy as a result of smallfrom the more placid features of the woman pox. Caubvick recovered from a mild attack, but the other members of the family died in the Hunterian portrait. in Plymouth. Here the story of smallpox being Attiock's family carried to Labrador in a squaw's hair is repeated. It was reported that the site of her in the Gentleman's it was reported In 1772 Magazine that an 'Esquimau' with his squaw tribe was found strewn with dead bodies.
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador It is believed that a family portrait of these Eskimos was painted in London and that it belonged to Sir Joseph Banks. Lord Brabourne owns drawings of two of these Eskimos, Caubvick (Fig. 3) and Attiock, by Nathaniel Dance, which were reproduced in the book on Joseph Banks by Lysaght4. The watercolour portraits7' 8 of the Eskimos Attiock and Caubvick (Fig. 4) in the Institut fur Volkerkunde of the University of G6ttingen were copied by Hunnemann from the original drawings by Dance and were given to Professor Blumenbach by Sir Joseph Banks. Three women and three portraits Thus we have three Eskimo women who are known to have visited London between I769
II
and I 773 and three portraits of Eskimo women dating from much the same period-the painting by Russell (Fig. 2), the drawing byDance (Fig. 3) (of which Hunnemann's painting is a close copy), and the painting by an unknown artist which now forms part of the Hunterian Collection (Fig. i). These three pictures are similar in some ways. The clothes, personal effects, and general appearance of the subjects are typical of young Eskimo women of that period. The fact that they were executed by different artists, with their own individual styles, makes the positive identification of these portraits difficult. However, there are distinctive features in each which suggest that they are pictures of three different individuals. Lysaght4 is of the opinion that the Hunterian portrait of a Labrador woman originally belonged to Sir Joseph Banks and that it is of Caubvick, not Mecock. We have seen above that there is good reason to agree with him on this last point and that Rusell's picture is probably the more authentic portrait of Mecock. But when the Hunterian portrait is compared with Dance's drawing of Caubvick (Fig. 3) it is difficult to believe that they are of the same woman. Caubvick was described as a vivacious girl who enjoyed dancing (the name Caubvick means 'wolverine') and Dance's portrait of a cheerful, full-lipped young woman with a slender figure is in keeping with this description. By contrast the woman in the Hunterian portrait appears to be more heavily built and a little older; her face is more oval, pensive, and more mature, suggesting a more serious personality. Assuming that Lysaght is correct in that the portrait by Dance is indeed that of Caubvick, this points to a possibility that has not hitherto been seriously considered but now seems most likely-that the woman from Labrador who sat to an unknown artist for the portrait that now hangs in the Royal College of Surgeons of England was neither Mecock nor Caubvick FIG. 3 Drawing of an Eskimo woman but the third Eskimo woman, Ickongogue, named Caubvick, by Nathaniel Dance for Attiock's squaw. Sir Joseph Banks, now owned by Lord Afterthoughts Brabourne. (Reproduced by permission of the Each time I visit London I am tempted to Trustees of the Knatchbull Family Portraits. see again Agatha Christie's mystery play 'The Photograph: Courtauld Institute, London.) Mousetrap'. However, when I walk through
12
Anthony A Pearson
FIG. 4 Portraits of the Eskimos Attiock (left) and Caubvick (right), copied by Hunnemann from the originals by Nathaniel Dance. (Reproduced by courtesy of Dr M Urban, Curator of the Institut fur V3lkerkunde der Universitat Gottingen.) the halls of the Royal College of Surgeons of England I find the ghosts of personalities lingering there in the rows of portraits far more intriguing and mysterious than any play in the theatre. In my compelling curiosity and frustration I am tempted to take a portrait by the frame and shake it saying, 'Why don't you talk to me?' A great deal is known about the Polynesian called 'Omai', but the Chinese mandarin and the charming young Malay woman remain as elusive and mysterious as the Sphinx. Like the two Cherokee Indians2, they may eventually tell us their story. While much has been written about the visits of American Indians and Eskimos to London in the i8th century, we know very little about their impressions of England. This was probably due to the language barrier and to their natural shyness or evasiveness. Their replies were more often what they thought the English wanted to hear rather than the truth. A small insight is provided in the report of one of these Eskimos4 who was annoyed and frightened by crowds of curious
people who followed him through the streets of London. In exasperation he exclaimed, 'Too much noise, too much people, too much house. Oh, for Labrador!' Like many other 'noble savage' experiments, the Eskimo visits in 1769 and 1772 ended in disappointments. When 'Mikak' returned to Labrador she rejoined her husband. They were both baptized and for a brief period were helpful to the work of the mission. In a short time they were tempted by dishonest traders, became disloyal, and led a wild life. Later they were remorseful and returned to the mision7. Smallpox brought tragedy to the Eskimoe sponsored by Cartwright and even to their village in Labrador. The accounts of Omai11' 12, however, tell a more pleasant story. This group of portraits in the Hunterian Collection is referred to as the 'racial types'. It is interesting to speculate what John Hunter knew about anthropology and ethnology. For example, was he aware that these Eskimos had certain Mongolian traits (for example,
John Hunter and the woman from Labrador
epicanthal folds), that they were dolichocephalic (long-headed), and that their skull capacity1" was relatively large? His keen interest in all phases of biological structure and his association with people like Banks and Solander would suggest that he was aware of certain racial traits and peculiarities. Banks7, recognising the importance of these Eskimo portraits, presented three of them (Figs 2, 4, 5) to Professor Blumenbach at the University of G6ttingen. Blumenbach used these pictures as part of his source material in stating his principle of the human races. At approximately this time Hunter was chairman of 'The Club', which was a society of literary and scientific men who held their meetings at Young Slaughter's coffee house in St Martin's Lane14. Here he would meet Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Solander and members of the Royal Academy of Arts, like Zoffany and Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is worth noting that many of the natives brought over from America were robust people in the prime years of their lives. John Hunter was well aware of the fear these natives had of the contagious diseases which were common in the Old World. Living in remote isolated villages in America, they had led a protected life. In London they had little immunity and were very vulnerable to measles, typhoid fever, and the many diseases common in Europe at that time. This may have prompted Hunter to encourage his friend Edward Jenner to experiment on his theory of immunisation against smallpox. During the visit of another group to England in 182 I an Eskimo man had a collapsible canoe made of sealskin in which he performed remarkable feats in the water5. Today gymnastic feats in canoeing are part of the contests in the Olympic Games; a complete roll-over in the water and return to an upright position is called the 'Eskimo roll'. The Eskimo probably never learnt to swim in the Arctic waters and such a feat was necessary for survival. In I603 an earlier group had demonstrated their skills in handling a canoe on the River Thames outside Cecil House. Early in the I8th century a native from Labrador in a kayak was rescued off the coast of Scotland. He was brought to Aberdeen in a famished and exhausted condition. He
13
could give no intelligible account of himself and he soon died. It was thought that he had lost his way and had travelled all the way from Labrador in his kayak, which is still in the museum at Marischal College in Aberdeen. In many respects his voyage was more remarkable than that of Columbus or the Kon-Tiki", or even the flight of Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic. If he had lived and come down to London he too might have been a celebrity patronised by people like Sir Joseph Banks and received presents from the King, and John Hunter might have added his portrait to his art collection. I wish to express my gratitude to Professor A J Harding Rains MS FRCS, to Dr Donald Crowther MRCS, and to Mr E H Cornelius for their help and encouragement. I must also thank Miss Helen Taubenblatt, whose friendly criticism and suggestions have contributed to the quality of my papers over a period of many years.
References l Le Fanu, W R (I96o) A Catalogue of Portraits and Other Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture in the Royal College of Surgeons of England. London, Livingstone. 2 Pearson, A A (1976) Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 58, 374. 3 Smith, Sir Rodney (I975) Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 57, 117. 4 Lysaght, A M (1971) Joseph Banks in Newfoundland and Labrador, 1766. Berkeley, University of California Press. 5 Foreman, C (I943) Indians Abroad. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press. 6 Dryden, J (I669) The Conquest of Granada, pt I, act I, scene i. In Bartlett, J Familiar Quotations. Boston, Little, Brown, I968. 7 Jannasch, H W (I958) Canadian Geological Journal, 57, 848 Urban, M (1975) Personal communication. 9 Kobler, J (ig6o) The Reluctant Surgeon: a Biography of John Hunter. Garden City, NY, Doubleday. Io Dobson, J (I969) John Hunter. London, Livingstone. I Clark, T (i969) Omai, the First Polynesian Ambassador to England. Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press. I2 Brock, Lord (I977) Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 59, 415. 13 Areins Kappers, C U (1929) The Evolution of the Nervous System in Invertebrates, Vertebrates and Man. Haarlem, DeErven F Bohn. 14 Whitley, W T (I928) Artists and their Friends in England 1700-1799. London and Boston, Medici
Society.
I5 Hesselberg, E (I970) Kon-Tiki and I. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
