ETHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21422, 14 March 1935, Page 12

ETHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH

[ ❖ WORK OF DR. PETER BUCK VALUABLE COLLECTIONS OF RELICS IN AMERICA Some interesting details about his activities as a research worker in Polynesian ethnology were given by the noted ethnologist, Dr. Peter H. Buck, in an interview with "The Press" last evening. Dr. Buck, who is now working at Honolulu, is taking a short rest after having spent some time in research work in the Pacific islands. Although he is still a comparatively young man he has had a very interesting career. After service as a medical officer and as a representative of the Maori race in the New Zealand Parliament, Dr. Buck turned his attention to ethnology and in 1927 began an engagement with the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, later becoming professor of Polynesian anthropology at Yale University in the United States. He will return shortly to Honolulu to continue his work there.

Dr. Buck said last evening that he was working on two new publications. One was the story of the ethnology of Gambier Island, which, with the exception of Easter Island, is the most easterly of the Polynesian islands. The other is a work on the Cook Islands, which will combine actual field work with the results of research in London, at the British Museum and among Continental collections. Dr. Buck said that in the British Museum and in collections on the Continent there was wonderful material for the Polynesian research worker which could not be found anywhere in Polynesia. In fact the thanks of all New Zealanders were due to those persons who made possible years ago the fine overseas collections of Maori and other Polynesian material. American Collections Dr. Buck mentioned that while in the United States he had discovered a great deal of really valuable Polynesian relics and curios. In Salem, Massachusetts, which had been the centre of the whaling industry which sent out many of the whalers who visited New Zealand and other parts of the Pacific early in the last century, there had been gathered a very valuable collection. It appeared that the whalers had taken home to their families in Salem many fine curios gathered in the Pacific during their trips. These had been gradually collected by interested authorities and included some New Zealand objects which Dr. Buck had not heard of before. There were similar collections in several other centres in the States, notably in the University of Pennsylvania.