James Hornell
Encyclopedia
James Hornell was an English zoologist and seafaring ethnographer. He was a cousin of Edward Atkinson Hornel
, a Scottish painter.
, organizing the fisheries of Madras, he retired, and thus began his next career as an ethnographer of seafarming and maritime life. He traveled extensively around the Indian Ocean
world and east Asia
, making records of indigenous watercraft, sailing on Junk
s and Sampan
s, and as a member of an expedition to the south seas made many records of the watercraft of Polynesia
. Further travels brought encounters with watercraft of northern India, the Mediterranean, the Nile
, Uganda
, Madagascar
, Iraq
, and northern Europe.
Hornell in the 1930s became the principal authority on traditional, indigenous watercraft particular logboats, skin boats, canoes of all types, floats and even small ships. His work is distinguished by careful observation and measurement and supported by drawings and photographs of seafaring life all but vanished over the second half of the twentieth century.
James Hornell also collected string games. He collected string figures from Africa, Asia and Pacifics Islands.
Edward Atkinson Hornel
Edward Atkinson Hornel was a Scottish painter of landscapes, flowers, and foliage, with children. He was a cousin of James Hornell....
, a Scottish painter.
Career
As a zoologist Hornell published a number of papers on marine organisms, and in 1900 traveled to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to report on the pearl fisheries. Staying there for six years, Hornell published a number of papers on the pearling industry. While there he was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society for his work on marine worms. After working for several more years in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, organizing the fisheries of Madras, he retired, and thus began his next career as an ethnographer of seafarming and maritime life. He traveled extensively around the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
world and east Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, making records of indigenous watercraft, sailing on Junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
s and Sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
s, and as a member of an expedition to the south seas made many records of the watercraft of Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
. Further travels brought encounters with watercraft of northern India, the Mediterranean, the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and northern Europe.
Hornell in the 1930s became the principal authority on traditional, indigenous watercraft particular logboats, skin boats, canoes of all types, floats and even small ships. His work is distinguished by careful observation and measurement and supported by drawings and photographs of seafaring life all but vanished over the second half of the twentieth century.
James Hornell also collected string games. He collected string figures from Africa, Asia and Pacifics Islands.
Published works
Among his publications are:- Sinhalese String Figures and Tricks (1999)
- String Figures from Burma (1999)
- String Figure Diffusion (1943)
- String Figures from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1940)
- Indonesian Influence in East African Culture (1934)
- String Figures from British New Guinea (1932)
- String Figures from Gujarat and Kathiawar (1932)
- String Figures from Sierra Leone, Libera, and Zanzibar (1930)
- The String Games and Tricks of Sierra Leone (1928)
- Cat's Cradles, the World's Most Widespread Game (1928)
- String Figures from Fiji and Western Polynesia (1927)
- The Canoes of PolynesiaPolynesiaPolynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
, FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and MicronesiaMicronesiaMicronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
; - The Fishing Luggers of HastingsHastingsHastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
; and - Water Transport: Origins and Early Evolution.
- Report on the Fisheries of Palestine (1934). A brochure which describes first attempts of growing common carp in Palestine.
External links
- Tribute to James Hornell http://www.isfa.org/bisfa.htm#Volume7
- Obituary http://www.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993677/99p35595/0
- Jstor ref link http://www.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm993677/99p35595/0