The Bayard Dominick Expeditions

The extension of Bishop Museum's field of active operations to Polynesia was rendered possible by the financial cooperation of Bayard Dominick, a Yale graduate and a member of the New York Stock Exchange. The original plans for the conduct of field work were made in consultation with Clark Wissler (Curator of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History), Roland B. Dixon (Professor of Anthropology, Harvard University), Alfred L. Kroeber (Professor of Anthropology, University of California), and William Churchill (Carnegie Institute). Correspondence was conducted with S. Percy Smith, Elsdon Best, and J. MacMillan Brown of New Zealand. Four Polynesian areas were selected for the first year's work, and graduate students in anthropology were selected to do the field work. The field workers were to be sent out in pairs, one to attend to archaeology and material culture and the other to take up social organization and religion. In addition, all page 45were provided with anthropometrical cards on which to record the physical characteristics of as large a number as possible of the native inhabitants of the islands under study. Louis R. Sullivan, Ph.D., was appointed Research Associate in Anthropology in January 1920 to make a survey of the Hawaiians and work up the cards filled in by field workers. Botanists were attached to two of the field parties which left Honolulu in 1920. The members were as follows:

• Tonga: Edward W. Gifford (University of California), William C. McKern (University of California), Arthur J. Eames (Harvard University, Botanist).
• Marquesas: Edward S. C. Handy (Harvard University), Ralph Linton (University of Pennsylvania), Forest B. H. Brown (Yale University, Botanist), Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Handy (volunteer assistants).
• Austral Islands: John F. G. Stokes (Bishop Museum Staff), Robert T. Aitken (Columbia University), Mrs. J. F. G. Stokes (volunteer assistant).
• Hawaii: Louis R. Sullivan (Brown University), Kenneth P. Emory (Dartmouth, Harvard).

The Tongan party made anthropometrical measurements in Samoa on the way to Tonga. Unfortunately, A. J. Eames, botanist, developed dysentery in Apia and had to return to the United States. The Marquesas party had no difficulty in reaching their location, but the Austral Islands party was delayed owing to the irregular transport service with the islands. Finally, Aitken was located at Tubuai and Stokes was able to do archaeological work at Raivavae and ethnological work at Rapa. The reports of the members of the expeditions were published by the Museum and will be found listed in the literature of their respective groups under the heading of the publications of Bishop Museum.

The first year's work (1920) was financed by Bayard Dominick to the extent of $40,000, which was given as a donation to Yale University and placed by Yale at the disposition of Bishop Museum.