Company of Adventurers by Peter C. Newman (review)

REVIEWS 399 continuing capacity of God'sprinciples toguidebehaviour in thatworld.But no matter what form it took, the effect of the action wasthe same: validation of theother-worldly in termsof itsmeaningfor the this-worldly, a factwhich meantthatthose takingit werereversing theoldrelationship between thetwo, moving, withoutquiterealizing it, ontothegroundoftheiropponents, andso inadvertently strengthening thetrendtheyhadsetouttoresist. In investigating thisEnglish-Canadian phaseof a moraland intellectual crisis general intheWesternworld,Professor Cookconsiders amatterofgreat importance. Emphasizing theconcern feltbysome observers atwhattheytook tobetheunderminingof religion's authorityby Darwinismand the higher criticism,he exploreswith particularenthusiasmthe way in which they attempted to maintainreligion's centralityby givingit a closerelationship to social issues, thereby enmeshing themselves in theself-defeating process noted above.Provided,too,isa gooddealof usefulinformation,for elaborationof thebook's principalthemeinvolves a newanddifferentlookat suchfamiliar figuresasGoldwinSmithandMackenzie King,whilethetreatmentgiventhe Canadian history of arangeof matters- spiritualism, theosophy, positivism will at onceintroducereadersto, and inspire further investigation of, a dimension ofEnglish Canada's intellectual lifebeforenowseen onlyinvaguest outline. Some readers,having in mind the comprehensiveness of the issues involved, willthinktheemphasis hereplacedontheanxieties engendered by Darwinandthetextualcriticsexaggerated; others,notingthebook'sstated purpose, willbesurprised thatit pays solittleattention tothedevelopment of socialthoughtwithin the churches;othersstill,reflectingon the aimsand attributes of suchdevices aspositivism, theosophy, andcosmic consciousness, willwonderif theworkingof themintothepatternof theargumenthasbeen entirelysuccessful; therewill, finally,bethosewho,in reactingto the book's anecdotal anddiscursive cast,willjudge itstreatmentof itsleadingcharacters to patronize themand trivializetheir ideas.None of this,however,should obscure thefactthatwhathasbeenaccomplished in thesepages advances the process of understanding the nineteenth-century English-Canadian mind in ways thatmakeitaworksignificant initselfandcertain tospuritsreaders onto thoughts of theirown. .•Lt, ANSMIa'•University ofBritish Columbia Company ofAdventurers. •,Ea'EI• C.NEWMAn. Markham,Ont.: Viking •985. Pp. xxvi,4•3. $•5.oo Mr Newman,manifestly, isnota historian. He states (xi) 'thisisajournalist's book,' butsince hedeals withpastevents heisstriving towritehistory andthe workmustbejudged assuch.He alsostates thathechose'oneindividualasa 400 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW representative type'foreachperiodasameans toconvey hisconcept oftherole played bytheHudson's BayCompany.Thuswegetlengthydiscussions of the activities of Radisson, Groseilliers,Prince Rupert, Dr John Rae, Henday, Kelsay, JamesKnight,andevenVitusJonassen Bering,noneof whichsheds muchlighton theCompany. Newman also strives to titillate the reader with salacious details about Prince Rupert'smistresses, the sexualmoresof the Indians,the Baymen'srelations with Indian women- thislastfar betterdealtwith by SylviaVan Kirk - and evena nastydescription of an Indian curefor constipation. There are also discussions of theCompany's financialaffairsthataresomewhat betterdone. Lacking bothtrainingin thehistorian's craftanda soundknowlege of the history ofthecountry requisite toexamine critically thesources used, Newman repeats old shibboleths, citesoutdated,discredited worksasbeingauthoritative ,andcontrives innumerable glaringerrorsofhisown;some ofthelatterare mindboggling. Moreover,someof hismisinterpretations of events arelifted outof theworksof otherhistorians, withoutattribution.A glaringexampleof thisistobefoundonpage229wherehedilates onthewayFrenchfur traders madefreewithIndianwomen,therebyincurringtheenmityofthetribesmen. He offersnot a scrapof evidencein supportof this tale. He is obviously completely ignorant ofthewaytheFrenchfur tradewas conducted, oftheway strict discipline wasmaintained at theFrenchposts byofficers in thecolonial regulartroopsto preventany actionsthat wouldalienatethe allied tribes. Newman's uncitedsource appears tobeA.S.Morton,AHL•tory oftheCanadian West to•87o-7• (25•-3), wherethesame account isgiven ingreater detailand, asalways, thatfrancophobe Presbyterian historian citednoevidence insupport ofhiscanard. Newmanalso cites themainthemeofCalvinMartin'sKeepers ofthe Game(•85) without attribution. He thereby leavesthe reader with the impression thatsuchstatements andjudgmentsderivefromhisownresearch andanalyses. There isa namefor thatsortof thing. Newman hoists himself onhisownpetardwhenhestates thatin 17o9aforce of Montreal tradersand MohawksattackedFort Albany (•5). Again no reference noteisgivenbutit wouldappeartohavebeenliftedfromanarticle by CharlesA. Bishopin TheSubarctic Fur Trade:NativeSocial andEconomic Adaptations, editedbyShepardKrech•n. There wereno Mohawks withthat raidingparty;theMohawks wereneveralliesof theFrench.Indeed,in that yeartheyweremustered at Albanyfor an invasion of Canada.Bishopwas wrong,hencesoisNewman. Judgedas history,this is a thoroughlybad book.Badlywritten - Mr Newman isnostylist - thechronological sequence ofevents ismuddledandthe structure of thebooklendsitselftoa totallackofcohesion. Unfortunately,it is bound to stuff a lot of heads with a lot of nonsense. w.j. ECCLES University ofToronto ...