George Mercer Dawson: Geologist, Scientist, Explorer

Nikki Tate-Stratton writes novels for pre-teens; her latest books are
Jessa Be Nimble, Rebel Be Quick; Raven’s Revenge; and Tarragon Island.

George Mercer Dawson was a geologist and botanist who worked on the
North American Boundary Commission in 1873 and 1874. As teams of men
worked to locate and mark the line of demarcation between Canada and the
United States, Dawson collected bags and boxes full of geological
samples. Not content with his survey work along the 49th Parallel,
Dawson longed to explore and map the wilds of British Columbia and the
Yukon. Dawson City is named after this extraordinary field scientist.

Using diaries and field notes as his primary sources, Chalmers succeeds
in bringing George Dawson’s exploits to life. The hazards and
pleasures of 19th-century travel are described in a convincing and
realistic manner. Chalmers’s writing is tight, clean, and interesting.
He effectively uses anecdotes and reconstructed conversations to reveal
details of life in the late 1800s and clearly conveys the passion and
commitment Dawson brought to his work.

Black-and-white historical photographs accompany each chapter and are
well chosen to illuminate points made in the text.

As with other titles in this series, the biography includes a
chronology of Dawson’s life, with dates of key world events listed in
a parallel column. This helps put the scientists’s life into a broader
historical context, the focus of which is generally Canadian.

A detailed index and a bibliography make the book a useful research
tool. The highly readable text is ideal for adolescent readers with an
interest in B.C. history. Recommended.