Furness, William Henry, 1866-1920

Between 1895 and 1901, William Furness, III., Alfred C. Harrison, Jr., and Hiram M. Hiller made a series of extended trips to Oceania, South and Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Furness, Harrison, and Hiller all received degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and donated or sold to the University Museum substantial collections of ethnographic, archaeological, and skeletal material acquired on the voyages. The Furness, Harrison, and Hiller collections, particularly those from Oceania, are extensive and reasonably well-documented for their time.

During the four voyages, Furness, Harrison, and Hiller traveled to China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Burma, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. No complete single chronicle of all four voyages exists, but a rough itinerary can be pieced together from the journals (chiefly Hiller's) and from notes made by all three travelers. Voyage I (1895-1896) and Voyage II (1897-1898) are the most completely documented since nearly all of Hiller's and some of Furness' journals are present in the collection. Voyage III (1899-1900) and Voyage IV (1901) are more sketchily documented. Long stretches of these voyages are recorded only in the form of rough notes scribbled in small notebooks by Hiller and Harrison. Furness, Harrison, and Hiller did not always travel together, further complicating the difficulties of compiling complete and accurate itineraries. Chronologies for each of the four voyages have been developed based on available material and these chronologies are appended to this Note. The chronologies are most reliable for the early voyages and least reliable for Voyage IV.

Despite the incomplete and occasionally illegible condition of the notes and journals, they do contain considerable ethnographic and technological detail for the groups visited during the voyages. Perhaps the greatest attention is devoted to groups living in Sarawak and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Numerous ethnographic details are recorded and several ethnographic maps of groups living along various rivers in these regions are present in the collections. Furness, Harrison, and Hiller apparently spoke at least serviceable Japanese and Malay and made an attempt to learn local dialects in Sarawak. Linguistic details and comparisons were recorded in the journals from time to time. A number of observations on social organization and social customs are also recorded in the journals, as are observations on the impact of colonial administration and administrators, and foreign economic concerns on local groups.

In addition to studying groups in Sarawak and Kalimantan, Furness, Harrison, and Hiller also studied hill people in western India and in the Naga Hills, and spent some time among Veddah groups in Sri Lanka. Hiller accompanied Jenichiro Oyabe, a Japanese ethnographer studying the Ainu, on several trips to study this group. Observations on more frequently visited areas such as large cities in East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, and Oceania are also recorded. A number of very complete descriptions of technology are to be found in the journals and a number of competently executed drawings of boats, agricultural and fishing equipment, weapons, looms, tofu presses, and clothing are interspersed with the journal text. Considerable attention is devoted to variations in the shape and execution of tattoo patterns throughout Asia and Oceania. Over 500 photographs, some attributed to Alfred C. Harrison, are also available, illustrating many of the areas described in the journals and publications. These photographs have been placed in the general photographic collection for each country visited.

William H. Furness III (1867-1920) was the son of Shakespearean scholar Horace Howard Furness and nephew of architect Frank Furness. He received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1891. He was Curator of the Museum’s Section of General Ethnology 1903-05 and Secretary of the Board of Managers 1904-05. Devoted years to research work among anthropoids, a part of the work being the attempt to teach articulate language to chimpanzees.

Alfred Craven Harrison, Jr.(1869-1925) was nephew of Charles Custis Harrison, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, 1894-1911, and President of the Museum’s Board of Managers, 1917-1929. His father, Alfred C. Harrison, was a prosperous sugar manufacturer who donated funds for the construction of the Free Museum of Science and Art in 1899 (now the University of Pennsylvania Museum), the repository for his son’s collections. Harrison received an Honorary B.S. in 1899 from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his travels with William Henry Furness and Hiram Hiller to the Far East, he was a member of an expedition to the Maya ruins of Copan in Honduras. In 1902 he entered his father’s business. Little is known of his later years, although he was involved in research work during the last ten years of his life.

Hiram Milliken Hiller(1867-1921) received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1891, and served as resident physician at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital and at nearby Blockley Hospital.

• 15 October 1895: Chicago
• 20 October 1895: San Francisco
• 22 October 1895: Sailed for Honolulu aboard the "China"
• 28 October 1895: Honolulu
• 10 November 1895: Yokohama, Japan
• 8 December 1895: Nagoya, Kyoto, Japan
• 1 January 1986: Yokohama, Japan
• 14 January 1896: First departure for Oshima, Luchu Islands aboard the "Retriever"
• 29 January 1896: Return to Yokohama for repairs
• 11 February 1896: Second departure for Oshima
• 22 February 1896: Naze, Oshima
• 13 March 1896: Naha, Shuri, Okinawa, Luchu Islands
• 26 March 1896: Sailed for Hong Kong
• 26 April 1896: Sailed for Singapore aboard Pacific and Orient steamer
• 1 May 1896: Sailed for Sarawak (Malaysia) aboard the "Rajah Brooke"
• 6 May 1896: Kuching, Sarawak
• 20 May 1896: Sailed for Baram River, Sarawak aboard the "Abeh"
• 22 May 1896: Claudetown, Sarawak
• 23 May 1896: Upper Baram River
• 4 June 1896: Upper Baram River
• 3 July 1896: Kuching, Sarawak
• 6 July 1896: Furness sailed for Sadong River
• 7 July 1896: Hiller in Santubong
• 11 July 1896: Kuching
• 21 July 1896: Furness returns
• 24 July 1896: Hiller and Wilder sailed to Rejang aboard the "Lorna Doone"
• 25 July 1896: Sibu, Sarawak
• 30 July 1896: Kapit, Sarawak
• 3 August 1896: Upper Rejang River
• 12 August 1896: Kapit
• 18 August 1896: Sibu
• 21 August 1896: Kuching, Sarawak
• 29 August 1896: Baram
• 13 September 1896: Sailed aboard the "Sri Patri"
• 16 September 1896: Labuan Island, Sarawak
• 24 September 1896: Sailed for Singapore aboard the "Ranee"
• 27 September 1896: Singapore
• 4 October 1896: Sailed for Saigon/Hong Kong aboard the "Melbourne"
• 7 October 1896: Saigon, Viet Nam
• 9 October 1896: Sailed for Hong Kong aboard the "Melbourne"
• 12 October 1896: Hong Kong
• 16 October 1896: Shanghai, China
• 19 October 1896: Kobe, Japan
• 21 October 1896: Yokohama, Japan
• 7 November 1896: Sailed for Honolulu aboard the "Pekin"
• 16 November 1896: Honolulu, Hawaii
• 18 November 1896: Sailed for San Francisco aboard the "Pekin"
• 23 November 1896: San Francisco
• 4 December 1896: Kahoka, Missouri (Hiller)

• 15 May 1897: San Francisco to Japan
• 17 June 1897: Kyoto, Japan
• 18 June 1897: Yokohama, Japan
• 3 August 1897: Sailed for Hong Kong aboard the "City of Peking"
• 4 August 1897: Kobe, Japan
• 6 August 1897: Nagasaki, Japan
• 8 August 1897: Shanghai, China
• 13 August 1897: Hong Kong
• 15 August 1897: Sailed for Canton aboard the "Pow-an"
• 21 August 1897: Saigon, Viet Nam
• 24 August 1897: Singapore
• 10 September 1897: Hiller and Harrison sailed for Tanjong Priok, Kalimantan (Indonesia) aboard the "Godaway"
• 12 September 1897: Tanjong Priok
• 13 September 1897: Buitenzorg, Java, Indonesia
• 15 September 1897: Batavia (Djakarta), Java, Indonesia
• 18 September 1897: Tanjong Priok, sailed for Singapore aboard the "Godaway"
• 25 September 1897: Singapore
• 27 September 1897: Sailed for Kapuas River, Kalimantan aboard the "Sri Pontianak"
• 29 September 1897: Pontianak, Kalimantan
• 1 October 1897: Up Kapuan River aboard the "Tong Kong"
• 7 October 1897: Kayuntunoh, Kalimantan
• 10 October 1897: Siutang, Indonesia
• 13 October 1897: Furness and Etzel sailed for Baram, Indonesia on "Ranu"; went to Labuan, Sarawak (Malaysia); up Balait River to Pagalaian, up Tinjar River on "Sri Putri"
• 2 November 1897: Up Kapuas River, Kalimantan
• 9 November 1897: Bunut, Kalimantan
• 12 November 1897: Putus Sibau, Kalimantan
• 8 January 1898: Up Sibau River, Kalimantan
• 19 Jan 1898: Overland across mountains
• 23 January 1898: Rajang River, Sarawak
• 30 January 1898: Kapit, Sarawak
• 17 February 1898: Rajang River, Sarawak
• 21 February 1898: Kuching, Sarawak
• 27 February 1898: Sailed aboard the "Vorwards"
• 1 March 1898: Singapore
• 13 March 1898: Furness and Etzel arrived in Singapore
• 19 March 1898: Sailed for Bangkok, Thailand aboard the "Charon"
• 24 March 1898: Bangkok
• 31 March 1898: Sailed for Singapore aboard the "Centaur"
• 7 April 1898: Signapore/Johor Malaysia
• 23 April 1898: Sailed for Kotei aboard the "Van der Lyn"
• 26 April 1898: Banjermassin, Kalimantan
• 29 April 1898: Surabaya, Java, Indonesia
• 2 May 1898: Samarinda, Kalimantan, Indonesia
• 5 May 1898: Up Mahakam River
• 7 May 1898: Upriver
• 24 May 1898: Samarinda
• 29 May 1898: Dongala, Celebes
• 31 May 1898: Bulangan Islands, Malaysia
• 1 June 1898: Traveled upriver
• 4 June 1898: Dampelas/Dongala
• 7 June 1898: Mora Jawa (Kotei River)
• 10 June 1898: Bangermassin, Kalimantan
• 14 June 1898: Singapore
• 22 June 1898: Sailed aboard the "Abeh"
• 25 June 1898: Kapit, Baram River, Sarawak
• 1 July 1898: Sailed for Kuching, Sarawak
• 5 July 1898: Kuching
• 9 July 1898: Sailed for Tambak aboard the "Young Henry"
• 15 July 1898: Sailed for Singapore
• 18 July 1898: Singapore
• 26 July 1898: Sailed aboard the "Salazei"
• 28 July 1898: Saigon
• 2 August 1898: Hong Kong
• 6 August 1898: Sailed for Shanghai aboard the "Chusan"

• 14 June 1899: Sailed for England aboard the "Saint Louis"
• 21 June 1899: London
• 30 June 1899: Paris
• 1 July 1899: Marseilles
• 2 July 1899: Sailed for Colombo, Sri Lanka aboard the "Ernest Simon"
• 7 July 1899: Port Said, Egypt
• 9 July 1899: Suez Canal, Egypt
• 11 July 1899: Djibouti
• 18 July 1899: Colombo
• 23 July 1899: Left for Kandy and trip to Veddahs
• 30 July 1899: Back in Kandy
• 12 August 1899: Madras, India
• 17 August 1899: Calcutta, India
• 22 August 1899: Darjeeling, India
• August 1899: Agra, India
• 1 September 1899: Calcutta
• September 1899: Mokameh Junction
• 5 September 1899: Agra
• 10 September 1899: Rawalpindi, Pakistan
• 13 September 1899: On river
• September 1899: Lake Srinigar and Kashmir, India
• 16 September 1899: Singapore
• 20 October 1899: Rawalpindi
• 6 November 1899: Jaypore
• 11 November 1899: Islamabad, Pakistan
• 15 November 1899: Benawar
• 2 December 1899: Rawalpindi
• 4 December 1899: Calcutta
• 6 January 1900: Mokuk Chung
• 31 January 1900: Kohima, India
• 1 February 1900: Rangoon, Burma
• 23 February 1900: Tamir, Burma
• 26 February 1900: Sittang, Burma
• 28 February 1900: Kendat, Burma
• 4 March 1900: Kaleiwa, Burma
• 6 March 1900: Mandalay, Burma
• 12 March 1900: Rangoon
• 27 March 1900: Sailed for Australia
• 10 April 1900: Freemantle, Australia
• 24 April 1900: Sydney, Australia
• 16 May 1900: Hawaii
• 17 May 1900: Vancouver, British Columbia

• 19 February 1901: Philadelphia
• 1 March 1901: New Orleans
• 5 March 1901: San Francisco
• 7 March 1901: Sailed for Yokohama aboard the "Sir Coptic"
• 12 March 1901: Honolulu
• 26 March 1901: Yokohama, Japan
• 19 April 1901: Ashinoyu, Japan
• 4 May 1901: Hakodata, Japan
• 8 May 1901: Moruwan, Japan Horobito, Japan
• 9 May 1901: Shiravi, Japan
• 10 May 1901: Numonohata, Japan
• 11 May 1901: Nuikawa, Japan
• 12 May 1901: Piratori, Japan
• 13 May 1901: Mukawa, Japan
• 14 May 1901: Rubishebe, Japan
• 15 August 1901: Buitenzorg, Java, Indonesia

From the guide to the Furness, Harrison and Hiller expedition records, 1895-1904, (University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives)