LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 14

LITERARY.

Messrs Longmans, Green, and Co. have in preparation a book on "Royal Gardens" by Mr Cyril Ward, of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Arts. He takes twelve Royal gardens, and tells of their hietory and the gradual! development of their design. There a\e to be nearly 40 colour plates from the author's water-colour paintings.

The novels of 6ir Walter Scott are promised immediately in twenty-four volume?, in three distinct editions, by Mr. Henry Frowde. A list of the chief characters and a newly-prepared glossary are given in each book, and altogether there are more than nine hundred illustrations. The best edition is printed on Oxford India paper, and is uniform with the copyright Oxford Thackeray and Oxford Dickens.

The volume en "Huxley" which Professor G. Leighton has contributed to the People's Books (Jack) is exactly what it professes to be—a portrait. Huxley had a wealth of activities during hts strenuous life, and it would have been worse than useless to attempt a inscription of them in a pocket biography, especially as some of the controversies in which he engaged are fading into the forgotten past. But he stood for certain qualities. that Jiave a perennial value, for intellectual freedom, among others: and Professor Leightqn rightly says that if it shall be impossible ever again in this -country for a man to be persecuted ir.i'rely for expressing his thoughts and convictions, aad supporting them with arguments which cannot I>o met, that is due to Huxley, and almost to finxley alone.

life in one of the Southern States of America, in the first half of the nineteenth century, when the landed proprietors, ruling over their numerous vassals with patriarchal authority, maintained the traditions of a period fast passing away, is depicted in Mr. F. Hopkineon Smith's "Kennedy Square." The chief personages are an unworldly gentleman, living upon a rapidly-dwindling fortune, Harry Butter, an ardent, passionate, and warm-hearted young gentleman, and the girl he ardently loved. Driven from home, and separated from his betrothed, through a duel in winch he was concerned, Harry went abroad as supercargo of a ship trading to Brazil, and during hi 3 aibsereyfe of three ye.ire many events occurred among the circle of his family and friends. He arrived at home at a time of crisis in the affaire of the friend who had sheltered him when his father turned him out of doors. The author ■touches upon the slave system from the pleasantex side, shewing Che affectionate relationships which sometimes subsisted between master and stave. Ilis characters have strong individuality, and his representation of- the social condition of the period is realistic. Among the figures incidentally crossing the stage is Edgar Allan 'Poe. * The book is published by Mr. T. Werner Laurie.

An artfde in "Chambere's Journal" for August, entitled "Bright Ideas for Making Money," gives some notable instances of successes achieved -with literary ventures. "Called Back," written as a Christmas story by a Bristol auctioneer, achieved a sale of four hundred thousand in six weeks. The most noteworthy success achieved toy a new ■writer within the last few years -was "The Rosary," written by Mr 3. Florence Barclay, the wife of the Vicar of Hertford, whose three .first .books reached a sale of halt-a-million "vyithin a brief'period. Her share of the profits of these books is said to have been £25,000. Mrs. Henry Wood ranks anion;* the most popular of Victorian novelists, "svith a sale of five and a-half million copies of her novels. Her caTeer commenced -with "Danesbury House," written in competition for a prize of £100, offered .by the Scottish Temperance League for a temperance story. The other aTticles in Chambers'* for "August include "The Trans-African Rail-way," "The Harbour of Tripoli," "The fiunbank. Fruit Farm," "Ocean "Death Traps," and "Ulster Modes of Speech." .

"Everylady's Journal" for September, in an artitJe recording incidents connected with the attainment oi the majority of the Prince of Wales on June 23rd, mentions that one result U to deprive Queen Mary of any chance of becoming Regent in the event of her husband's death. Another matter of concern to the Prince of Wales is the inheritance by him of the vast revenues of the Duchy oi Cornwall, amounting to £00.000 a year, lie is also entitled to sit in the House of Lords. NoUyithstanding the attainment of this exulted rank, it is intended that the Prince will now begin his university career at Oxford. In an article on the aboriginal women of Australia, M. E. Wilkinson describes some of the customs of the mast barbarous tribes of the interior, among these being the practice of infanticide and cannibalism, b.ibiea born when food is scarce being sometimes eaten by the brothers and grandparents. John B. Cooper illustrates the art &f character-reading by the indications of handwriting. lie reproduces the sipfnntures of certain notable people, anil states the deductions that may be drawn therefrom.' The other contents are, as usual, dtrersifled and well chosen.

WESTERN A,VBTKAX.IA.

AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK. The efforts of the various Australian States to promote immigration from the United Kingdom are 'being materially aided by the issue of attractive popular books describing the resources of the country. Among the latest and best of these is an illustrated handbook, issued by the Immigration and Tourist Department of Western Australia. The work of compiling and editing it was entrusted to ■ Mr. George H. Romans, of •the Parliamentary "Hansard" staff, who has been ably assisted'by Mr. L. Ram-aei-otti. The Colonial Secretary (Mr. J. J). Connolly) explains that ''the purpose of the book is to provide,the tourist, the .immigrant, and the man of commerce with a source of concise information regarding Western Australia, its past and present; and this object has been admirably achieved. The first impression one gains from dipping into the abundant stores of information which this work places at the disposal of those who consult its pages, is the expansiveness of the great Western State. Its 975,920 square miles represent an area equal to a combination of Germany, France, Hungary, Norway, the United 'Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark, and (Belgium. As the total population is only 300,000, being 1.47 persons to the square mile, there is ample loom for the ■wouH.-.be settler 'to move r,Dund. in, and plenty of land for his oci elation. More exception may be token. to the productiveness of the land 2&** 6 *?"?**■ ■***&, in the greater

ever, we gather that the State, is receiving its'full share of immigration, the increase of population from thjs source during the years 1901-9 being 2555 per thousand, as compared with 1.69 for the Commonwealth. DuTing 1910 the excess of immigration over emigration was C.059, and, Oβ the result of systematic efforts to attract population, the inflow exceeded the outflow in the first eight months of 1911 by 11,038. We are o-pt to forget that responsible government was only established in Western Australia twenty-two years ago. At that thne the population of this great State was only 50,000, but the discovery of gold gave suoh an impetus to settlement that in 1901 the population had increased to 184,000, and an acreage of 201,388 was under crop. ■ B.f 1909-10 agriculture had extended so rapidly that the State produced 5.002,388 liushi'l-i of wheat, and exported £ 430,570 worth. There were also grazing on its jrrasa lands 793,217 head of cattle and 4,731,737 sheep. Pull particulars arc given of the industries of the State, the forms of land tenure, and the inducements held out to colonisation. There is an attractive coloured plate β-bowing the wild - flowere lor which the State * famous, while excellent maps and numerous reproductions of photographs graphically illustrate Uie scenery of town and country and the life of the people. The book is printed on excellent paper, and shews to advantage the resources of the Government Printing Olfifo at Perth, from which it is ieeucd. Jt is altogether a most attractive and interesting volume. GEOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. By Professor P. MARSHALL, D-Sc, MA.. F.G.S., F.R.G.S. In a preface to this work, ihe author aptly remarks that "from a physiographieal standpoint it is probable that no one country of the earth—at any rate, of small "size—offers greater interest to the geologist." lie also adds that it is, of course, impossible in a work of this scope to do justice to many interesting geological problems, notably those connected with volcanic action and glaciation. He has, however, endeavoured 'to summarise the latest opinions of prominent New Zealand geologists—many of them conflicting—and sets forth olearly his own conclusions. Speaking on the subject of stratigraphy, he observes that it is impossible to reconcile the various statements that have been made from time to time. But he endeavours to point out the extent of the divergence, and at the same time says: "Prominence has neces»arfly been given to the author's opinions, which have the advantage of being extremely simple. Briefly stated, these are:—(l) That the great aeries of folded atratifufd rocks of which the main mountain ranges are constituted were deposited during a long continuous period, lasting almost through the Mesozoic age, whm the present position of the country was on or near the shore-line of a great continent; (2) that another greet series of rocks of Tertiary or Cainozoic age was deposited whilst a general regional degression was in progress." The book opens with an interesting chapter on the relation of New Zealand to other physical features of the Western Pacific. This is illustrated by a sketch chart, shewing the ocean depths between New Zealand and Australia, on the western side, and the Kermadecs, Tonga and Samoa to the north-east. After describing generally the physical structure of New Zealand, Professor Marshall proceeds to enumerate the minerals found in the country and the conditions under which they occur. Jn a number of connective chapters he outlines the j'eological features, and suggests the causes that have operated to produce the 'developments that are seen to-day—notably the action of water. In connection with this branch of his subject, he gives an account of the rivers and lakce, tho glaciere and coastline. l>. Marshall ha» devoted a good deal of attention to the volcanoes of New Zealand, and his account of the many remarkable manifestations of volcanic .force will be read with special interest in Auckland, which affords numerous exantples of bygone eruptions- Gold and coal mining are dealt with in non-tech-nical language, und this section is made more attractive by explanatory diagrams. Indeed, the illustrations, of which ihcro are mqrc than a hundred, including a geological map of New Zealand, form a valuable feature of an admirable book. The typographical portion of the work has been well executed by the Government Printer.

AN AUSTRALIAN POET. ilr John Bernard O'Hara has already won an ansurc.l place on the honoured roll of Australian parts, and another volume of cultured verse, " Calypso, and Other l'oeintj," which, has reached us from the publishers, Melville and Mullen, Melbourne, will go fur to enhance his reputation. Mr O'llara makes no bid for the Australian laureatcishjp by localising his themes. Neither the rough life uf Australian camp nor the lure of bush nr sheep-run doininst'tcs his song. The oliwoTld classic legend, and Nature in, moods that are common alike to every country ttild clime, inspire his muse. In sj nipaUietic elegy ho bewails the passing alike of British and Australian poeta— of Swinburne, of Henry Kendall and his frieud (jeorge Kaspx Evans, at wham, in sad lament, he writes: —

Alas! too soon, O brother, thou hast gone The silent way of shadows, and do more For mo the joyous light, the love that shone, When last tjcnea*i the lintel or thy door. With thee 1 stood, or on the westward range • Of thy loved city, never dreaming soon Thy heaven, shadowless of cloud, could change In the Rieen pleasance of thy life's high noon.

With thee I watched the purple patches twined Hound tuclv eternal towers, or saw the mist, Its slumbrous arms about the vnlley wind, Uγ iVaverlliK spires of smoUe-wrought flmelliyct. A glorious land of mountain and of plain, A lanil beloved, O.slußer dead, of thee— Love stiroly she will give thee bark again, And fadeless fame aud deathless memory.

There is in Mr O'llara'e poems tUc vivid expression of a sensitive and poclio cspint, which illumines with graceful delicacy all liat is beautiful in Nature and life. We are all the better for th" work of such literary artists, who xw üble to invest with a.halo of glory experiences that are so common to humanity that we are apt to mis 3 their appeal to ithe spiritual sense. In the volume now under notice, one poem describes emotions evoked by the contemplation of " A Mountain Lake in New Zealand": —

Ah, quiet lake, 1 often long, In dreams to be with yon, Far from the city's feverous throng, Far In the hills of bine; To sink in Nature's loving arms, And folded to her breast. Still see through half-shot eyes the charms That hush tired hearts , *) rest. Where never sign of evil bides, Nor shadow dark of sin, Where God's cathedral has for-sides The hills that heavenward win; Where Natnre on the reverent sod, HUH works her changeless plan, For that which shales the-mnile of God, Survives the bate of*jß*n.