NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 136099, 25 April 1908, Page 7

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

"Modern Egypt," by the* Earl of Cromer, is not only the most important ■work issued during the present publishing season, but we have no hesitation in saying that it will live long as v classic among books dealing with the urt of government. It is a deeply interesting record of some or the most interesting movements in international diplomacy during the last forty or fifty years, and it stands alone as tho narrative of a uniquo achievement in nation-building. England, as Lord Cromer shows, was forced against her will into taking into hand the affairs of Egypt, and the work fihe has accomplished, thanks almost entirely to Lord Cromer himself, will ever stand .as one of tho proudest achievements of the British race. Lord Cromer, besides being a man of supremo foresight and judgment, a statesman in tho highest sense of the word, is an accomplished writer, and tho two volumes .before us unfold a sterol: absorbing interest in masterly style. The copious extracts which wo published in. our issue- of Saturday last give some idea of tli© scope of tho work. The wild and almost fantastic extravagance and misgovornnient of Ismail Pasha, tho Arabi revolt, tho bo-nrhp.rdment of Alexandria, tho battle of Tel-el-Kebir, the story of tho .Soudan, of Gordon's mission, and his tragic death, tho fall of Khartotim and its reconquest, aro tho moat striking incidents in tho great drama hero pourtrayed. But almost equally interesting is the insight into "international intrigues, and the marvellous manner in which order was evolved out of chaos, and progress and civilisation introduced into a country which seemed hopelessly sunk in corruption and barbarism. "Wo shall return to this epoch-making work on a future occasion. Meanwhile wo will 'only add that Lord Cromer has fitly crowned tho great public service he has performed in Egypt by nutting on record in this admirable style, tho meaus by which tho work has been carried out. (London: Macmillan and Co., 2 vols., 24s net).

Messrs Tfhitcombo and Tombs continue their oxcellent 'work of re-pub-liehing New Zealand books that are out of print. Under the titlo of •• John RutherfoTd, tho Whito Chief." they havo now reprinted from Charles Knights Library of Entertaining Knowledge the story cf a sailor who live<l among tho Maoris nearly ninety years ago. According to his own statement a vessel called tho Agnes was -shipwrecked in. Poverty Bay in 1816—ninety-two years ago, not eighty as the editor states in tho introduction—and he (Rutherford) was the only r.i-an spared, the rest being killed by tho Maoris. Ho married Wo of tho chief's daughters, was tattoed, and being afterwards rescued by an English shin was takeai to London. Tho story of hie .adventures was printed in a book called "Tho New Zealanders," one of the series already referred to. Mr James lJrummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S., the editor of tho present ropnnt, contributes an interesting introduction, in, which he says, quite correctly, that the book was -written not by Lord Brougham as ie sometimes supposed, but by Ge-orge Lillie Craik a scholar and a man of letters, who did a good deal of literary work for Knight, and was afterwards appointed Professor of English Literature and History at the Queen's College, Belfast. Mr Drummond has taken somo thirteen chanters out of the eighteen comprising tha original -work, so as tr> confine i:i:L!.-rolf mainly to John Rutherford"s story. He makes rather a sweeping assertion when he states that "The New Zealanders" was "the first bock that attempted to deal with, thorn" (the Maoiis). Nicholas, Savage, Cruise, and Earle, not to mention the French navigator, D'Urville- gave excellent accounts of the Maoris before Craik's book was published. But tho latter was undoubtedly an admirable compilation from, these and other sources, and may be said to lx.> the first work in which it was attempted to bring together all the information available about tho native.?, and this is perhaps what Mr Druriunond- means. A good deal of doubt has been cast upon the veracity or John Rutherford's uarraiive, the

princij>al objectors being Bishop Wilhams in his paper in the Philcsophicai Institute's Transactions for 1890, and the late Mr Alfred Sa-unders, who contributed an article to "The Press" on tlvo subject. There is no doubt that the old sailor made, glaring mistakes 2'boufc tho nativo wars, and titat his topography must have been at fault. In this respect ho differs from another Railar named Burns, who lived among tlw Maoris some ten years later than Rutherford, and whoso adventures are recorded in a very scarce pamphlet. In his ease* the names of the persons and vessels lie gives can be checked from contemporary sources. Nevertheless, a good deal" cf what Rutherford says al-out tin* Maoris is so accurate and hio dc-seriptkms are so lifelike that it. is impossible to doubt that be Lived •among them and went through a gocd ii-.any cf the adventures he describes, although probably ho added some skilful embellishments in order to commend his story to tho public. It still makes a most entertaining narrative. (Christclnmh: Whitcombo and Tombs, Ltd., 3s Od.l

Will , the German Kmneror privately advising Tweethuoinh not to bo ahirinrd. wlv'le at Mie eamo tin:o Gerniany is in<reving her navy at a frantic pace, the British public is in a n:r>od t;> read fir turn after the Battle f: .jerkins ctyle. in ivhirii tho possibilities of v,ar with a greit European Power j>re sc-t forth in realistic fashion. Tii,-- latest book cf this kind is entitled The World's Awakenincr," by a writer who t-igiu himself "Xovarchuis. , ' Ho conducts l;:s eperations on a la.rpo K-tape. and in pufErieivMy dramatic fosliion. A world-wide, war i≤ mpr_:std to break out in 1920. Tjw National Labour Parly am in power in iMigland, and a Peace Coi).crre>os is in,i'_ held, when all «t once news arrives th;;t Konie Sydney larrikins, havinsj nn/)'f-(l tf>mo sailors from a JapanosS wareliip, the. saiiors retaliated. " The wae that tho Jaiwineee flec-l attached a.nd ci:pt:ircd iSvdney, tbat Ja-pan was ijiTom.ptly jo.i?iod by Germany, while France rallied to the aid© o» Juigland. on the Unittxl became, involved, and hostilities may be. said to haw reached a truly catnclysmaJ condition. Tlio etory is told with mucli viooiir and verkimilitude. and few readers will Iki oble to lay down ih<i voliimo without finishing it (London: Hoddier and Cbristciiiirch: Feurntain Barber" and Wbircombe. and Tombs. 3e 6d )