NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13342, 6 February 1909, Page 7

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

A pleasant book of journalistic "cansorio" is that entitled "Sicio LishtV by Mr J. B. Atkins. It consis to of ,1 number of papers and essays which ori.sin.llly appeared in the* "Spectator. " t-he- "-Alaiichestpr Guardian." and other Knglish papers. It opens with an imaginary conversation with •'Tho Now Cat." and it includes sketches of holidays spent under exceptionally happy circumstances—in rural Kn£l:uid, yacht-in-;;, Paris, and Madrid. Four papers entitled ' - In a Country House,' , are full of quaint humour. Altogether it is an extremely pleasant book with which to while away an hour or two. (London : Christopher's, Lancaster Place, Strand, W.C., 3s Od net.l

"Lonely Lands," by Francis K. Birtles, is a description of p. bic.ve!« rido through tho heart of Australia, written in unpretentious stylo, but full of interesting descriptions of travel, adventures, and way-back people and scenes. The author, who was born in Melbourne twenty-five years ago., is decidedly of an adventurous disposition. Mo had been twice round the world bofore he was seventeen, ho served in the Field Intelligence Department in the Hoer war, and afterwards in tho native constabulary. Returning to Melbourneho .scttl-ed down for a time as a lithographic artist, and then decided to essay a bicycle ride right across Auetralia from, the Indian Ocean to the Pacific—making altogether a circuit of eight thousand miles. The book is v record of tho trip and its interest is greatly enhanced by a number of photographs taken by the author. Incidentally it ma.v bo mentioned that the latter is iUongly of opinion that tlib Northern Torritory ougnt to be. settled by white- people, aruTtha-t it can bo done. (Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co.)

In "Young Nemesis" Mr Frank T. Billion has set himself to strip off all the glamouj- from zho pirato of fiction and to show him as he. was in reality — a lawless thief and scoundrel who stuck at nothing to gain his ends. The hero is the orphan son of a very fine type of son captain who used to trade inTiis own vessel taking his wife and family with him. When the son was about nineteen tho vessel was .attacked by pirates, the f.-ither was killed outright, tho mother died from shock, an:l the two rlnurrhters killed themselves to escape a worse fate from the devils in human form. The son who escaped swore vengeance against tho whole race of miscreants, and findihe: he was a roinparatively rich man, fitted out a vessel which ho called El Vcngndor. lovtd the Caribbean Sr>a like a destroying an.n:el. (riving no quarter to the piratrs anil sinking their vessels. (London : Goortro Bell and Rons. Christchurch : Whitcombe and Tombs. 2s Gd.)

Th* Jjinunry "Ohrxml>e'"s* ' contains t';o first instalments of a new serial by Willi?.!]] Le Quctix. Eustace Jlilr.i writes on tlio waste of {r.r.<i amonp; AVosteni natirms. '"'The Progress of Hefricoration." "Tn Poison-Land" fa di'4crii>tion of n little-kno-vn tribe in tho Malay Peninsula). "TJir» Emernld of Colofivbisi." " , Tlie King's Foreign Mftssorippr/' and 1 Carla Kxppriencr-s.'" are soino "f Khcothor articles. Mr A. Stodart Walker sr.ires us some very intorestinpe reminisf«nces of celebrated literary men. It is r\ rer\ - readable number.