THE DARK CONTINENT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 112, 8 November 1930, Page 21

THE DARK CONTINENT

i . ■ Africa and African problems figure in three recent - "books. These are: "Complex. South Africa," by William MacMillan (Faber); "African Drums," by Dr. F. Puleston (Gollanez); and "Through Unknown Africa,1' by William Jaspert (Jarrolds). Professor Maemillan lias been honest and truthful in choosing his title. His subject is undoubtedly complex. Anyone who 13 prepared to memorize a vast number of statistics, and to do besides some mental arithmetic on his own, will presumably derive much profit from this survey of social and economic problems. Even those who are not capable of such gymnastics cannot fail to realise the danger which it is part of the purpose of this book to expose — namely, that though complete domination of the black races may conceivably serve for fifty years, a crisis like that, in India at the moment will some day inevitably arise. "Government by andl in the interests of whites alone lias not; served us, and shows signs of ending; 5 in still worse disaster.1' The only remedy is complete franchise attainably! by all civilised citizens, and regulatedl, by a high standard of electoral qualifi- > •.ation. ' "African Drums" is a very differ ent book, and will appeal to anyone with a taste for the lurid. Dr. Puleston spent fourteen years trading ihi Central Africa from 1882 to IS96 —hi the Africa, in fact, that Stanley knee. Sentiment, he says, has no place fci Africa, and he has accordingly dispensed with it altogether— two of has friends were eaten by cannibals, ami Uis brother was snatched by a crocodillc. He tells of the appalling cruelty ami domination of tlie witch doctors, amd the dreadful monotony of the drunas which have driven white men mad. HSs descriptions of the jungle, of the vae't >dry swamps overrun with crabs, aod of the terrifying savage rivers are unforgettable; by the end one begins ;to realise dimly the fascination. whii;h such sheer horrors can hold. Unarmed, and accompanied by tjhe wife and child of one of them, t g.-o young Frankfort brothers, Willem stud Fritz Jaspert, wandered throughout Angola. Their adventures and 7fifc with the various tribes form the fjabject_ matter of "Through Unknown Africa," a perusal of which throw 9 interesting light on native life and customs. ' ' , '