BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15920, 4 May 1912, Page 6

BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

A POLYNESIAN TRAVELLER. STORIES FROM THE ISLANDS. Mr Frank Burnett, of Victoria, 8.0., whose interesting work " Through Tropin Seas" has been widely read, touches colonial readers still more '.'losely in " Through Polynesia and Papua" (Messrs G. Bell and Sons). The book is illustrated with attractive and unusual photographs of scenes and people, including many dusky beauties whose merits the author / appreciates highly. Mr Burnett's travel trip was mad© in 1910. He went from San Francisco to the So:iety Islands, the Cook Islands, and the Solomons, then to Papua. His description is readable: his commentary on the condition of the natives, their government, and the feud between missionaries and traders, haa particular Australasian interest and definite importance. He has collected some curious information.

Mr Burnett thinks that the Government of the Cook Islands by New Zealand is satisfactory; but notes that the system is virtually autocratic, and its success depends upon the character of the Resident Commissioner. Prior to the annexation of the islands by New Zealand, and while under native rule, the real power was vested in the missionaries, from whom all laws emanated. T'hey drafted the ordinances, which were afterwards made law by the Arikts, not, however, always willingly; Somo of these laws were amusing. Most of' them have since been repealed by the High Court. The following are a few examples taken at random from tho Statute Book:

" If ono drink bush beer on the week day (ho fine for tho maker will be ten dollars, and for the drinker five dollars. If drunk on the Sabbath the fine shall be fifteen dollars." To the caroful man this waa inducement not to do his celebrating on 'the Sunday. " Jso ono to walk about from house to bouse while tho people are in church, except if a pie dies to get it in and cook it. Fine, five dollars." As recently as seven years ago tho authorities tried to enforce this law against me in Manihiki. " When any marriage feast is being held and food and things are brought, the things must not be rushed. Sit quietly, and if you receive' no sharo go away quietly. It.you do otherwise—fine, five dollars." " Placin? one's arms round a woman without the offender having a torch in tho other hand. Fine, ten dollars." This enactment, presumably, referred only to the night time; during the day a man might hug his ladylove as much as and in what manner ho pleased. " Going from cho village to another on the Sabbath io prohibited. Fine, ten dollars."

At Haratonga there is no newspaper; so. before church service on Sunday morning, the native community meets in the church, a chairman invites those present to report any news of public interest, and discussion follows. Tho subjects mostly commented upon and criticised are the recent Legislative Acts of the Federal and Local Councils. In this way the members of the Assemblies and the Government are kept informed of the feelings of tho community in respect to the ordinances passed by the former. As soon as the minister appears in the pulpit, all debate, on secular matters at once ceases. The young people, who have been waiting outside while their elders have, in their imagination, decided the fate of empires, now postpone their flirtations, file into church, and are relegated, though not promiscuously, to the galleries. Each sex is segregated, the young men and boys occupying one side, the girls the other. Peculiar means are employed to keop the rising generation in order. Stationed at regular intervals throughout the galleries are men armed with what might easily be mistaken for long bamboo fishing-rods. These are used to prod vigorously any unruly youth or maid whose behaviour falls short of n decorum befitting the occasion. This drastic treatment, I noticed, usually had the desired effect, a duplicate application of the fishing-rod being seldom found neoessary. At Aitutuki (Cook Islands) the voracious shark is secured by means which may appear almost incredible. The monsters are accustomed to indulge in a siesta during tho heat of the day. To escape the glare of the mid-day sun while reposing, they withdraw to the numerous caverns in the face of the perpendicular fringing reef that surrounds the island. The natives being conversant with this peculiar habit of his sharkship, skirt tho reef in whale boats, on a calm day, their only; weapons for the coming fray consisting of a strong rope and a water glass. With the aid of the latter, a.large expanse of subaqueous area is unfolded to the view, and, as soon as a protruding tail is seen, one of the crew drops quietly overboard, carrying with him an end of the rope, which has previously been made into a running bowline. Then, just as a small boy does with trout, he proceeds to stroke, or rather to tickle the fish, placidly sleeping, with no foreboding of its impending doom. At the same time the native deftly encircles the tail with the fatal noose and ascends with as little delay as possible. Then begins the battle royal. The shark is rudely awakened from his pleasant dreams by what appears no doubt to him the taking of an unwarrantable libertv with his caudal extremity. This he naturally resents, but, notwithstanding his giant struggles, he is eventually broufht to the surface and quickly despatched. Such a mode of fishing, of course, would be attended by considerable danger to others than Pacific Islanders.' They are, however, such expert swimmers that a shark has no terrors for them. The views expressed regarding Polynesian missions are almost precisely those expressed by Mary Gaunt in regard to missions to West Africa : The worst feature of thia mission trasirjes| is the' fact that the vast Bums so realised ere mostly obtained by wilfully false pretences on the part of tho smug missionary, who, in his letters and reports to tho religious periodicals, portrays a lie or hardship and danger, which he gladly undergoes, being well recompensed by the wondeTful success ho is experiencing in the lK>rd a work of "delivering the land from erTOr a chains. The real facts of tho oase, however are that in moßt instances, he loads a life ol ease, idleness and comparative- luxury, making a far better. livelihood than his abilities would earn for him in any civilised state of society. As for the number of hoathen souls he is instrumental in saving, that, to use a mild expression, is grossly exaggerated. Besides, it is an undisputed foot, well known to all white residents throughout the Pacific, that «. lar?e percentage of the so-called converts to Christianity are recruited from tho lower class of native, through * most open system of bribery, by moans of gift? of tobacco and rice. A good showing must bo mf.de, at any cost, otherwise supplies would be cut off. This explains why so many native converts fall away from grace, and revert to the faith of their forefathers. . In corroboration of my views on this missionary subject, a very high Government official residing in one of the island groups, after reading " Thro' Tropic Seas," writes mo en follows: — . " I was very much interested in your remcrks upon the Ixmdon .Missionary Society, which are truo to the very Ufa I, myself, havo experienced the true character of these Eo-callod missionaries, who sacrifice their lives in what they deem to ba the uplifting of the native, and after years of a very pleasant sojourn, living on the fat of the land, with ft good pension to look forward to, avail themselves of the hard-earned privilege of returning to Europe for a couple of years to lecture on tho roughness of their lives amongst tho heathen and their hair-brcadtn escapes by laud and sea. This, of course, ! means the collection of vast sums of money | from aoft-hoarted persons living in omlisaI lion.

" I think myself, th«.t if these generous people residing in England, America, and Canada knew how happy and contented tho nativea of Polynesia really are, they would divert their wealth to the uplifting of our own ,poor children in crowded civilisation. Mr Burnett attacks the system of government in the Solomon Islands. His chapters on these islands deserve political notice. He says tho British Protectorate is a disgrace to tho Empire,

and declares tho administration ignorant and bumptious. These charges are supported by a mass of evidence.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. BYWAYS OF KNOWLEDGE. Comparatively few people have realised the charm that a good encyclopedia can possess as a means of random excursions into the highways and byways of knowledge. The new edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is easily the most comprehensive and authoritative work of its kind ever published, will give many thousands of New Zealanders the opportunity to roam at large over the domain of the world's acumulated information. The use of India paper has made possible the binding of volumes that can be held easily in one hand, and that at the same time contain more matter than the ponderous books of the previous editions. It is impossible to open these limD. leather-clad volumes without tho eye meeting matter that quickens the interest. The writer who deals with the subject of costume reminds his readers, in the course of somo introductory remarks, that modesty, which has a close relation to clothing", is essentially conventional in nature. With Mohammedan people it is sufficient for a woman to cover her face; the Chinese woman, of the old school at any rate, would think it exceedingly indecent to expose her feet, while in Central Asia a woman must conceal her finger tips if she wishes to receive the respect of hor fellows. The native women of Alaska suffer great shame if they are seen without tho plugs that they carry in their lips. Among tho Japanese it has been common for the sexes to bathe together without clothing, while in AngloSaxon communities the propriety of mixed bathing in full costume is still a matter for discussion. Yet among the white people the representation of the nude in art is entirely proper, though it is considered indecent by the Japanese.

Why do the Scotsmen wear kilts ? The answer is supplied by the Encyclopedia Britannica, which records that tho kilt was first adopted in imitation of the Roman legionaries and was retained because it was more suitable than the trouser for walking in wet heather. Most of us havo the notion that the bicycle is an essentially modern invention. But. as a matter of fact, suggestions of vehicles having two or more wheels and propelled by the muscular effort of the rider are to be found on the bas-reliefs of Babylon and Egypt, and tho frescoes of Pompeii. The machine began to assume its present form about a century ago, when a German inventor placed the front wheel on a pivot and provided a handle, so that the rider could steer easily as he pushed himself along by placing his feet on the ground. This vehicle was very popular in Britain for a while, until the violent motion was found to produce diseases of the legs. Pedals attached to the front axle or to driving gear seem to have been tho invention of a Scottish blacksmith in 1834, about thirty years before the evolution of the eld " ordinary" bicycle was begun. The pictures that are reproduced with a lengthy article in the new " Encyclopedia'"' give a vivid idea of the evolution of the modern bicyclo. Much might Jie niade of Cyrenaica by judicous cultivation, says tho writer of an' article that deals with Italy's new possession. - The country has forests and a certain amount of very good land, while the rainfall in some parts is fairly good. Of course, there are §reat stretches of barren, sandy desert, tit cultivation would work wonders. "The conditions in general," says the writer, apparently with a touch of prescience, since Italy's attack on Turkey came after publication, " are in general very like those of central Italy, and there fa ample room for new settlers All kinds of trees grow well, from the date nnlm to the oak, and there are over 200,000 wild olives in the country." "If civilised people were ever to lapse into the worship of animals, tho Cow would bo their chief goddess," «ays the article on dairying, quoting from an earlier publication. " What a fountain of blessings is the Cow 1 She is the mother of beef, the source of butter, tho original cause of cheeso, to say nothing of shoe-horns, hair-combs and upper leather. A gentle amiable, everyielding creature, who has no joy in her family affairs that she does not share with man." The writer of the article is an authority of high standing, and lie devotes some twenty-two pages,' each containing at least 2500 words, to a careful and instructive survey of the dairying industry. There are given oven rules for the guidance of the dairyman, and particulars of modern processes, illustrated by tables and designs. The Cow has been done justice in the new " Encyclopedia." Is influenza a modern complaint, originating with the outbreak _ of the nineties? The new Encyclopedia Britannica presents evidence to show that the disease was known in the fifteenth century, and probably earlier. In 1403 the sittings of the law courts had to be suspended because of the scourge, and there were' serious outbreaks in Europe in 1557, 1762, 1787, 1803, 1837 and 1847. In 1782 the squadron of Admiral Kempenfelt had to return to England from the coast of France be-ca-use influenza was prostrating the crews. After 1860 the complaint troubled Britain very little until 1889, when there was a dread visitation. The influenza bacillus made itself felt simultaneously in Bokhara, in Central Asia, Athabasca, in North-west Canada, and Greenland. Russia became infected, and by the end of the year influenza was raging all over Europe, along the Mediterranean, in Egypt and over a large part of the United States. In January, 1890, London went down before the attack. About the same time the disease reached Capo Town, Algiors, Corsica, Honolulu, the West Indies and Mexico. In February India, Ceylon, Japan and China caught influenza, Newfoundland and Argentina succumbed a week or two later, and in March _ the complaint made its appearance in New Zealand and Australia. In the course of fifteen months the dread microbe traversed the whole globe, sparing not even the isolated islands, and since that time there have been recurring epidemics of diminishing severity. The Encyclopedia records the conclusion of the experts that influenza can be distributed tnly by human agency, and that quinine has a marked protective _ influence.

Tho famous mysteries of history- are all to bo found stated, if not explained, in tho pages of these volumes. There is, for example, an article dealing with the " Affair of the Diamond Necklace," a curious incident at the Court of Louis XVI. of France. A fascinating chapter discusses the "Man in tho Iron Mask," the strange prisoner who lived and died in a French fortress without his identity being revealed. Of course, the evergreen Shakespeare-Bacon controversy is handled comprehensively and impartially. How many readers of " A Christmas Carol" are aware that Dickens wrote- the story in order that some pressing household debts might be settled? His publishers paid him less liberally than ho had exnected, and the author, whose family at that period was increasing rapidly, decided that he must undertake a drastic scheme of retrenchment. He removed his home to tho outskirts of Genoa and i fc ?- &a .ix, Ilrin 8 tnere in simple fashion that he wrote "Tho Chimes." •)Y h ?i al '£ i V™?™, -whoso conflicts with the Turks in Syria are mentioned occasionally m the cablegrams? They are a strange people bound together by a religious faith that has withstood every form of persecution. To-day they seem to be stronger than ever, and the efforts of the Ottoman Government to restrain thoni are prov-

ing quite fruitless. The tenets of the Druse faith are secret, but it M known that they, are based upon a Wj}"*, m the cxistonce of one God, indefinable, incomprehensible, ineffable and passionless. God has made Himself known to men by various incarnations, of which the last was Hakim. Jesus Christ is accepted as one incarnation, but Mohammed is not. No further incarnation can now take pl ac6 >.J 1"" when the tribulation of the faithful has reached its height, Hakim will reappear to conquer the world and make his religion supremo. The faithful will take first Mecca and then Jerusalem, and the whole world will accept the Druse religion. The Druses accept some curious beliefs. They regard prayer as an impertinent interference with the Supreme Being, and they will receive no converts, since they hold that the gates of mercy are now closed. The number of the Druses cannot be estimated, since they are permitted to avoid danger by professing whatever faith may be dominant around them. The people have a traditional friendship for Britain, and usually are very hospitable to British travellers. A strike would have been a difficult and dangerous venture in the days of Elizabeth. A statute of 1572 provided severe punishments for " rogues, vagabonds and sturdy beggars," who were defined as "idle persons going about and using subtle craft and unlawful games, and all persons whole and mighty in body, but having neither land nor master, nor able to give an account how they get their living, and all common labourers using loitering and refusing to work for the wages commonly given." «

SOME NEW BOOKS,

Mr Phillips Oppenheim offers a story of love, mystery and international intrigue in "Havoc" (Messrs Hodder and Stoughton, and Christchurch Messrs Simpson and Williams). Once more a document of great diplomatic importance comes into question, and once again its loss and recovery, by England's agents, give rise to those adventures with which-Mr Oppenheim can deal so ably. The Hon David Bellamy, a humble member of his Majesty's Secret Service, gets wind of a treaty drawn up between Austria, Germany and Russia, and directly affecting England's welfare. His orders are to capture it at all costs. With the ' help of a lady he buys the treaty.from its guardian for £20,000, and tho exchange is duly made in a small restaurant, Rudolf von Behrling receiving the £20,000 and Bellamy the treaty. Next morning Von Behrling is found murdered close to tho place of exchange, robbed of his pocket-book and the money, and Bellamy finds that that for which he paid £20,000 is only blank paper, the real treaty having remained in Von Behrling's possession. From then on David Bellamy and the two Austrian spies rival each other in ingenuity to recapture the all-important document. Tho heroines are both clever and charming, one being tall and stately and the "first prima donna in Europe," while the other is tiny, and reminds one of a " dainty porcelain statuette." As long as there is _ a taste for such stirring yarns as this, Mr Oppenheim is sure of an attentive hearing. A. stood tale of the north-west coast of Australia is told in " The Partners,' by Kate Helen Weston (Messrs Hutchinson and Company; Christchurch, Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs). The man is the owner and captain of a pearl lugger, one of the adventurous souls who fight the powers of the sea and do wild, bravo deeds in the waters of Australia's unknown territories. The girl is the wife of a missionary, unhappily mated to a man who is broken in health and embittered by disappointment, yet clings determinedly to his outpost home. There are some welldrawn pictures of life in.tho'wilds and of adventures by sea and land. There is an unwanted wife as well as an obtuse husband to complicate the plot and the reader is carried through a maze of events and emotions before the end —a happy one of course—is reached. Tho tale is not told brilliantly, but it has roal merit and to colonial readers its interest will be increased by its association with a land that is rapidly becoming of very great importance. "Fathers of Men," by E. W. Hornung (Messrs G. Bell and Sons; Christchurch, Messrs Simpson and W'illiams) is a story of school life. It is in rather strange contrast to "Raffles" and " Tho Rogue's March," but the author has justified his extension into a new field by presenting a thoroughly interesting account of a boy's experiences in a big school. The boy happens to be the son of a coachman and when he is pitchforked by blind circumstances into a school where "tone" counts for a good deal he has a peck of troubles before him. He is a youth of character and aptitude, and Mr Hornung has told nis story in language that rings true. Good tales of schoolboy life are none too many and "Fathers of Men," which has its general trend explained by its title, will be welcomed. The second volume of a series _of popular American novels that is being issued by the New South Wales Bookstall Company at one shilling is " The Butterfly Man," by George Barr M'Cutcheon. The book really contains two stories, the second being " The Alternative/' and the name of its author is a sufficient guarantee of its excellence. Mr M'Cutcheon tells a love story as brightly and entertainingly as any of his comrades in the ranks of the American novelists.

Some of thejadventures of the writer, best known as a daring traveller and the author of "My Restless Life," are told in " A Woman in Black," by Harry do Windt (Messrs Jarrold 1 and Sons). Mr de Windt vouches for the truth of most of tho storieß. and thus shows again that truth really is stranger than fiction. The volume, which is in a pocket edition, is full of stirring deeds, breathless escapes and mysterious happenings. An interesting book with a true Australian flavour is "The Rich Uncle from Fiji." bv M. P. Adams (Melbourne, The Exchange Press). Mr Adams will be remembered in New Zealand as a contributor to the Lone Hand " and " Life." He is also known to dominion amateur athletes as very prominent in the sport in Victoria. He has just left for Stockholm as a member of the Australasian amateur athletic team. Mr Adams has explained some of the ways in which the public is swindled by confidence tricksters of tho hundred-and-one types known to Australasia. Anybody who 1..,- kent his eves open can appreciate the truth of many of tho sketches and the book ought to be really useful to the "boobs" and "lambs" who are fVin nrev of the rogues. "The Devil's Nightcap," by Lancelot Booth (New South Wales Bookstall Company) is another story of the career of the notorious Ben Hall, bushroncer and general rogue. The tale has been published already as a serial, v i ;+ will be a welcome addition to the Bookstall Series of cheap pocket relumes. The illustrations are by Lionel Lindsay.