Visit to India

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23339, 6 May 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

Visit to India

An Artist Who Defied Conventions

MIGHTY, mystical and complex as India is, it offers a broad field for all its visitors who have an inclination to put their impressions of it into books. Many a library could be filled with books about India, yet hot all has yet been written, Mr. Philip Steegman offers us the latest literary effort on India, and although he is a painter, one suspects that ho may yet make more of a name for himself as author than as artist.

Thitf book of his sets out, albeit in light-hearted and often . facetious fashion, what ho did and saw in India. He is a very refreshing young man. Ho had introductions from England to all the "best" people in India, but as he came to see India and Indians, he did not adopt tho notion that India for an English visitor was just clubs and polo grounds. Ho defied tho conventions, and had enough sense to nose round by himself (just Tike a New Zea-

By E.A.B.

lander might, do) and find out things that could never enter tho philosophy of n routine visitor.

Tho book is' written in entertaining stylo and possesses much literary merit. Tho author does not shirk his job and his merry anecdotes and flippant allusions aro not woven about that tremendous element of India—its mysticism.

It is obvious that a profound impression was created on Mr. Steegman by the visit he was fortunate enough to, make to Nepal, that hidden mountain State bordered by India, China, Tibet and Russia. Ho tells us that the sacred valley of Katmandu and the mountain track to it from tho Indian frontier is tho only part of Nopal known to the world, yjt only three score Englishmen and a dozen other Europeans havo boon there.. The rest of the kingdom is as much unknown as it was 2000 years ago. Consequently, his descriptions of Nepal and its people are of unique interest. "Indian Ink," by Philip Steegman. (Cob-den-Sanderson.)