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NA TURE 



[March 13, 1890 



together with the principal features of their political and 

 social institutions, through their early acquaintance with 

 the higher civilization of the great Malayan States, with 

 whose inhabitants they probably share one common 

 origin. Like these races, the people of the Carolines 

 attach an extraordinary importance to money, which is 

 made the pivot on which everything in the State turns. 

 Thus, the sole penalty for all crimes and misdemeanours 

 is a fixed payment in some definite form of money ; and, 

 as among our own northern ancestors, every injury done 

 to man or beast has its recognized price, while every act 

 or event in a man's life from his birth to his death, and 

 beyond it, is charged with a definite payment. Similarly, 

 the favour of the gods in sickness, and the good-will of a 

 chief, would seem to be regarded as only attainable by 

 money offerings to priests or rulers. Strangely enough, 

 however, the chiefs themselves are compelled to make 

 certain prescribed payments in their various transactions 

 with the people, by which means an excessive accumula- 

 tion of money in the hands of a few is prevented, and a 

 free circulation of the various coins insured ; and thus, 

 these uncivilized Polynesians have attempted, after their 

 own fashion, to solve a problem involved in the question 

 of capital and labour. 



The author's copiously illustrated descriptions of the 

 dwellings and other buildings erected by the islanders 

 show how closely they approximate in structure and 

 ornamentation to the Malayan type. The arrangements 

 of the interior, however, where the quiet and solitude of 

 the owner of a house are provided for by various portions 

 of the building being tabooed to all strangers, and at 

 certain times to the women and children of the family, 

 afford strong evidence that in their social usages the 

 people have been strongly influenced, probably in recent 

 ages, by intercourse with Polynesians occupying the re- 

 moter eastern archipelagoes. This is shown by the 

 uniformity in various practices followed both by the 

 natives of some of the Carolines, and those of other far 

 distant groups. 



Nothing, however, is more remarkable than the di- 

 versity presented by contiguous islands, for while in the 

 one we find some form of textile art or some method of 

 elaborate tattooing, characteristic of the inhabitants of a 

 far distant archipelago, not a trace of either is to be met 

 with in the neighbouring islands. Even more inexplic- 

 able are the differences in stature, appearance, and general 

 physical character among the natives of one island, or 

 one group ; and hence it is impossible to arrive at any 

 firmly-based conclusions as to the true ethnic history of 

 the present occupants of the Caroline archipelago. 



Herr Kubary has devoted much attention to the study 

 of the various maladies from which the natives suffer, 

 with a view of determining how far these are indigenous 

 or imported ; and, while he highly commends the 

 patience under suffering of these gentle, unsophisticated 

 natives, he shows that various specific forms of disease, 

 which are usually malignant among civilized communities, 

 here present a benign character. His remarks on this 

 subject are full of interest, as are also his descriptions of 

 the various local remedies employed, among which it 

 would appear that some possess such well-marked specific 

 properties as to merit the careful attention of our own 



harmacologists. 



The present volume, which is to be followed by a further 

 series of Herr Kubary's contributions, is edited by Dr. 

 Schmeltz, on behalf of the directors of the Imperial 

 Museum of Ethnology in Berlin, where the most valuable 

 of the author's collections are deposited. 



ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH RAIL WA YS. 



The Railways of England. By W, M. Acworth. Second 

 Edition. (London : John Murray, 1889.) 



T/ie Railways of Scotland. By W. M. Acworth. 

 (London : John Murray, 1890.) 



BEYOND the comparatively small railway circle, there 

 are many persons who take great interest in the 

 railway system of this country. Any particularly fast 

 train is carefully noted, and compared detail for detail 

 with its predecessor ; and its particular virtues are 

 pointed out. To such persons the works before us will 

 be most welcome. To railway men we need only say 

 that not to read these books will be a great loss and 

 a mistake. Mr. Acworth has evidently had excellent 

 opportunities for observation, and he has not failed to 

 make good use of the chances thus obtained for careful 

 study of the many different phases of railway life. The 

 author confesses to have written anonymously not a few 

 criticisms on the management of certain English railways, 

 which were meant to be particularly scathing. In the 

 present books we can find nothing of the kind ; in fact, in 

 most cases the author uses language of almost unvarying 

 panegyric, even the hunting-ground of the " Flying 

 Watkin Express " coming in for nothing but praise. This 

 is certainly as it should be, for those who know anything 

 of the subject are aware that the English railway system 

 taken as a whole is second to none in the world, either in 

 management, rolling-stock, or permanent way. 



The volume on the railways of England deals princi- 

 pally with the railways terminating in London. An 

 historical sketch of the early railways is given, and we 

 find, besides much useful matter, many amusing 

 anecdotes. The author deals at length with the change 

 wrought by the introduction of railways in the various 

 trades affected by the withdrawal of the stage-coach, and 

 the consequent loss of trade to many towns and villages 

 on the old turnpike roads, as well as the birth of new 

 trades and occupations caused by the advance of the 

 railway system. 



The London and North-Western Railway is the first 

 one noticed, in Chapter II. The territory of this railway 

 extends from London in the south to Carlisle in the 

 north, and from Cambridge in the east to Swansea and 

 Holyhead in the west. The description naturally begins 

 at Crewe, for at this station are the main locomotive and 

 other works of the Company, employing about 6ock> 

 men. Here also are the head-quarters of the locomotive 

 staff, under Mr. F. W. Webb, the able mechanical super- 

 intendent. The author gives an excellent description of 

 the works, and the many special manufactures carried on. 

 The illustration of the Webb transverse steel sleeper 

 shows how a steel sleeper can be designed to suit the 

 English mongrel-sectioned rail known as the " Bullhead." 

 It is a pity some enterprising railway manager in England 

 does not give the Indian all-steel permanent way a trial. 



