February 9, 1893] 



NA TURE 



145 



second figure only, and 9 cases in which both of the figures are 

 formed by one or other of them. These latter are especially 

 distinctive. This method has five merits — medium, short, or very 

 short steps can be taken according to the character of the linea- 

 tion at any point ; there is no trouble about orientation ; the 

 bearings are defined without a protractor, the work can be 

 easily revised, and the correctness of the records may be checked 

 by comparing the sums of the small coordinates leading to a 

 point of reference, with their total values as read off directly. 



A method of signalling is also in use for military purposes, in 

 which positions are fixed by coordinates, afterwards to be 

 connected by lines. F. G. 



BRITISH NEW GUINEA} 



MR. THOMSON'S work on British New Guinea has 

 been looked for with some impatience. Now that it 

 has come it falls short of our expectations. We had hoped 

 for a comprehensive work marshalling into order and 



visited New Guinea, if we may judge by internal evidence, 

 although his phraseology in many places is not unlikely 

 to lead the reader to suppose that he has had a share 

 in the results presented in its pages. Had the author had 

 some personal acquaintance with the country of which 

 he writes he would have formed opinions, we believe, 

 different from many of those he has e.xpressed on his own 

 account throughout the book. 



The work opens with a sketch " of the historical 

 aspects of the whole of the great Papuan land," but we 

 miss in it the names of many who deserve honourable 

 mention for their contributions to the " making " of New 

 Guinea. We find no mention of the investigations of 

 Dr. Otto Finsch carried on in all three possessions, of 

 those of Mr. O. Stone, of the missionaries in Geelvink 

 Bay, of Mr. Romilly, of the Special Commissioners Sir 

 Peter Scratchley and the Hon. John Douglas, of Mr. 

 Milman, and of Commanders Pullen and Field, who have 

 all contributed to our knowledge of different regions. 



Fig. I.— Native suspension bridge across the Vanapa river. 



summarising the observations and investigations made in 

 the British part of New Guinea, by so many missionaries, 

 explorers, naval and government officers and scientific men, 

 for many years. Instead of this we find that the book 

 is made up almost entirely of the explorations during the 

 past four or five years of the administrator, boiled down 

 out of the official reports by Mr. J. Thomson, the 

 secretary of the Queensland branch of the Geographical 

 Society of Australasia. Throughout the volume there is 

 everywhere evidence that its author is new to literary 

 composition. In consequence, the terse and vigorous 

 English of the original reports suffers severely in the 

 process, so much so that we regret that their important 

 parts have not been presented to us as extracts in the 

 explorer's own words. Mr. Thomson has himself never 



•"British New Ouinea." By J. P. Thomson, F.R.S.G.S., &c. (Lon- 

 don: George Philip and Co., i8t>2.) 



NO. 12 I 5. VOL. 47] 



This chapter is prefaced by a quotation from the writings 

 of Plinius Minor : — " It appears to me a noble employ- 

 ment to rescue from oblivion those who deserve to be 

 eternally remembered, and by extending the reputation 

 of others, to advance at the same time our own." These 

 words are the true key-note of the book from which our 

 Brisbane Pliny— Plinius Major — has never once deviated 

 throughout his task. It is doubtless no small compliment 

 to any man to have his deeds held up in the light of 

 "eternal remembrance" by one of his fellows, but the task 

 requires the delicate hand of a judicious fellow ; and 

 we fear that our Pliny has marred the compliment in the 

 paying. So inspired with veneration for his patron is he 

 that every act of his appears almost extraordinary, and his 

 name too august ever to be mentioned without the humblest 

 obeisance expressed in the constant recapitulation of his 

 titles, dignities, and office, which must be as nauseous to- 



