THE 

 LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 



I 



ON BOOKS OF ADVENTURE 



BOOKS of sporting, travel, and adventure in 

 countries little known to the average reader 

 naturally fall in two classes — neither, with a very 

 few exceptions, of great value. One class is perhaps 

 the logical result of the other. 



Of the first type is the book that is written to make 

 the most of far travels, to extract from adventure 

 the last thrill, to impress the awestricken reader 

 with a full sense of the danger and hardship the 

 writer has undergone. Thus, if the latter takes out 

 quite an ordinary routine permit to go into certain 

 districts, he makes the most of travelling in "closed 

 territory," implying that he has obtained an especial 

 privilege, and has penetrated where few have gone 

 before him. As a matter of fact, the permit is 

 issued merely that the authorities may keep track 

 of who is where. Anybody can get one. This class 

 of writer tells of shooting beasts at customary ranges 



3 



