Geographical Books of 1907 



817 



A Typical Hansa Village in Nigeria 

 From Nigeria "Our Latest Protectorate," by C. H. Robinson 



turned into a frozen lake, does not shake their 

 allegiance; and indeed this fertile alluvian 

 plain is a true mother to the Magyar race, and 

 in its situation and conditions lies the key to 

 much that is wonderful in the history o'f the 

 nation it shelters. A fertile soil, genial cli- 

 mate, and a splendid system of waterways 

 make it one of the picked spots of Europe, and 

 the development of the Magyar race took place 

 under fortunate circumstances. It is well that 

 they repay their motherland with the affection 

 that is her due, for she has been the source of 

 their prosperity and unit}'. 



The size of the estates of the Hungarian aris- 

 tocracy, churches, and municipalities is phe- 

 nomenal. Altogether they occupy not less than 

 40 per cent of the land, while several estates 

 j:ount more than 57.000 hectares {140,790 acres) 

 and one or two as much as 228.000 hectares 

 {563.160 acres). The nobles of the second 

 rank own only 14 per cent of the land, while 

 -there is a peasant proprietor class, numbering 

 about two millions, which owns 46 per cent of 

 the land. 



The Magyar peasant woman does not, as a 

 rule, work in the fields. Her business is to 

 keep the home, for the Magyar prizes comfort 

 and insists on a certain standard of it. As a 

 consequence the peasant houses in most agri- 

 «cultural districts are clean and tidy, and on the 



Alfold they are generally perfect models of 

 order and. cleanliness. Every self-respecting 

 Magyar housewife wants to have a room in her 

 tiny house on which she lavishes her skill in 

 needlework. The great criterion of respectabil- 

 ity is the number of embroidered pillows in 

 this spare room, and some cottages boast as 

 many as eight or nine of these coveted posses- 

 sions. 



The numerous illustrations and maps are 

 admirable, and altogether "The Whirlpool of 

 Europe" makes one of the most useful publica- 

 tions of 1907. 



Through Savage Europe. Being the narrative 

 of a journey undertaken as special cor- 

 respondent of the Westminster Gazette, 

 throughout the Balkan States and Euro- 

 pean Russia. By Harry de Windt. Pp. 300. 

 9 X s'A inches. Illustrated. Philadelphia : 

 J. B. Lippincott Co. 1907. 



The Balkan Trail. By Frederick i\Ioore. Pp. 

 296. &]/■> X 55-2 inches. Illustrated. Map. 

 New York : Macmillan Co. 1907. 



The France of Today. By BaTrett .Wendell. 

 Pp. 379. 8'4x5;-2 inches. New York: 

 Charles Scribner's Sons. 1907. $1.50 net. 



