334 THREE BOOKS OX CHIXA 



ninth chapter, "The Decadence of the Manclms," depicts the present govern- 

 mental structure, gives some account of the governmental personnel, and re- 

 veals the weaknesses in the armorof the dynastj' today — its presentation being 

 especially illumined by the frontispiece to the book, a curious half-portrait, 

 half-hashish-vision, of the Empress Dowager, Tsi An. Half a dozen chap- 

 ters follow on Pekin and its environs, and another brings out new views of 

 "The Great Wall of China;" while the chapter on "The Valley of the Ming 

 Tombs " is of both historical and arch«;ologic interest, as is that on " SuburV)an 

 Temples." The descriptions of Shanghai and Canton are vivid; the sketch 

 entitled " In a Provincial Yamun " gives suggestive insight into diplomatic and 

 social China ; " The River of Fragrant Tea-fields " outlines that industry which 

 forms China's strongest bond with the moving world ; while the twenty-eighth 

 and final chapter, "The Chinese New Year," touches a subject attractive not 

 only to the tourist, but to all citizens and subjects reached by wandering celes- 

 tials—for wherever he goes the almond-eyed devotee carries a time-cult curi- 

 ously suggestive of the time-factor formed by his ancient empire in the history 

 of the world. The author concludes: " Ciiina is very old, very tired, 



sick. It craves rest and peace— anything for peace; peace at any i)rice It 

 does not want to be dragged out into the fierce white light and the contests of 

 the new century " (p. 459). Yet she qualifies the diagnosis : " The Occident is 

 fortunate in assisting at one of the many great downfalls, but it need not assume 

 that this is at all the end, the absolute and final ruin, the last wreck and crash 

 of the old empire, of its curious, four-thousand-year-old civilization, all because 

 the present parvenu Manchu dynasty happens to fall. It has Ijroken uji be- 

 fore!" (p. 3). On the whole, the work is thoughtful, clear, scholarly, 

 scintillating where not steadily brilliant, as is to be expected of the author; it 

 is Miss Scidmore's best book. The publishers have done well ; the printing is 

 admirable on excellent paper, the numerous illustrations are beautifully exe- 

 cuted, the index is clear and half full enough, while the cover is an appropriate 

 symphony in yellow ami red and dragon-eyed ideographs. 



W J M. 



China in Transformation. With 16 maps and one cut. Svo, pp. x + 397. 



S3.00. 1899. 

 Overland to China. With 3(3 illustrations and four maps. Svo, pp. xii -f 465. 



$3.0C. By Archibald R. Colquhoun. New York and London : Harper & 



Brothers. 1900. 

 The author of these works, by profession a civil engineer, is a geographer of 

 •world-wide reputation. He has traveled widely, especially in the Far East, 

 and with rare powers of observation and ripened judgment. He has held 

 several posts of responsibility in India and Burma, and has spent many years 

 in sojourn and travel in China and its neighboring lands. 



The first of these volumes is especially devoted to China, and within its pages 

 is condensed an extremely full and interesting account of the Flowery Kingdom. 

 The book opens with a geographic description of the country, a brief but clear 

 presentation of its topography, especially in its relation to the people and 

 their industries. Estimates are given of the population, and the author is 



