60 Inter ary Notices. 



but there are thousands of families and students who will be glad of 

 such a work as is now offered, and in extending it to three volumes 

 the editors have, in our opinion, acted wisely. It enables them to 

 take a middle position between prolixity and incompleteness, and for 

 many years to come the new edition will occupy an important place 

 amongst really serviceable books. 



Compaeative Geogeaphy. By Gael Rittee, Professor of Geo- 

 graphy in the University of Berlin. Translated by W. Gage. 

 (Blackwood and Sons.) — This publication brings within reach of 

 English readers a very valuable course of lectures on comparative 

 geography, by the late Carl Ritter, who occupied the highest place 

 in this branch of science. It describes the surface of the earth in 

 its most general relations, and then proceeds to special considera- 

 tions, such as the contrast of land and water hemispheres, the histori- 

 cal element in geography, plateaus, mountains and mountain lands, 

 plains, lowlands, courses of rivers, etc., etc. It is one of those 

 admirable works that suggest a philosophy as well as provide 

 facts, and will form a valuable addition to the well-selected family 

 library. 



The Anthropological Review, No. 9 and 10. (Triibner and Co.) 

 — In the last number of this publication of the Anthropological 

 Society will be found the papers attacking missions and mission- 

 aries, which created a sensation in the religious world, and also the 

 remarkable defence of missions by Bishop Colenso. The Anthro- 

 pological Society has made itself very notorious, and now boasts of 

 some six hundred members, which is a great success, so far as num- 

 bers are concerned. Daring the American war, when philanthro- 

 pists hoped that that terrible, struggle would eventuate, as it 

 has done, in the abolition of slavery, the Society ran a-muck at the 

 negroes, as though a reckless and heartless abuse of black men was 

 the chief duty of the time. Such conduct, of course, made a sen- 

 sation, and when that sensation was subsiding, another was got 

 up, by assailing missionaries and their converts. Neither in the 

 negro case nor in the mission case was there anything like scientific 

 accuracy, or sobriety of discussion ; and though the Anthropolo- 

 gists have certainly become notorious, their scientific reputation is 

 yet entirely to be made, and if it is ever made, their mode of 

 operations must be entirely changed. We should certainly not 

 condemn them for bringing forward unpalateable truths. If too 

 much capacity for civilization is assigned by many benevolent 

 people to the negro race, let the error be exposed ; and if too much 

 is claimed on behalf of missionary action, let a more exact estimate 

 be made ; but a scientific society ought to avoid the recklessness 

 and rancour that characterize too many political and theological 

 disputes. To single out the negro race, as if no other race was 

 difficult to civilize, was obviously unfair ; and to speak as if mis- 

 sionary efforts were the only or most remarkable instances of failure 

 on the part of the white man to improve black men, is to show a 

 similar disregard for accuracy, if not for truth. The fact is, that 

 our civilized races are nearly uniformly unfortunate in their dealings 



