212 REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 



matters to the Sociologist. A very full and complete description of 

 timber rafts are given in this paper. A view of one of these rafts from 

 a steamer is a daily occurrence, and it would never enter the mind of 

 any one casually looking at them, that much art and mechanical 

 ingenuity have gone into the making of one of these. But so it is. 

 The construction and the voyage of one of these is fully described by 

 letterpress and diagrams. The largest raft on record of the past 

 15 years as reported was some 280 feet in length by 110 feet in width, 

 with a depth of 22 feet from deck to keel. The average size would 

 be about 180 feet : and the timber composing this would be worth 

 about Hk. Tls. 20,500. About four months is taken to do the trip and 

 the wage bill would amount to $2,800. But the heaviest item of all is 

 inland taxation. Timber coming from Kan Chou to Nanking is obliged 

 to pay taxes ten times. So that a raft composed of 220,000 cubic feet 

 would have to pay between 5-7 . thousand taels in dues: or inland 

 taxation comes to about 25% of the capital value. No wonder things 

 are in a bad way in this country. We said this was not a very large 

 volume : that is so : but the amount of work in its compilation must 

 have been great. M. 



An Anglo-Chinese Glossary for Customs and Commercial Use. 



By C. A. S. Williams. Shanghai. Commercial Press, Ltd. 



Though printed and published privately and not by the Customs it 

 must be concluded that the volume was primarily intended for use by 

 the Customs staff. This can be the sole reason why the book has not 

 been reviewed before. We don't remember seeing a review of the 

 book anywhere. It certainly merited a review, so in a way the work 

 hasn't had its proper deserts. The learned author evidently didn't 

 push his wares. So far the public has been the loser. For this is a 

 work that deserves recognition. The compilation has involved much 

 labour. The subjects dealt with are Maritime and Native Customs : 

 Chinese and Foreign Trade : Postal, Political, Geographical and Mis- 

 cellaneous matters. It is rich in names of Goods, Business terms, 

 Shipping and such things : the Geographical terms are manifestly in- 

 complete. There is still room for additional phrases in postal matters ; 

 for example insurance of letters is not given. Now that the study of 

 Chinese is on the flood, students and British merchants will consult 

 this Glossary. Here they will find names and expressions for anything 

 they may deal in now or hereafter. 



We wonder why the author translated typhoon by ta fengl Did 

 he do so on the idea that typhoon is a transliteration of the sound 

 ta feng. This etymology is no longer held. It is now taken that the 



