450 REVIEWS. 



123. Legend, in the Bali or sacred language, written, or rather incised, 

 on the blades of the Talipot Palm or Tara (Coryphia taliera, Boxb.) The 

 edges are coloured and gilded. The writing, or rather copying of these 

 records or legends forms one of the priest's occupations — well informed in 

 sacred lore. 



124. Thighbone of the elephant, used as a coarse ivory for knife-handles. 



1 25. Breast shield and buckler of turtle. 



Cotton Cultivation in its Various Details, the Barrage of Great 

 Bivers, &c. By Joseph Gibbs. London : E. and F. N. Spon. (Pp. 248.) 



This is a carefully- written and essentially practical work, by a tho- 

 roughly competent man : it, therefore, recommends itself to notice and 

 extensive circulation at the preseut time, when cotton-culture is being so 

 extensively promoted. Mr. Gibbs starts with some general remarks on the 

 countries capable of growing cotton, and we take the following extract from 

 his first chapter : 



" My practical acquaintance with the nature and growth of the cotton- 

 plant extends over a period of more than forty years. Having been much 

 engaged in large drainage works, I have paid great attention to the capabi- 

 lities of several countries, by irrigation, to produce cotton, more especially 

 in districts and lands now entirely unused for cultivation. 



" It will be well to premise the following observations by stating that 

 most of the. lands which will have to be alluded to hereafter as capable of 

 growing cotton, have been examined by me, and some of them with great 

 minuteness, and accurate surveys made thereof, with a view of bringing 

 such lands into cultivation. 



" These countries are comprised in the following list : 



" 1st. The coast of British and Dutch Guiana and French Cayenne, 



the island of Jamaica, and the Bahamas. 

 •' 2nd. The coast of the Mediterranean along the Gulf of Comachio. 

 "3rd. Egypt. 

 " 4th. Asia Minor, near Tersoos (Ancient Tarsus), and other parts of 



the Ottoman Empire. 

 " 5th. The east coast of Ceylon. 

 " 6th. India. 

 " 7th. Madras, and along the Bay of Bengal, and in the other parts 



of India. 

 " 8th. Australia, and the north island of New Zealand. 

 " The whole of the lands here spoken of are situated near, and in- 

 fluenced by, their contiguity to the sea, which undoubtedly exercises a 

 beneficial effect on the quality and quantity of the cotton grown." 



New Zealand is the only doubtful quarter of those here mentioned. In 

 the absence of any detailed system of trorucal culture, this handbook will 

 be found invaluable ; for it treats of every subject with a masterly hand, in 

 clear and precise language. The barrage of rivers, irrigation, embankments, 

 steam and animal ploughing, fertilising land, and the details of the prac- 

 tice of cotton cultivation in various countries are severally touched upon. 



