40 



THE ORCHID WORLD 



AN INTERESTING BOOK FOR ORCHIDISTS. 



Pilgrims to the Isles of Penance, Orchid 

 Gathering in the East. By Mrs. Talbot 

 Clifton. London : John Long. Price 

 I2S. 6d. 



The botanical side of Orchidology has 

 been frequently written upon, and many 

 notes concerning the plants themselves have 

 been made. Mrs. Talbot Clifton has, 

 however, written a book concerning the 

 lands and surroundings where they grow. 

 Accompanied by her husband, whose name 

 has so long been connected with Orchids, a 

 journey of several thousands of miles was 

 made in search of Orchids in the forests and 

 jungles of the East. This well-written 

 book, full of interesting geographical and 

 botanical matters, describes the author's 

 arrival at Calcutta, where there is a great 

 Bemyan tree with 853 aerial roots, from 

 whence passage was booked to Rangoon, 

 where the damp heat was fearful -. ninety-fi\ e 

 degrees m the shade. At Mandalay a 

 Chinese merchant friend was met who 

 promised to get coolies sent into the interior 

 to collect Orchids, and thus they procured 

 some fifteen hundred, mostly Dendrobiums. 



The chapter 00 the prison system of 

 Andaman is full of interest, and contains 

 many thoughtful notes on the difference 

 between the English and Eastern code of 

 morals. One prisoner, a murderer, was 

 convict nurse, his duty being to wheel a 

 child's perambulator. The greatest punish- 

 ment which can be inflicted upon a woman 

 who is ill-behaved in jail is to cut her hair. 



Phalasnopsis tetraspis was here collected by 

 sending convicts up the trees for them, as 

 they were covered with ants. Mrs. Clifton 

 believes she is the only white woman who has 

 ever seen these growing wild. Graphic de- 

 scriptions are given of how she watched 

 Mr. Clifton collect Orchids from branches 

 covered with ants, and on which sat green 

 parrots with long tails, and other curiously 

 coloured birds. yErides, Vandas, Cym- 

 bidiums, ajid Dendrobiums were collected, 

 and after being carefully packed, despatched 

 to England. 



A notable chapter on the Mergui Archi- 

 pelago contains much of interest concerning 

 the curious food and manners of the 

 inhabitants. A Burman has a strong feeling 

 against anyone walking overhead in his 

 bungalow ; to avoid this a Burman will put a 

 ladder up to the window and so climb into 

 a room rather than mount the stairs. 



The discovery here of certain rare Orchids 

 caused great delight. 



At Penang and Perak more Orchids, 

 Coelogynes, Renantheras, etc., were collected. 

 The temperature usually being extremely 

 high at these places, much interest will be 

 taken in the account of the Malay bathroom 

 and manner of washing. 



Powers, Temporal, Magical, and Mental, 

 are fully described in Chapter XXIV. 

 The jewels and clothes of a princess, the 

 Rajah of Perak and his three wives, and the 

 curious ideas of the transmigration of souls, 

 are subjects of especial interest. 



The Botanical gardens of Singapore were 

 visited, the Curator, Mr. Ridley, promising to 

 pack any Orch'.ds collected in Java. The 

 account of the journey to Buitenzorg men- 

 tions a huge mid-day meal, consisting of 

 twenty-four ingredients, and taking ten men 

 to hand it round. 



From the above it will be seen that Mrs. 

 Talbot Clifton has produced a deeply 

 interesting book on the wonders of the 

 Eastern lands where so many Orchids 

 grow. It is illustrated by a map and 

 fifty-four excellent photographic plates of 

 Orchids, scenery, inhabitants, villages, and 

 last, but not least, of Mr. and Mrs. T- Talbot 

 Clifton. 



As a thorough insight into the interior of 

 these Eastern lands The Orchid Pilgrimage 

 will be gladly welcomed, not only by the 

 many now interested in the study of Orchids, 

 but also by all those who obtain pleasure by 

 reading descriptive works of travel. 



The two illustrations on the next page are 

 selected from the many in this book. We 

 are much indebted to the publishers for 

 their knidness in lending the blocks. 



