LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2970, 6 January 1917, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

A Tourist's Paradise,

. The appearance of a second edition of Miss A. M. Moreland's well written book,. "Through South Westland, a Journey to the Haast and Mount Aspiring, New Zealand" (Whitcombe andTombs, Ltd.) is specially welcome ,at the present season, when so many weary city people are puzzling their brains where to seek a complete change from the monotonv of their every-day environment. Miss Moreland's book will introduce them to a. region where Nature is at its best at this time of the year, a region abounding in picturesque beauties not to be surpassed in tho Dominion, if indeed in the whole world. It is, slio says in her preface, "an enchanted land of cool, dim forest aisles: of lovely snow peaks, filling tho end of some purple gorge: of rushing, hurrvinpc streams: of untouched solitudes, where one goes air day long in wondering worship."The author is an English lady, who spent somo months in New Zealand, and is one of tho few tourists who have gone far away from tho beaten tracks of. the West Coast. Her five weeks' rkip /through South Westland makes most fascinating reading. Evidently a. keen '.botanist, she is entranced by tho variety and beauty of the many strange ferns and plants she m'ot with 1 in the forest. She reminds us that of 1400 flowering plants of New Zealand, three-quarters are to be found uowhoro else, and that the' remainder belong to families scattered over Australia, Malaya, Melanesia, and South America, and in tho chapter entitled "The Forest World" gives us what is by far the most eloquently-worded and fascinating description of New Zealand trees, shrubs, and ferns that has yet appeared in print. Her book is divided into two parts. Tho first is a record of her ride through South Westland, through Okarito, ; the Waiho Gorge, across the Blue Eiver, and tho Haast-River, and through the Haast Pass, and so on to Wanaka and Hawea, and back to Canterbury through Lindis Pass and Burko's Pass. Tho second part, entitled "Tho Silver Cove," is the record of a. later journey through tho Lindis Pass to tho Aspiring Range and tho country of the two Matukituki Rivers. Hero she found what is an unknown land for all but the mere handful of mountaineers who havo visited it, but her glowing descriptions of its natural . grandeurs and beauties should servo as a splendid advertisement for this comparatively unknown earthly paradise. Although, as I havo hinted, deeply appreciative of tho glorious beauties of tho great inland region at the foot of the Aspiring Range, and tho picturesque attractions of South Westland, Miss Moreland never descends into mero gusli. She has command of much quiet humour, and is keenly sensitive of tho purely human side of life. It is long since I havo read a book on New Zealand the general tone and style of which is so pleasant. For the intending visitor to these beautiful but little-known regions, Miss Moreland's book will be simply invaluable, for it is full of practically useful hints for future travellers. A specially attractive feature of the book is its wealth of illustrations. There are close upon fifty beautiful, full-page plates of the scenery described in the text, many oF them from photographs by the author herself, others from photographs by Mr. Tomlinson, of Christchurch, ancl other friends. -Many of these plates are of quite exceptional beauty. There are also two usol'ul route maps. The book has been turned out by the publishers in excellent style, and forms a most Tmportaut addition to New Zealand literature.

J Made in the Trenches. From Messrs. George- Allen and Unwin, Ltd., conies a handsomely produced volume entitled "Made in tho Trenches," tho articles and sketchos in which aj'o entirely the work of soldiers who are now at or have

seen service at the front. The volume is edited by Sir Frederick Troves, lit., Sergeant-Surgeon 10 His Majesty the King, and George Goodchild, and all profits accruing froui the sale thereof aro to bo devoted to' tlio "Star and Garter" Endowment Fund in aid of totally disabled soldiers and sailors. For closo upon a century tho Star and Garter, a palatial hotel on Richmond Hill, overlooking tho valley of tho Thames, has been a famous pleasure resort' of well-to-do Londoners. The old mansion was purchased by the mombers of the Auctioneers and Estate Agonts' Institute of the United Kingdom, and by tligm most generously presented to H:M'. the Queen. It is now, with new and spacious an--ilexes, to he used for hospital purposes, the British Women's Hospital Fund supplying. (Jin. necessary funds for equipment, etc. What is now' needed is an Endowment Fund to maintain tho building for all time. To that Fluid the nrnrneds of this hook will bo devoted. As to the literary and artistic faro provided by the contributors to tho volume, its quality is very high. There is fun and fancy, comedy, drama, and tragedy, enough in the volume to provide material for a hundred novels and plays. Most of the contributors maintain an anonymity which is to be regretcfrl, for one would naturally like to know the real names of thoso who provide such excellent entertainment. Tho illustrations, mostly of a very humorous character, aro capital. One of the most amusing features of the book is the Cyclopaedia of Military Terms, the compiler of which is a humorist of the first water. The price of tho hook is 4s. 6d., and I can assure my renders that they will get excellent value for their money, besides assisting a most laudable cause. For the Young Folk. Too late for the Christmas holidays, but never too late to bo bought as a children's gift book, one of the very best tho season has produced is "Tho Wonder Book of Children of All Nations, and the People They Live With" (Ward, Lock and Co., per Whiteombe and Tombs, Ltd.). Mr. Harry Golding, the editor, has provided an inexhaustible mine of wholesome entertainment for young people. As the title leads the reader to expect the book contains well-written descriptions of children of all nations and all lapds, even the most out-of-the-way parts of the globe being represented. The everyday life, education, £ames, and pastimes of the world's children are described in pleasantly-written articles, and not only youthful but adult readers can thereby gain much curious and interesting information, conveyed iiv a very agreeable way. Tho special feature of the volume, a handsome quarto, ' lies, however, in its. pictorial wealtlr, thei book containing twelvo handsome full-page coloured plates, and nearly three hundred illustrations in monotone. On a wet day and when .evenings are long, and "lessons" are over and done with, it is difficult to imagine a better book for young people to pore over than this capital publication. Stray Leaves. Evelyn 'Underbill, who has written so much on mysticism, anoient and modern, is also a poet. A new volume of verse from her pen, "Theophanios," is, I s,ee, announced by Messrs. J. M. Dent and Co.

In "Balliol Memories," by the Hon. A. E. Gatliorne Hardy (in the October "Cornhill"), there is a curious Tennyson story. One day, Katherine Bradshawy driving with her mother and Alfred Tennyson, looked at her watch. "Don't do that," said the. poet. "If it looks at will stop."

Miss Marjorie Bowen had, it was thought, deserted hor old and favourite subject, thp history of the 1 Netherlands for Italy during tho lloiiaissauce. It appears, however, that sho is returning to her old love, for Mothuen's announce yet another study of William of Orauge from tho pen of this popular author. Tho iie-w story is entitled, "William By the Grace of God," and is, in a way, a sequel to Miss Bureau's "Priuoe and Heretic."

A. Lan Maclcod, whoso powerful story of Australian life, "Hack's Brat," has just been published by Messrs, HocKler 'and l Stoughton, was born in Australia, at Newcastle, N.S.W., where she still resides. She has contributed n good many short stories to a. school magazine and to the "School of Arts Journal," both published in her native town, "Hack's Brat" is her first novel. She is still in her very early twenties, and was married only last year to Mr. ■Hardy Randall, also of Newcastle.