A TRUE AUSTRALASIAN MAGAZINE

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 638, 28 January 1914, Page 2

A TRUE AUSTRALASIAN MAGAZINE

The February issue of "Life" is the breeziest and most widely representative number of this popular Australasian magazine we have seen. The frontispiece depicts a series of adventures with a kangaroo on a wayback station in New South Wales; a railway president in a stirring sketch shows how the breakdown gang of a great railway system works; Mr A. H. E. Mattingley, the premier Nature photographer of Australia, outlines in a succession of wonderful pen and camera pictures the life-story of the penguin; Mr Carlyle Smythe writes a vigorous article on Australia as a colonising power, and an anonymous writer criticises freely the administration of the Northern Territory. Of course, Dr Fitchett handles the political history of Australia and New Zealand for the past month in his usual masterly fashion. Even the instalment of Jack London's serial story, "The Valley of the Moon," deals with the adventures of a couple who are seeking to find a home on the land, and the lessons they learn in the search apply with equal force to this country and its inhabits, as to America and the Americans. Of what might be called the outside features of "Life," the most notable this month are a fine review of the story of Scott's journey to the South Pole, published by Smith, Elder and Co., and an unusual offer in connection

with Captain Amundsen's proposed drift to the North Pole. Captain Amunaeen, in order to augment tbe funds necessary to equip this expedition, has persuaded the postal authorities of the world to consent to the issue of special poet cards, which will be taken to the North Pole, there stamped with a special post mark, and posted to any person in any part of the world who cares to pay 2s 6d for the privilege. The publisher of "Life" and "Everlady's Journal" haa been asked to take charge of those post cards which are allotted to Australia, and they are offered to readers at 2s 6d each. The departmental side of "Life" is as usual quite up to the standard, and completes a sixpenny magazine that every busy man should buy.