The New York herald., 1871-12-24
LIT E R AT RE.
CRITICISMS OF NEW BOOKS.

CfL111C1OMS OF' NEW BOOhS.
THE COUNTRY OF THE DwARPs BY Paul B. Du
Chailu. Win numerous engravings. Harper
Brothers: New York.
Our familiar and very interesting friend Paul On
Chailu makes his bow to the public again at this
holiday season Of the year with new book. "The
Country OF the DwarfsD is one OF a series OF
books. and, perhaps, hts best one, on Equatorial
Africa, which embrace great deal OF Instructive
NATTER details OF romantic and thrilling Incidents
ana valuable discoveries In part of the world that
had not been explored before Like Du Chaillu's
other later works, his annual productions-"Stories
OF the Gorilla Country" "Wild Life Under the
Equatorn ~Lost in a Jungle" and my Apingt
Kingdom"-this Is written In FREQ, easy and con-
versational STYLE The reader s carried along
smoothly. as when reading charming romance and
the scenes and adventures described, though real,
are so strange that they like the creation OF the
Imagination. In the "Country OF the Dwarfs'' we
see the inception OF grand project, the prepara-
tions for carrying 1t out and the events that marked
its progress till arrested by an unfortunate and
almost fatal catastrophe. This project nothing
less than to cross the African Continent near the
line OF the Equator from the Atlantic Ocean TO the
head waters OF the Nne ana thence to descend or
follow that river to the Mediterranean. II had long
been supposed tnat tue sources or head waters Of
the Nile were near the Equator and from what s
known OF them and the conformation OF the CONT
nent, 1t Is probable they not more than twenty
Degrees or 200 miles, and possibly not 900 miles.
from the Blight OF Biafra, the Commit country, on
the Atlantic, where Du Ohaillu landed, and from
where ne started on MS perious journey. by re-
ferring to the map OF Africa 1t will be seen that the
Continent narrows very much &C the Equator.
Twelve hundred or thousand miles ID
great distance, 1t is true, but the project
NJ linn Tn
was not impractical even IN that wiid
country Properly equipped, with suitable force,
and no extraordinary accidents, Mr. Du Chaillu
might have accomplished his object. When 1t Is
considered, too that he mad lived for years In that
climate previously knew and was friendly with the
negro tribes and their chiefs along the coast, and
understood their language. which would facilitate
his with other tribes Of the Interior the
scheme does not appear Quixotic. He was well
adapted in many respects for such an enterprise.
He deserves great deal Of credit for undertaking
1t, particularly as ne did so with his own limited
resources and without the aid Of scientific bodies,
governments the wealthy. He says OF this:-
''The abundant results Of the sale OF my adven-
lures In Equatorial Africa and the proceeds arising
from the disposal OF my gorillas, and my collection
OF beasls birds, insects and shells, alone enabled
me to undertake this new expedition, for not one
dollar has been given by any scientific society
to help me in my travels or explorations"
1t was, then, while marching through the
interior with the object mentioned In view.
through O country that no white man had
ever trod before, that he discovered the strange
tribe Of dwarfs OF which he writes In this book.
large portion OF the work, however, is devoted to
the journey throu9hous both before and after he
left the country OF tho dwarfs" and to the Incl
dents and discoveries all along. One OF tho most
interesting parts OF the book Is that which describes
the dinlcuty with the Ashangos, which compelled
him to return, and the hairbreadth escapes ne and
his followers had in fighting their way back against
hostile nations through tho jungle. No one can
read the book without feeling deep interest In the
narrative, while to young people, for whom It ap-
pears TO be especially written, 1t win prove source
OF great pleasure. For them 1t will rank with the
ARABIAN Nighrs' Tales" or "Robinson Crusoe"
The publishers have embelished 1t with numerous
engravings, aud have made 1t In every respect an
| attractive looking volume.
BORDER RExrNIscENoss BY Randolph B. Marcy.
United States Army; author OF Z" The Prairie
Border" '&o.
This book Ii Q compilation Of random sketches,
the results OF long personal experience IN sphere
Of life that has heretofore found but few chr0nicers
The book abounds with delfheatons OF incidents
and adventures. anecdotes and descriptions OF
queer characters The first chapter gives account
OF major OF the old regime. who had served under
General Jackson In the Greek Indian campaign and
at New Orleans, besides having performed mertori.
GUS services elsewhere, who never seemed more
happy than when fighting his battles over again
and recounring the prominent incidents Of his life.
The Majors conceptive faculties were eminently
fertile and vivid, while his memory was far from
being reliable; and the marvellous ned such abso-
lutte sway over every other attribute in his compost.
thaf fton IN m n q
dlglous long bow" The wonderful "yarns' that
this old soldier spins are really enjoyable. His
"Quadroon Ball. "IIigh Game OF Faro,n "Lantte
the Pirate" 'Whalng Voyage" absence without
Leave" "Post Fund Controversy, "Novel Shaving
Machine,n Extraordinary Shot," "Muskrat HUM
ingn and american Sovereignty are all side-
splitting. We append portion Of the latter
"yarn."
Shortly after the Greek war had occasion to
travel the district OF country where Captain II
| was mustered, which afforded me good Oppor-
tuniIy 70 Judge o. iS r merits. wmis up upon this TINS
In what regarded about the most fertile por
ton OF the state, and during tne evening number
or the neghb0r1nR farmers collected III the bar.
room OF the shantJ, where, induging in sundry
drinks Of applejack, they lit their cob pipes and
entered into conversation upon the subject OF their
crops, from which it appeared that the season had
proved unusually favorable, One OF them, who as
to be nabob oil the party, with air Of decided
selfgratincaton, took occasion to observe that his
| plantatl0n ndu ylelOeu tnaL season SOmetnnH ike
| ten bushels OF corn five bushels OF white beans,
two LOADS OF pumpkins, besides tair average OF
other less important products which would ena BILE
his family 20 subsisf bountlfully during the ap-
| prOacnlng winter
Several others OF the coterie, In succession, emu.
merated the products OF their plantations volunta.
rly, with the exception OF one exceedingly TAIL ank,
| looking inoIvidua. Who seated upon a rude bench
OF the cabin, with his feet resting against
the logs above his head and with his scanty apparel
| hanging In shreds and tatters about his loosely
| jointed ana boay person, continued ejectng tho
smoke In dense clouds towards the ROOT, while his
bear, Ke-staiDed and expressonless optics
turned up the same direction, indicative OF total
indifference to and abstraction from the irtvolities
OF all mundane concerns, and as he evnced no DIS
position TO communicate TO the assembly the results
OF agricultural experience one OF the party said
to him, mister Jeemes, has you been acropping
ont much this seezingf" The only response that
the distrGH individual cOndescended to make 10 this
query was emphatic ejaculation OF the interroSa
tive nronmn MKhfch 2N The question was then ra.