The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-09-27
Recent Publications.

Scr bpeT, Arm strong q Co., have pnb-
llshed translation OF Jules Vern's story,
ga Journey to the Centre of the Earth"
The character, design and treatment of the
W rk are very similar to his ''Twenty Thou
sand Leagues under the Sea-" and ''Fiye
weeks in Balloon" M. Verne presents in
these fantastic tales vast amount of useful
;nforp alton and suggests many curious the
ories in most attractive form. He is a
geographer of high repute and sauan OF
large attai2ments. This volume presents an
eccentric, enthusiastic AMI learned prof, ssor
of Hamburg. who finds manuscript cypher
in an antique volume, of which he discovers
the meaning after much effort by the aid Of
his nephew. The cypher is that of an an
cient Iceandic alchemist and points out
path to the centre of the earth through
the crater OF Sneffels in Iceland. The pro-
fessor at once resolves to follow that path
makes .apid but careful preparation and
starts, taking along the nephew who tells the
story. The trip to Iceland is told in that
graphic style with which cur readers became
familiar in the account of Phileas Fogg's
Tourney around the World in Eighty Days
The adven.urers there employ Hans, phleg
matte Icelander, as guide and servant. de-
scend the crater, make their way by suhter-
ranean galleries and deep pits, which they
descend by means of ropes, to the Cert tral
sea on which they embark on a raft, made
from petrifed trees light enough to float, en-
counter terrific electric s.orms, find uncom-
fortaby vigorous and lively specimens of the
gigantic prehistoric animals and forests of
the vegetation of the same period, are caught
in fierce current Of water and carried for
days with inconceivable rapidity through in
tricate channels and are finally elected in
very diapidated condition through the crater
of Stromboli. Vicssitudes, marvellous Incl
dents and hair breadth escapes mark the
whole journey.
The volume possesses the fascination
which the author is wont to impart to bis
writings and, despite the feelings that the
whole thing is absurd and the general indis-
position to be deluded into receiving useful
information, it is difficult to leave the book
after once beginning. 1t is profusely and ad-
mirably illustrated, printed on tinted paper
and handsomely bound. 1t is desirable
book. For sale by Loring Short & Harmon.
By and By. An Historical e ,nance of
the Future. BY EDWARD Maitland.
The volume under consideration is spec-
men of the literature of prophecy which lis
author has had the honor of introducing TO
the public. Already he has favored the read
ing world with two volumes of prophetic fic-
tion, the Higher Law and the pilgrim
and the Shrine" "By d By though
quite as entertaining as its predecessors, lacks
the charm Of novelty which causes them 10
be SO attractive. 1t is according to the au-
thor, an attempt to depict the condition Of
the world at time when 1t shall have made
such advance in the solution Of the problems
which harass the present that individuals
will be able to fashion their lives according to
their preferences A modern state of society
is depicted in the Triangle" three sided
building, of which one side is occupied by
married 'ople, ore by maids and one by
bachelors Great discove les rave been mace
III the time supposed to have elapsed si ce
the present era. Aerial navigation is an ac-
complished fact, the ice fields of the po,es
are in a state ofcultiv ton, the arid wastes
OF Sahara are made fertile by oceanic ana ri
parian inundations, and international dis
putes are settled by the Court of Nations.
The book is vastly entertaining and alone
with some wild theorizing contains much
pregnant thought.
ubshed by G. p. Putnam's Sons. For
sale by LoIing, Short & Harmon.
The Unity of Natural Phenvmeuo From,
the French of Fmiie saiscy.
The Publishing houst of Estes and Lauriat
here present us with really valuable aork.
Though the volume is as lar removed as il
well can be from what has been iacetiously
termed the ''yellow-covered literature of SCI