New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-03
PHILADELPHIA LITERARY NOTES.

PORTER 4 coArEs's PUBLLCArioNs-A TRANSLATION
OF TEE COUNT DIX PARIs's BOOK IN PREPARATION
-BuTIER's WILD NORTH LAND-A NEW HIsToR'-
CAL CHART ISSUED BY CLAYTON, REMsEN HAT
YELFINGRR.
800. TEE ppnr. An CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 3o.-The announcement
q, the early Of an edition OF the
Sount de Parss history Of the Rebellion translated oy
eompetent hands will be sure TO be received Win
Measure by thousands Of expectant readers whose IN
Vereet has been awakened by the favorable criticisms IN
>ne and magazines on the two volumes OF
H. work which have already appeared In Paris The
suhsbers who will bring out the translation are Mesrs
Porter Coates Of this city, and the first volume may
d looked for In November December. Mr.. L. Tasis-
ero Of Washington, formerly translator Tor enc e.ao
Department. has been engaged to prepare the Enghsh
verson and value Of the work to American readers
viii be considerably enhanced by careful editinR ana
snpetaton at the hands of distinguished geDera ON
Ger Of the army whose the publishers 40 not YET
feel Al liberty to make public 1t expected that the
work will make three thick octave volumes The large
.naps which accompany the French edition will be re-
Aueed in size 80 to be bound with the ettcrpress
An interesting volume Of travels, entitled 1.-THE Wild
North Land has Just been published by Messrs Porter
Coates The author Maj W F. Butler OF the British
army and the region described that almost unknown
country living west Lake Winnipeg and the chain OF
lakes stretching thence northward to Lake
MAI Butler struck westward and north from
Fort Garry on Red River Of the North to the fur
trading post head of Athabssca Lake. whence ne
followed the Peace River its sources in the Rocky
Mountains which crossed at about latitude 67 Iurh
ing southwark he struck the valley OF the Fraser RIVER
and ended his Journey at its mouth. Perhaps the most
valuable practical of his explorations is the ais
eoyery claimed by him, that the best, and IN fact the
only feasible route for Canadian racine haro"o 10
far north Of the Valley OF the Saskatchewan which the
Butler asserts that beyond the Tete Jeune Pass,
selected for the point OF crossing the rabke'
imposing obstacles will be found in the Cascade
Mountains and IN the Fraser River ITSELF whlch
COWS in mighty fssure. Tue road would either nave
20 follow southwark and encounter the ire
nenGous caous the Cascade cross the gorge
1XO feet deep and mile wide, at the bottom OF
which the flows The true route for the railroad
H. according to the author by way OF the Peace RIVER
Pass about 400 miles further north or through pass
20 miles further south known only 10 the Indians Inc
highest elevation Of the Peace River Pass Is only lsoo
feet and the average depth of the Winter snowfall
feet West of the there are no Formidable
obstacles to the construction Of railroad, which ne
thinks should follow the valleys OF the Parsnp ana
Eacharole Rivers and reach the Pacific at the head OF
Deans Inlet 800 miles north Of Victoria. great deal
OF the country along this line on both sides OF the
mountains described fertile and valuable for settle
nent II the authors views correct, and the DIM
cutes of the route by the Saskatchewan and Fraser
Rivers are in reality practically insnrmouDtable, the
whole project OF Canadian Pacific Railroad becomes
visionary for 1t is highly improbable that an attempt
will he made in this century 10 build road as far north
o. the River fertile though that region may be In
comparison with the dreary wastes along the Saskatch-
evan.
valuable aid to historical study and convenient
book of reference IL Llbbertons Historical Chart, just
published by Messrs. CaxtoD Remsen Hafelfnger
The second title OF the work, History Taught by the
Eye" explains its purpose single phrase The book
the eye wears OF the whole worlds history dvi ded
into decades Every nation is assigned peculiar color
and perpendicuar space OF its own, which widens or
ahsorhs the space OF other countries or disap
pears, 1t subugates such countries or is It.
een y them Tue great advantage OF the chart lts
presentation 10 the mind OF the entire field or history IN
pertance of various nations and by condensed notes
running down tue column assigned 10 each exhibiting
the chef events and actors IN their history history as
usually taught IN schools by the successive STUDY Ol
national histories is APT TO leave erroneous impressions
from the fact that the country OF which each book treats
u uDduy magnfed Ill Importance, while all other coun-
tries thrown obscure background from winch
wars or dynasuc alliances with the subject of the
suth0rs narrative TGus the whole world Is made TO APP
fault with this method that unevenfu centuries Of
peace are disposed OF in few pages, while chapters
normal periods in nations life. DR.. LaoDertons
soaIt enables the STUDENT lnns co Ino oto
another, 10 take in the whole domain OF known his
tory gwen date, and see what part each nation
was playing at that time in the drama of tue worlds
progress whether its power was growing OF declining
what rulers it bad, what it waged, what cities II
built, and what men OF genus IL produced. Tue unity
OF history is thus preserved and no country lost sight
Of because u Kept peace with its neghbor or given
Importance in the colored because of
tte warlike propeusilies Tue chart furnishes. IN
short. graphic and accurate synehroDisc ana accu-
rate chronological table, and beside It's value as text
book for schools is convenient book OF reference
There MINOR anlts in the work. which may be
mentioned. China does not appear at all upon
the charts, although Persia occupies great
deal Of space The Austrian Empire figures in the col
smn OF Germany, distinguished by separate color
from Prussia whereas later times at least should
be shown separate power being in fact distinct
from Germany III its national lite and purposes is
Russia France. Some space ought TO be given. too
TO Mexico, Brazil, aud the south American Republics.
With devoted expressly the crowded history Of
the last centuries these defencles could be sup
pied