The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-24
LITERATURE.



rug LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT Sun. Summer
and Winter Journeys through Sweden, Nor.
,,av Lapland and Northern finland by faui
r Du Challlu With map and 20 Illustrations.
In Two Vols Harper d Bros, New York Jan
sen. McClurg d Co., Chicago Osman " Hape-
man, Ottawa
Prolific as the last year has been IN me ooohs'
- has produced no two volumes more splendid
shan this edition by the Harper's OF Du Chaillu's
LAND OF the Midnight Sun" Perfect In typo
GRANNY, however, and gorgeous in Illustration
"a they are, the volumes are no more than IN
excepting with the rare Interest and wealth OF
their contents Mr.. Du Chaillu, though of eau.
casisn parentage, was born in Africa, where, on
attaining his manhood, he made such wonderful
Axplorstions and discoveries that IL was not unti
after his accounts of them had been published,
and their truth had been largely attested by 9th
or travellers, that the world consented to believe
them. Then, however, it was ready enough to
do him every honor.
That man reared under the burning sun OF
Africa, whose physique had proved itself superior
TO the hazards OF equatorial travel, should be
seized by fancy to put it to the seyerer test OF
resIdeuce in the very dominion of Old Boreas,
seems like foolhardness; yet our hero not only
spent Ave winters las well a. summers) in Scan
dinavia but came out OF the ordeal in enviabe
health.
HIS work was issued several months ago, 81
simultaneously in Denmark, Sweden, Germany,
France England and the United States, an hon
or, We venture to say, accorded to no other book
in this century; and having thus passed the
gauntlet of a worldwide criticism and being cv-
erywhere received with enthusiasm, it only re-
mains for us to echo the general verdict in pro-
nouncing il II work Of the rarest Interest and
merit.
Although Sweden and Norway are within a.
days easy access by rail of central Europe, II IS
singular that so comparatively little is really
known about them. But they are not on the
great highway OF travel, and the foreigner is sell
dom seen in the land, $50 that the natives are sim
oily what their surroundings have made them, and
their dress, customs and homes are in great
part unlike those of any other country" Yet
what people they are! In our readings of En-.
elish and Continental history, the idea we get OF
the ''Norsemen" is that they were the greatest
and most uncomfortable robbers and freeboot-
ers the world ever produced. Can 1t be possiblel
chat the simple. honest, trusting, inotiensiveI
people whom Du Chaiu describes are the des-
ccndants of such ancestry? La no Other country
is education 80 universal and general intelligence
30, widoop-oad. Yet ,cver was there d people sol
apparently guileless and unsophisticated. Where
else IN the world is the buyer trusted to make
out his own bills! Where else do parents go toI
bed before their daughters lovers arrivey lnl
what other country IL the common thief I'M
known and a Jail a rare institution, and where
else are prosecuting attorneys and bailifis with
out occupation?
But it would be idle to attempt, in a brief no.
tice, such as our space will permit, to indicate
even family the nature of the contents of these
most interesting volumes. After somewhat
lengthy review Of them by John liabberton, he
concludes: $50 thoroughly has the author inter.
rstad himself in Scandinavia that the reader can
ask scarcely question about the country that
the book does not answer. The geology of the
country the effects Of the glaciers, many OF
which are still at work, are infinitely set forth.
The development of the people is traced from the
stone age down to modern times, and even the
dwellings,, from the first departure from cave
life. described at length the text being Illus
&rsted by many engravings of houses at different
original discovercr of Scandinavia, but he Ger.
tajnly has the honor of being the first to make
known to the world the country as 1t exists to.
day"
HARrER's POPULAR CYCLopEDA OF UNITED
STATES History. From the Aboriginal Period
10 1876. Containing Brief Sketches Of Import.
ant Events and Conspicuous Actors. BY Ben
sou j. Losing, l.. l.. ID. illustrated by over
one thousand engrayings. Two vols New
York Harper IL Bros. Chicago: Jansen.
MCClurg IL Co. Ottawa: Osmnn Il lIapeman.
Price 81 per vol.
None of the great students OF American histo-
ry who have enriched our literature with the re.
suits Of their research-not even Goodrich or
Baucroft-haye worked with snch a life long de.
votion, or to a better purpose, than Benson J.
Tossing, the products Of whose pen take rank in
Che highest grade Of American classics. IL is
Dsti0s that such laborious and pains taking stu
deGt should signalize the years Of his ripe and
hale old age by the preparation of work like
TIE Cyciopedio now before us. The work, as the
title indicates, is encyclopedia record, in twol
volumes, of the most important events In the
history OF this country from the aboriginal peri.
odtO 1876, with the dates of their occurrence,
tseir local and general significance, and the con-
uecuon with other events; and il also comprises
large number of biographical sketches of per
sons who have been conspicuous in church and
state, la politics and socisty in war and peace
~ science and literature, together with mass of
valuable geographical, historical, statistical, an
si4uarian and generally useful Knowledge The
work has evidently been prepared with conscien
tious care, and may safely be relied upon as full,
accurate and intelligent book Of reference rela.
tive TO all the facts of our national history There
Is no other work extant that can pretend to take
Its place. nor can we conceive how, in its scope
and execution, it could be improved upon.
HAfnEH's YOUNG PEoPLE-lSSl New York; Uar
per d Bros. Chicago: Jansen, McClurg * Co.
Ottawa: Osman d. Hapeman