Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-04

has much interested us. 1t has its imper-
feotions, but their number is not great, and
they do not seriously mar the work. Steele
is of an observant turn of mind, and evil
IDENTIFY has his prejudices under complete sub
jecsien-that is, as much 80 as it is given to
men TO master Themselves Mr.. Steele's
criticisms of the Cubans and their island ap-
pear to be perfectly impartial, and de-
void of any of the color Of pre-con-
ceived opinions. He presents to US the
Cubans as they move in their daily life,
as they do business, as they worship in
their churches, labor in their feel g, and pre-
vail in the government of their country.
Spanish character, as it is manifested in Cuba,
is very clearly described, and very fearlessly
discussed. The Spaniard in Cuba is always
Spaniard. aud no years Of residence makes
him a Cuban, notwithstanding that his chill
dren born on the island become, in the most
positive sense, thorough Cubans. The Span
lard and the Cuban, though speaking the
same language, and owing allegiance to the
same Government, and though living together
in close society and even domestic relations,
yet ever look askancs at each other, and graf
ify themselves with grimaces behind each
others back. There is distinct but unex.
pressed understanding between them that
they shall hate each other. This, says Mr..
Steele, is the only point on which they are
agreed. The Cuban feels that he has not got
what he ought TO have; the Spaniard feels
that he has not been able to keep fully all
that was his. Mr.. Steele believes the Cuban,
as he j., to be as much the outg.owth and
product of climate as lie is of Spanish ances.
try. His considerations on this topic of char
acter as affected by climate are very inter.
esting. Referring to the industries Of this
people, Steele declares that they have no in
ventive ability. There are no Cuban inven-
tions; there is no patent Office in Cuba, nor
need of any, nor anything approaching to it.
There is no intelligence in the mind Ct the
islander concerning machinery; he seems to
be unable to catch any ideas about mecban.
ism. Mr.. Steele resided for six years in
Cuba, and his observations were of q charac.
ter that make their record in this volume one
of interest.
The ORIGIN OF NAIfaNs: EARLY CIVILIZATIONS,
EIHNIG AfFINrIIEs, ETC. BY George RawliDson,
N. A. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. San
Francisco: A. L. Bancroft s. Co. VOL; Syo /,
cloth.
These essays were originally contributed to
the Leisure Hour in 1876 and the preceding
year. At the instance of the Religious Tract
Society they have been grouped in this form.
Prof Rawlinson's object in these essays has
been to repel assaults upon the credibility of
the Bible. He began his work sixteen
years ago, and has prosecuted it dill
gently ever since. He holds that
there "really is not pretense for saying
that recent discoveries in the field of history,
monumental or otherwise, have made the
acceptance of the Mosaic narrative in its
plain and literal sense any more difficult now
than in the days of Bossuet or Stilingheet."
This conclusion he reached many years ago,
and ell that has been written since in dis.
proof of it has not shaken him in his first
statement. OF the arguments adduced
only two have seened of sufficient
Importance to him to merit special reply, to
wit: the doctrine that is based on the sup.
posed historical certainty of settled mon
archy having existed in Egypt from at less.
B. G. 5000 fact, if it we're fact, incom-
patable with the truth of the chronological
notices Of the Pentateuch. The other is the
asserted very early existence Of civilization
in various parts of the world-the claim, also,
that man was originally an absolute savage.
This. he holds, IT ouires the acceptance of the
belief that some such space as 100. 900 years
must have elapsed from the first beginning of
man to his development into his present civ
ilizsd condition. Against these two lines of
reasoning these essays are directed. The
author holds that there is not sufficient evil
dence of settled monarchy in Egypt prior
to about B. G. $500, and his reasons for this
belief lie sets forth with much fullness. He
holds that civilization can nowhere be traced
back to date anterior to that last given, ar d
he seeks to establish his point by general
survey of the ancient civilizations. Regard
ing it as a pure assumption that the primitive
condition of mankind was one of savagery,
he has endeavored to show cause
in favor of the opposite hypothesis,
that mans primitive condition was one very
remote from savagery, and containing many
of the elements of what is now termed civil
cation. These remarks will indicate to the
reader the scope and purpose of the book be-
fore US, and which is presented with all the
vgor and scholarly ability characteristic of
the distinguished author.
DOMESTIC FOLK LORE. By Rev. T. F. Thistleton
DYER, NJ A. New York Cassell, Peter l. Cal
pin. San Francisco: A. L. Bancroft Co.
A very pleasant little book. The udy of
:" Folk Lore" is receiving more and more of
attention. 1t results in the collection, clas-
siication and preservation of matter init
nately connected with historical research.
To trace the origin Of this class of history to
its original sources is no easy task. Modern
advancement is sweeping away rapidly the
vestiges of old beliefs and customs. 1t is
becoming more aud more difficult to deal
with the traditions of remote periods Folk
lore is thing the historian ordinarily de-
spises, and hence it is that we must lock to
special eff )rts of the order of that under no.
tice for anything of an exhaustive character
concerning this field of research. Professor
Dyer 10 the most terse and charming manner
lays bare for the reader the details of the
supers;i;ions of the psst-and not a few of
which still cling to the present-cor corning
birth AID infa,cY childhood, love and urt-
ship, marriage, desth and burial, the human
body, ar.i;lrs OF dress, table superstisions,
furniture Greens household superstitions
popular divir atoms, common ailinents AID
uisc. llapsous household lire.
From ID. Ap' leton & Co, New York, we
have the g Popular Science Monthly for
FeSrua'v. is papers of most prominence
ase The Seyea World Problems" by Emil
Du Bots Raymond; " How Animals Breathe"
by Il. l. Fairchild s. Dreams and the Max
ing of Dreams" by J. Mortimer Granville,
DIR. NJ Won Petterkofer; Longevity of the
Oyster, by Professor Samuel Lockwood "a
Glimpse Through the Corridors of Time" by
Robert s. Ball, LII. D F. R. $; "Epidemic
Commissions, by David W. Yaudell; lex
tension of the Signal Service" by Professor
J. Trowbridge; "The Fundamental Prob
lens If Physiological Chemistry" by DIR.
Edmund Drechssl; "a BotaDist of the Ninth
Century" by G. Hartwich; "Wild Animals
as Mans Associates" by Professor E. S.
Morse The Philadelphia Academy" by J.
s. Kingsley -" A Little Matter" by A. E.
Ouserbridge, Jr; Vibration of Rocks in
Patapsco Valley" by Frederic Garretson, Nj.
D.: sSketch of M. Sainte Claire Deville."
The "Atlantic Monthly" for February
(Houghton, Mifflin & Co.. BOSTON,, is at
hand. Its lending papers are "The Bay OF
Seven Islands," by John Greenleaf Whittier;
Some Traits of Bismarck" by Herbert
futile O. An Echo of Passion" ", ", by
George Parsons Lathrop; "Studies in the
South" II ; The Refunding Bill of 1881,
by J. Laurence Lsughlin; Toms Hus-
band" by Sarah Orne Jewett; " In the
Silent, the Silent November by George
Parsons Lathrop; Richard Grant White,
by E. P. Whipple; "Ember Days" ty
Edith Thomas Daniel Webster" by Henry
Cabot Lodge; Beethoven" by Oven Wis
ter; "O.igin of Crime in Society,"" BY
Richard L. Dugdsle A Contrast" by K.
G.; THE House of Merchant Prince" by
William Henry Bishop. and the usual depart
ments.
Harper's Magazine fer February is pro-
fusely and richly illustrated. The leading
rapers are: ga Clever Town Built bv Qua-
kers," by George Parsons Lathrop; French
Political Leaders" by A. Bowman Blake;
=" Valentines" by Mrs. I. w. Dewing; "The
American Life-Saving Service" by Martha
J. Lamb THE Wilson Industrial School
and Mission" by Miss F. E. Fryatt; IAN
Idle Poet +" "a poem). by I. III. Robertson
Henry Irving at Home" by Joseph Hat.
ton by the Winters Moon Ia story). by