New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-18
WILLIAMs,s MIDDLE KINGDOM.

TIE MIDDLE KINGDOM. A Survey OF the Geog,,
History OF the Chinese Empire and its Inhabitants
BY s. WELLS WILLIAMS, Ill R Rev sr EDITION m
with illustrations and a new map OF inc EnPiio' III
two volumes. Charles Scribners SONS
Few books are better entitled to revised edltloh
than DIR. WilIiams's sMiddle Kingdom" For
thirtv-fvc years it remained at once the 1ulesI,
most accurate and most entertaining account vi
China and though several ambitious works on the
same subject have been printed during the past ten
years. of them surpassed this classic but III
tbirtv-five years so many changes have occurred,
even in conservative China, that the most careful
hook mnst have stood in need of revision, and III
fact DR. Williams has found it necessary to increase
the bulk of the original work about one-thlrd,
Though he has sought to exclude all irrelevant and
sunerauOus matter. Naturally the principal
changes are connected with the revolutions OF chi
nese policy occurring during the past fiveand-thrty
years. and these have been so considerable, rs re-
gars the outside world as to require thorough ex-
position The author has not considered hlIhsel
called upon to make any considerable modlhcatIoh
of his original chapter on the Chinese census al
lcging that the data for accurate calculations aIe
not accessible, while the estimates OF Foreigners
have of late years tended to approximate mort
closely than before to his own. chapter is given
TO the Tapping Rebellion, and another to recent
events in China The chapters on Chinese lItera-
ture and upon the natural history of the country
are fuller than in the first edition. Many new Mus
tratious have been introduced, and eSpeclaly
should be noticed new map of the Empire Whlch
appears to be very careful and accurate though Oh
course there must be much guesswork in any eart"-
graphic illustration of country so impcrfecty sur
vcyed The work in its new form comprises wv"
large and handsome octave volu mes. The printers
and publishers have done their part very credItabS
In fact. the revised edition of the Middle King
4 4 Int a.s1f. al
work geographically speaking, that has issued for
a long time from American presses From a literary
standpoint it must be regarded the best general
work on China cxtant and therefore as indispcnS-
able to the reader who wishes to obtain c0mpTc-
hcnsive view of the wonderful country ana people
it treats of.
AMERICAN COLLEGES: Their Students aud Work by
CHARLES F. TIMING. 1Gmo. pp. 213 c. r. lutnam's
SOns.)
This is a revised and enlarged edition of practi-
cal and interesting little book which first appeared
five years ago. Professor Thwug has made changes
in nearly every page. has taken account Of recent
improvements in met hods of instruction and COURSES
of study has brought down the statistical inform
alton 10 the latest dates. and has added three new
chapters, on " Wealth and Endowment a Ma
tional University" and " We ans Education Th"
figures presented in the first Of these additions will
probably surprise even those who have paid SOHO
attention 10 the subject Professor Thwing does not
favor the scheme f'ra Nat onal university, the oh
rctioms 10 which lac states very forcibly The advo-
Gates of co-educaton will find stron" support IN
the statements he has collected respecting the re-
suits Of the system where it has thus far been tried
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLAss Etc. BY
KATE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Co. T.. Putnam's sons.l
This is a vo,ume of fairy plays for children. IL
is always difficult to say how far such productions
meet or fail to meet the childish ideal. Certainly
the delightful fun of Alice" and Through the
LookingGlaSs" ought to be within the scope of the
average child's comprehension, and in fact expert
ence has shown this to b. the case Whether these
fantasies are adapted for dramatzation however, is
Guite another question. and one which suppose
can only he solved by inspection Of the pub
lshers books at the end of the holiday season. The
book is very neatly printed and bound