The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-10-17
New Publications.
A STRANGE AND WONDERFUL STORY

a SIhAN6E AND WONDERFUL STORY.
A valuable contribution to North American
ethnology, and one of the most interesting
volumes ever published relating to the customs
of the aboriginal races in America is that en-.
titled, "The Snake-Dance of the Moquis of
Arizona" by Captain John G. Bourke of the
United States Army. The publication of this
book is a qualification to many who know
what fund of curious lore with regard 20 the
indian races has been collected by Capt Bourke
which it was feared might be lost by some
casualty, before he bad Entrusted it to the
security of types, For twelve years or more
he has been attached to the personal staff of
General George Crook the famous Indian
fighter and equally famous peacemaker and
lclvillz9r, accompanying him in all his CAM
lpaigns and persuing with indefatigable zeal
and patience, investigations of the character
customs and history of the tribes with which
iul book is we trust but the first installment of
his accumulated stores of curious knowledge
and exciting adventure with which the nublic
will sometime be favored. We cannot more
concisely show the scope OF the volume than
by transcribiDg the full title, 1.-THE Snake.
Dance of the Moquis of Arizona" being q mar
rative of a journey from Santa Fe New
Mexico, to the villages of the Moquis Indians
of Arizona, with description of tn, manners
and customs OF this peculiar people, and es-
pecially of the revolving religious rite, the
Snake-Dance, to which is added brief dis
sertation upon serpent worship in general, with
an account of the tablet dance Of the Pueblo
of Santo Domingo, New Mexico"
We could not without taking up more spaca
than can be spared for the purpose, give anv
adequate account of the contents of the
volume. The Snake-Dance which is the chief
incident of the narrative is ceremony, which
in preparation and execution extends over
several days, and can be likened TO nothing of
which we have even read except some of the
barborous rites of the heather Asiatic races.
Captain Bourke, who, If not the first white
man ever admitted to witness this ceremony
is certainly the first to give full description
OF it to the world; has apparently spared no
pains in gathering every important detail and
setting it forth with graphic fidelity. To see
and learn the truth, he had to participate in
the performance and what that involved will
be partially understood when it is said that
the Snake Dance involves going into close
pit where rattle snakes to the plumber of more
than hundred, were uncaged and freely
handled, even being held between the teeth.
with no protection except the dexterity of the
Indian charmers. The women and little
children as well as the men were obliged to
handle and fondle the shiny reptiles, and the
whole business is one which it makes the
reader shudder to think of.
But the description of this peculiar rita OF
the Moqul Indians is really but small part of
the contents OF this volume Captain B Duke
has made the work valuable to scholars as
well as to those who read from curiosity only,
DOeh ~ eAo N@AlOby anu c4L6ub Ok information
he is able to give, obtained by his own inyesti-
CATION of the character of this strange people,
and by the light he has thrown upon them in
presenting the results of wide range of study
in history and ethnology.
The. publishers have shown their apprecia.
tlon OF the valuable nature of this book by the
handsome style in which it is issued Every
thing appears to have been done to make the
volume attractive and useful The illustra.
tons by Sergeant A. + Harmer, q. s. A. add
very much to the readers appreciation of the
text. Many OF them are colored, and show &C.
curately the costumes worn by the Indians and
the implements used by them.
The beautiful edition of volumes Of English
poetry known as the red line edition, published
py l. x. OroWeI q Co., is growing steadily
year by year. We have already noticed the
volume OF Rosetti's poems issued this year, and
now We have to mention three more volumes
one containing the poems of Mrs Dinah Ma
ria Mulock Craik, and the other two the al
ways delightful "Marmion" and 'Lay of the
Last Minstrel" by Sir Walter Scott. Neither
OF these volumes needs any introduction to the
intelligent reader on account of its contents
SCOTS romantic tales in verse rank with the
classics OF English literature, and will charm
tne lovers OF pure sentiment, noble magma
ton, and musical rhythm for generations vet
to come. Mrs. Mulock Craik is essentially a
poet of the affections and the home. Her SONGS
are dear to mothers and to children and to
men who have not learned to scott at what is
simple, sweet and pure. The red line edition
IS one OF the most attractive in which any of
these poems can be had, books that are beauti-
full within and without.
Comparatively few persons are acquainted
witt. the poems of Henry Timrod They are
few but choice. He lived in South Carolina
which is poor place for poet, at the best,
and he fell on the evil tunes of the war, when
the men and women of the South had some
thing else to think of than the announcement
OF literature. But he penned before his early
death some OF the best lyrics that have ever
come from that part of our land, and he will be
long remembered by those who cherish genu-
inc poetry. Messrs.I e. j. Hale g. Son of New
York who publish the thin volume of his COM
plete works edited by Paul 81. Hayne, have
printed separately in handsome illustrated
der and delightful poem addressed to Katie,
the English girl whom he married 1t abounds
in felicities of fancy and expression, and is a
very fine example of one feature of the rare
genius OF Henry Timrod.
Sunday school teachers and scholars will he
particularly pleased to know that a new Die.
tionary OF the Bible especially adapted in its
contents, size and Price to their wants has been
prepared by those well known workers In the
Sunday school field, Rev. r. N. ard M. A.
Peloubet. 1t is based upon the great four-voI-
ume work of DIR. William Smith, the most
complete and trustworthy book of this nature,
but which is unfortunately out of the reach of
the large majority of those who need compre-
hensive and convenient manual of informatio n
as an assistant in their Bible studies. This
handsome II mo- volume of more than 800 pa
ges, with maps and $40 illustrations, supplies
that need in an admirable way. 1t contains
references to the Revised Version of the New
Testament. 1t is also just the book for the
family library, answering the questions which
are constantly arising in every household
where the "book of books" is read.