The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-11
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

MY SECRETE LoG-BoKE One of the most
curious volumes ever issued from the press is
this 'Secrete Log Boke" of Christopher Column
bus, giving day by day the events OF the voyage
OF discovery and the hopes and fears of the great
navigator who commanded the little fotila. The
log book is of course work of Imagination, but
it hes been written with such cleverness and
made with such painstaklng artistic irreguarity
that it reflects the greatest credit on it's designers
and publishers, the Brentanos 1t ie printed in
the old block-letter style of the fifteenth GEN.
tury. on heavy parchment, and through it are
scattered rough but strong sketches supposed to
have beer done by the hand of Columbus The
fact that the book is written in the English lam
guage 10 explained on tn theory that Columbus
wished TO guard it's contents from the knowledge
OF his rough companions IL by any chance it
should fall into their hands. His design in keep
ing this secret log-book in addition to the usual
ships record was that, should disaster threaten
his fleet, he might cast it overheard, and thus
possibly convey to the world some intelligence
of his adventures and fate. So, the ingenious
author of the romance tells us through the final
entry IN the log, II great storm threatening the
destruction of the ship, Columbus incloses the
volume in u water-tght box and throws it into
the sea. After knocking about in the ocean for
four hundred years this box is cast up on the
shores of England, and here we have the odd
looking parchment volume, stained. Drowned,
and wrinkled by centuries of soaking in salt
water and overgrown with seaweed among
which small shells nestle This picturesque SOU
venir OF the discovery of America can be had at
Brentano's.
ON THE BLOCKADE. BIZ Oliver Optics
This is the latest issue in the "Blue and the
Gray series of this widely popular and wonder
fully productive writer for young people. Oliver
Optic has assuredly the happiest faculty of riv-
citing the attention of his readers, of arousing
their sympathy for his heroes, their hatred for
his wicked people, and withal a. ling his books
with an endless succession of stirring incidents
which make his pages fairly glow with action.
ION the Blockade" is story of the late war, and
its incidents take place mostly on the Southern
coast, the centre of naval operations. Many of
the personages in the preceding volumes of the
series will be met again with pleasure in this
one Lee & Shepard, publishers, Boston.
ANOTHER FLOCK OF GIRLS. BIZ Nora
Perry. There are FIVE stories in this volume,
written in Nora Perrys freest, breezest, and
most wholesome style. with a lesson in each and
some very life-like characters who talk and act
in delightfully."- human way. NAY Bartletts
Stepmother," first of the five, is quite long
story whose object it is to show that stepmothers
are not always such terrible people, and that
they nave their place and use in society, The
other stories entitled "Ju-Ju's Christmas
Party,""A New Years Call" "Jennys Lark
and sally Green's Clam Bake Party" 1t is a
Little, Brown s. Co., publishers; for sale by
Robert Beall, Pennsylvania avenue.
/: THE DRIFTING ISLAND. By Waiter Vent
worth. AS the subtitle of this book, 1.-THE Slave
Hunters of the Congo" indicates, this is a story
of the Dark Continent and forms a sequel to
"Kibboo Ganey; or, The Lost Chief of the Copper
Mountain" 1t is book for boys. neatly bound
in blue, well printed, and illustrated. Bob and
Ted, the two heroes, go to the Congo country in
caor ,.Nfn II ,,,l; 60
a series of curious, thrilling. and perllous expe-
rences with man eaters, dwarfs, giant serpents,
save-traders, gorllas, crocodiles and other deni-
zens OF the African wids. The story is told in
pleasant familiar style. Roberts Brothers. pub
fishers; for sale in Washington at Brentano's.
THROUGH MAGIC GLASSES. By Ara-
bella B. Buckley. This well-made and profusely
illustrated volume is intended to famliarize
young people with some of the marvellous facts
which can be studied and enjoyed by the help of
optical instruments. There ten lectures on
as many different subjects, including descrip-
tion OF the more important features of the
moon, the use of lenses, microscopes, telescopes
etc.; Fairy Rings and How they are Made"
IAN Hour with the Sun,""An Evening Among
the Stars" etc. The text is abundantly illus
trated with fine. clear woodcuts. d. Appleton
& Co., New York, are the publishers and Bren-
tano has the book on sale in this city.
Mr.. Moncure d. Conway is preparing for an
early number of Hdrper's an illustrated article
on the English ancestry of the Virginia Wash
ingtons. Mr.. Conway has discovered number
of new facts and documents corroboratory of
the general theory advanced by Mr.. Henry F.
Waters
The remarkable favor with which the recent
story of edward Burton" by Henry Wood. has
been received has induced the publishers. Messrs.
Ian py or6 10 IT,
paper covers to give it broad circulation.
Mr. j. Il. Trowbridges capital story of "The
Three Scouts" has been published by Lee g.
Shepard in their Good Company Series" of
paper-bound books. The type is clear and the
paper of excellent quality.