The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

In the early part of 1891 Mrs. May
French Sheldon, wife of an American
banker domiciled and doing business in
London, went to Zanzibar, and there Or
ganized and equipped caravan, in which
she was the only white person, and per-
sonally led it into the interior OF Africa
In the course of her travels she visited
thirty-two tribes, some OF whom had
never before seen white face. She
brought back from the Dark Continent
the largest collection of curios, nipple
ments of war, and products OF native
metal workers ever seen outside OF Al
RIGA; and, what is of quite as much value'
the most accurate account of the habits,
customs and inner life of the natives of
East Africa that has been published in
the world.
The results of her journals and re-
searches and the account of herremark-
able xpedition-remarkable even for
man, marvellous for a woman-are en-
bodied in handsome book entitled Sui
tan to Sultan, by M. French-Sheldon
(Bebe Bwana) and published by the
Arena Publishing Company, Boston.
The volume is finely printed on coated
paper, bound in rich African red, silk
finished cloth and made more valuable
by multitude of illustrations. The
price, SIS. Autograph copies, to be OBJ
tanned directly of the publisher, are is
sued up to limited number.
Mrs. French-Sheldon made a royal
progress through Africa in apalanquin
of wicker work covered with green avn
ing and gilt fringe, and lined with vel
low silk. She was accompanied by one
hundred and thirty-eight black men and
half as many black women. Whenever
she appeared before Sultans or natives
of distinction, she wore court gown OF
white silk covered with silver gauze,
made by Worth, jewelled sword, belt
and dagger. The gown was covered
with stage Jewels. In this regal array she
Captured the awe-stuck natives, who
hailed her as the White Queen. We
opine that in quite another way, and that
is by her spirited and picturesque MARIA
tive, she will win the admiration OF
host of white people.
A sumptuous holiday edition of de-
lightful book is that of Charles Dudley
Warmers In the Levant, Boston:
Houghton, Miflin & Company; Port
land: Loring, Short g. Harmon. Price
s5.Oo,) in two volumes, illustrated by
photographers. The rich beauty of the
binding in dark greens and reds, the
broad margins and large, clear type upon
paper that it is pleasure to touch, and
the pictured pages, which are both aid
and emphasis to the text, form appro-
pirate and deserved setting to tale OF
travel that takes high and unique place
in our literature; that has all the verbal
charm of Eothen with fine wit that's
wanting in that work, all the grace AID
humor of the Howadji with yirile
strength that we seek in vain through
the earlier Americans pages, fascinat-
ing though the Nile Notes be. The sew
enteen years since the book was written
have but served to strengthen it's posi-
ton as modern classic, and this fitting
edition will be welcomed as the due Of
the author and the public.
Barbara Dering by Amelie Rives,
rather silly story and so far fit sequel TIC
the Quick or the Dead, is at once de-
fence, defiance and exegesis-defence
and explanation of the first story, def
ance of it's defamers. The keynote is
struck in the following quotation from
the Phadrus of Plato: Every dis
course, once written, is tossed about
from hand to hand, equally among those
who understand it and those for whom
it is in nowise fitted; and it does not
know to whom it ought, and to whom it
ought not, to speak, and when misun-
derstood and unjustly attacked, it al
ways needs it's parent to help it; for, I'M
aided, it can neither retaliate nor defend
ITSELF Parental aid does not strike us.
in the present case, as of much avail
The book Barbara Dering has some mi
nor faults and one major-it is tiresome.
Despite scarlet sentence here and there
that recalls the Amelie of a Brother to
Dragons, the story is both dull and triv-
ial. The book is beautifully bound in
slate and silver. philadelphia: j. B.
Lippincott Company. Price $1.25.)