New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-13
ROCKS ABOUT JAPAN.


BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN.
RAMBLEs IN JAPAN The Land Of the r R =
s Sun By ~ rsa nrs' Wh i've
by Edward WhympeI from Sketches sos ana hnTto
r. Revell Company.
NOTES IN JAPAN BY Alfred Parsons. with IL
ust-ations by the Author. PIP. XIV 22s Harper
Bros.
WORLD 5P P a1 Rnas of the %S H Sf ae
lions by =. H Robinson PIP XII. 1875 Macmillan
Co.
THIS GooDIy FRAME THE EARTH rr ,.s Stray I'm,
Journey Touching ~ nnc GhHa EsyP M 3
Houghton, Miffn * Co
The most interesting part Of Canon Trstrams
book is that for which he tenders an excuse. He
may well trust that his readers will forgive him
as field naturalist for many illusions to zoology
and botany" He had found in buying Japanese
specimens in England that they were likely to be
all labelled as having been obtained at Yoko-
hama Information about as useful to the natu-
ralist as 1t would be to say that bird from
some retired nook Of England was found in Liver
pool The information of a scientific character
which he has given Is located definitely, and
doubtless the collections which he made In 70
ology and botany lack nothing In the way OF spe-
cifc remarks He discovered not little enthu-
sasm and aptness among the rural japanese lof
the work of a field naturalist once, while no
was taking butterflies with a net. he found tina,
two natives had success fully initiated him. ana
they had watched him to such good purpose that
their captures were we'll kept as his own
They gracefully offered me-" ne adds, the fruits
Of their chase. and when accepted and thanked
them giving them two-sen piece. they beamed
b. ,,,,1
At Nikko he was charmed by the enthusiasm and
intelligence of lad employed by native col
ector The boy initiated the note and action of
every bird In rOprs than one hundred species
represented by the skins which the collector Of
fered for GALE Whether it were the jerking Of
the black water-ousel or dipper, the skimming
of the swallow the dash Of the swift. the chatter
of the jay, or the sudden whistle Of the bush
warbler as 1t darts up a reed, each one was per-
fectly represented" AS became naturalist,
Canon Tristram visited many out-of-the-way
places in Japan. and saw much village and coun-
try life He studied the various religions OF the
Empire and his account Of the work done by
Christian missionaries, though moderate in
words Is highly favorable.
Alfred Parsons also had natural objects In mind
much OF the time while he was in Japan. But
with the eye and temper of artist. he turned
to the trees and the flowers. The aspect in detail
OF forest and field and garden in spring, in sum-
mer at the time Of me lotos, and in the autumn.
is what engrosses his pencil and pen. and finds
expression in exquisite drawings. He takes in
terest In the people. too but. after all. they are
less attractive than fine. picturesque old cryptic
meria a massive wlstaria vine In full bloom, a
garden full Of hydrangea, or a chrysanthemum
show in Yokohama. The flowers and plants
which he has pictured and described in this vol
ume are bewildering in number. Venerable tenn
pies are only an excuse for suggesting by line
and word the wealth Of flower and foliage that
surrounds them. Even the great peak Of Full
which he depicts from many points of view. would
have lost some OF It's interest for him II ne cou6
not associate 1t with fine group of trees at tha
point where the Tokaido Railway crosses the
Abekawa River o, with the historic palm tree at
Ryugegi or weather-beaten red pine al Yoshldo,
with grassy slopes, moors bright with flowers and
wet lowlands green or golden with rice
Mr.. FINDERS japanese legends are in the main
those considered sacred by the adherents Of the |
Shinto religion. The more disagreeable features
OF these tales either obscured or omitted al
together. In this form. we'll every other |
that has been given 10 them. they stir a multi |
tude of unevailing questions to their origin. |
Where the Japanese could have got an Orpheus |
and Eurydce 50 ike those of the West as TO be |
and SO unlike as to seem carcatures |
is difficult TO imagine They have a divine legend !
that answers to Jack and the Beanstalk. only |
Jack is a malicious deity and the giant is
placed by the charming and long suffering Amat-
erasu. goddess OF the sun But Mr.. Kinder gives
only part Of this legend. The episode Of the first |
eclipse Is certainly fine the best Of the Euro
pean fairy tales.
Mr.. Tiffany did not confne his observations to
Japan. But he practically began there; and
what he showed himself there, such he re-
manned to the end Of his journey. He many
things. But. after all. it is not as book Of OBJ
servation, but that OF genial philosopher
whose thoughts were stimulated rather than d-
rected by what he saw, that his volume will be
read. There is quaint humor and quaint wis
dom in it, q kindly spirit toward every form Of
'aith and even toward rudeness of manners but
here is not half as good view in 1t Of This
Ioodly Frame the Earth" there is of the au-
nor himself.