Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-21
INTERESTING NEW BOOKS
Wide Range Of Subjects Covered by Recon,
Publications.
LITERATURE TO PLEASE ALL CLASSES
Or. sven Hedin Tells the story Of His
Explorations in Unknown COun-
tries Of Central Asia
Recent Fiction.

Attention was recently called to the highly
interesting account OF Henry Savage Lam
doris explorations in Tibet, and now we
have a second work along the same line, un-
der the title OF Through ASIA by DR..
Sven Hedin. The works are very similar
in binding, two volumes OF each, and they
would 90 together very nicely in the library.
In the contents there Is a still more striking
resemblance. as both are the personal re-
cital of adventure. hardship and suffering
encountered while exporting unknown coun-
tries In Asia.
In 1sSS-sO DR.. Sven Hedin visited Persia
and went on to Kashgar. He assembled the
lofty and interesting Mount Demavend,
8 900 feet, on the south Of the Caspian. All
this was only preliminary to the great I'M
d%ertaking, which has placed him among the
most notable Of the worlds explorers. On
his return to Sweden he obtained the sup
port OF King Oscar and one or two private
individuals for an exploring project, by
which he proposed to visit some Of the least
known regions of Central Asia. He set out
In October. 1893, and spent the greater part
OF 1894 in investigating the climate and
glaciers OF the Pamirs, THE Roof OF the
World" He made a careful study OF the
tributaries Of the famous Oxus. The Hottest
height OF the Pamirs is Mus-taghata, rising
$4,000 feet, on the eastern border OF the
plateau. He attempted to reach the sum-
NIT but failed, being forced to turn back
when an altitude Of 10000 feet had been
attained. The succeeding winter was spent
at Kashgar, where DR.. Hedin had ample
opportunity Of observing the curious life Of
that remote and ancient city. In February,
1895. he started eastward, exploring the
country between the Kashgar and Yarkand
rivers, making many important observations
in this little known region and correcting
existing maps. In April Of that year he
crossed the dreaded Takla-makan desert,
between the Yorkand and Khotan rivers, a
distance of 200 miles. This was the most
sensational Incident Of his varied experience,
for Il was here that for some days he was
without water and was all but dead when,
after crawling five hours, he found a spring.
Later he recrossed the desert and reached
the river Tarlm. From there he made his
way to Lop-nor, a lake region, Astounding
with mysteries. geographical and human.
From Lop-nor he returned to Khotan, and
thence made a long and interesting journey
through a country mostly UNEMPLOYED and
uninhabited, through the Kwen-1un noun .
tains to koko-nor and thence across the
Hwang-ho river to Picking. whence he made
his way home by way Of Siberia. Harper
& Bro. New York. Cloth. 2 vols, $40.
After reading of the stern realities Of life,
especially as experienced by the bold ex-
plorer into unknown regions, 1t Is something
in the nature of a relief to turn to a work
OF fiction with the consciousness that the
troubles and sufferings are but Pigments OF
the imagination. A Angel In a Web" is
q story by Julian Ralph, with supernatural
implications, dealing with the fortunes OF
an old American family that has for many
years occupied one Of the ancient manorial
estates on the Hudson. The "Angel' Is an
innocent, right-minded young woman. with
q nature SO unaffected by the world that she
comes bravely through q series Of rather try
ing situations. The "web" in which she IL
entangled is the influence exerted in her life
by the good and evil spirits of her ancestors
BY a bold stroke Of Imagination Mr.. Ralph
has presented these spirits in their astral
bodies and make them take an active par
in the young woman's fortunes. Though
spirits. they have retained their mundane
passions and are divided as to whether the
estate should go to her or a young cousin
who Is the villain OF the story. The better
spirits struggle in her behalf against the
champions Of her cousin. The action take,
place In the rural neighborhood of the
c~ononial manor and In part In New York
City and presents a strange combination Of
natural and supernatural elements. Harper
& Bro, New York. Cloth, $3.50.
F. Frankfort Moore has told q good story
Of fashionable English life in "A Fata'
Gift" 1t turns on the fortunes Of the thre,
Cunning sisters. Irish girls who were intro,
duced by an actress to titled society. som,
amusing scenes are furnished by one Of tn,
sisters. who Is as hoydenish as she is pretty
but the touch Of tragedy comes at the end
when one sister Is induced to kiss the lip!
OF a girl who has died Of smallpox. TIL,
story is interesting despite some rather i'm
probable features. Dodd. Mead & Co., New
York.
"The Lost City" by Joseph e. Badger, jr.
with eight full-page half-tones and a cove
design by L. ]. Bridgeman. is a thrilling
story OF a lost race Of Aztecs supposed t
inhabit the Olympian mountains in tn
heart of the state Of Washington. 1t 1
full OF exciting incident and details tn
many strange adventures that befell a part,
OF explorers who ventured beyond tn
mountain Businesses. Dana, Estes & Co.
Religious Works.
Our Unitarian Gospel" by NJ. J. Savage
Is a collection of sermons spoken in tn
Church OF the Messiah during the seaso
Of 1897 1898. They are printed as deliv
cred, not as literature, but for the sake G
preaching to a larger congregation tina
that reached on Sunday morning. George H
Ellis, Boston. Cloth, $500.