New-York tribune., 1905-07-21
CHRYSE THE GOLDEN.
The Story of the Unfolding of It's
Geographic Mysteries.

FURTHER INDIA. Being the Story OF Explora-
ton from The Earliest Times in Burma Mslaya
G. With map in colors and forty-eght illustra-
Crown svo pp. viii. ss7 Frederick A. Stokes
Company.
10 is difficult to realize that this volume was
written by one who has spent many years in
the countries described. and is himself init
mately familiar with much of the region covered
by the travellers whose journeys he relates. He
has so stripped their stories of everything but
the bare facts of where they went and of their
personal adventures that the book might
well have been compiled in an English library
from the printed records. There is plenty OF
the picturesque imsginings of the ancient geog
raphers but nothing Of the picturesque
ahties revealed to the modern explorers AL
most the sole value of Mr. Cliford's work,
cordingly. is in affording record OF the individ
uals and expeditions that at various times criss-
crossed the peninsula, and in assigning the credit
of initial discoveries Even this value is. to
certain extent, discounted by the fact that the
author follows a different spelling of geographi-
cal names from that adopted by the caTtog
rapher whose map he binds in for reference.
while many OF the places mentioned not
even charted- On more than one occasion he
refers to Illustrations which do not appear In
the book
Fortunately there IS IN the appendix long
and exhaustive list Of reference works from a
3udicious selection Of which the reader may
rlothe this skeleton outline with the flesh and
blood Of human interest. The author, however
has preferred to arrange these works not alpha
betically by titles or authors, but chronolog-
scally. by date Of publicaton-an order logical
enough IN theory, but rather confusing in prac-
tice especially IN the case Of reprints "The
Book Of Ser Marco Polo" for instance, is sand
wfched between the Voyage" OF GARNER and
Slaoens Report on the Bhamo Route" How
ever. though we gather few glimpses OF
what constitutes the real interest OF the land
from Mr.. Clifords volume the story he tells of
the unfolding OF its geographical mysteries is
not without its appeal to the general reader. and
Il certainly fulfls useful purpose for the stu
dent He shows how the almost mythical
Chryse the Golden was first conceived by the
old map maker, Pomponius Me1a, A. D. As, as
small island off the coast of Asia and beyond the
mouth Of the Ganges, which had until then been
regarded in Europe the easternmost limit OF
The habitable world. In the maps OF Ptoemy,
founded the Information derived from the
works Of Marinus Of Tyre in the second century.
the island assumes its peninsular form and be-
comes the Golden Chersonese.
Situated on the main sea route between China
nd India, the region and fits peoples seem
-angely TO have been passed by in the greater
,erest aroused in Europeans by its two greater
ighbors. The medieval wanderers Marco Polo
nd odoric the Franciscan frair, added little of
authentic information to what already
known or guessed about it The Portuguese fill
busters Of the sixteenth century but skirted it's
coast line. or at most gained precarious foot
hold in few Of its seaports. The East India
companies of Holland and England succeeded in
establishing posts in the interior on the main
trade routes but It was not until the latter half
flf nfp
Jloration of the interior was undertaken by
properly equipped expedition under the French
naval officers De Lagree and GARNER. The
latter was the inspiration Of the venture, but,
account OF his youth, the command was in
trusted TO his superior officer Mr. Clifford de-
votes over d hundred pages Of his book to
synopsis Of Carriers account of the adventure.
A dreamer of dreams, he saw visions Of an en-
pre won for France which might equal, If not
transcend. the empire which Give had wrested
from the hold Of Duplex: statesman bent upon
developing the resources Of the colonies which
France had already conquered he thought to
IND In the upper reaches of the Mekong trade
route which should divert the commerce of the
Chinese empire from her own ports to those of
French Indo-China-" Disappointed in his am
bition by the unfavorable nature of the great
watercourse. he nevertheless added much TO the
knowledge Of the peninsula and stimulated the
spirit OF exploration In others. He visited the
wonderful temple of Angkor Wat and other re-
snains Of the ancient Khner civilization, but
without throwing much new light on those
antique monuments or the race that built them
AZ the writer IN his concluding chapter says:
The tale is told and Chryse the Golden stands re-
Tealed TO US, robbed of its magic and mystery Just
a. common fragment OF the earth upon which we
also tread. 1t has still few, very few, secrets
left for discovery by the adventuresome-the actual
sources Of the Salwin and rawadi among the num-
Der; but for the rest II has been traVersed again
and again by alien explorers, and a man must go
sar efeid Indeed II to-day he would break
ground. The geographer has done his work and
has done the most Of II in less than a century Of
time; and IL remains for the scientist and the
ethnologlst-above all the ethnologist-to complete
the task.
We repeat that It is pity that Mr.. Clifford
should not have given more of hint of the
field that is marked out for the ethnologist