New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-07

Of Mana Sahib- BY PeFcevaI LandOn- Illus
Coz
Mr.. LsEndOn has written this book TO the bet
ter purpose through having resisted the temDta-
ton. irresistible to most travellers in India.
20 be dithyrambic over the bright cOIOrs and
the extraordinary picturesqueness 20 be found
in the land He visits cities that have been
pretty nearly written 20 death. and though hs
tells us nothing about them that is particularly
new he yet cOntgives to avoid the CONVEX eiOnaI
atmosphere He escapes too. the teNslency.
which We have come to expect as a ma Ter %
course in books of the sort. to initiate Kip
ling. In fact. he is merely sympatras (. and
straightforward. honestly interested i:,s sub
ject. and concerned only to give - II ac-
count of it His text gains sors So, too,
from his numerous Illustrations. g. present
familiar sights and scenes fromf , IN point
Of view. and are we'll reproduced e hotOgrav-
ures and in haIftones.
We especially appreciate MI ficn's readi-
ness in introducing the human i'ivs whenever
he has the chance. Thus N = :. xsng OF the
lonely little railway stations 4 '!r,scterjstic u
India. he has good story IL 81 tation master
with whom he spent long E.,s4 waiting for a
train This man had made III application to
the authorities to be sent 20 Their post He
had done this not alone ~ account OF the
dreadful mOnOtOny OF the I1Ce, but because.
in order % amuse himself g. had perpetrated
a joke which was DeginnirA to get him into
hot water He pretended ,hlt cricket matches
were being played at fis station and wrote
accounts OF them which, tie newspapers In dis
tant cities promptly printed. This ENCOURAGED
him TO hold his imaginary matches once a
week. and presently his reports reused such
interest that he received letters. challenges and
even offers Of special terms for Cricketines out
fits. When Mr.. LandOn saw him the worst had
befallen. "A man has just written to me-" he
said. "and SAYS that he has started on a round
OF cricketins visits during his holiday. and asks
il I can put him up at the club here CIubI
And he would like a day or twO's play
with our well known local team" We do NOT
wonder that this weary but imaginative sta
ton master was anxious 20 get away in a hurry,
At UdaiDur Mr. LandOn has some interesting
things TO say about the great palace and ths
Maharana who owns IL. The latter occupies a y.
curious position among the princes of India.
His state is not the largest or the richest in
the country. IL has no strategic value and n
rejOices in none OF the holy spots which at
tract pilgrims But. says MIR. I.andon. ~VJ,4aiDr-
is the two hundred and fortieth descendant Il,
right line from the Sun. and primate and portt-
fex secular among all who hold the Hindoo
faith" Therefore. says the author, were free
eAection TO De made tomorrow auOns. the nattve
competitors for the kingship OF India. no one
would dare to contest the claims OF the Maba-
rama OF Udaipur- The present ruler. bv the
way. for all his eminence, would seem 10 nos
sess no sense whatever OF true kinglf pOmp
His white marble palace ON the Iake ia o1s
OF The most exquisite buildings in the wOrId but
inside IT has been modernized into homeless ueu-
ness MT. Landon has an amusing note ON tYis
subject:
nave no hesitation In saying that one NOM 4.
steAout FisAI ON earth for The eye-searinr f1sts