New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-11

which is not only thorough and many
sided in it's information, but, in addition,
attractiyely and revealingly human IN
its study Of Chinese life and character.
Mr.. Johnston was for some time dis
ty,ct officer and magistrate at Wei-hal-
Wei, the port in North China Leased pE
the British government under the terms
of the convention signed at Peklng IN
1903. The author is not concerned with
world notifies or naval strategy, nor
even 70 any great extent with admin
jstrative matters. but devotes practically
the whole Of his book TO the rich fund
of observation and study gathered by
him during his tenure Of office In the
fields Of Chinese history, folklore. rellg-
ious practices and social customs. Wei
hai-Wei. he found is China in little. the
peasant population having. moreover
kept alive traditions that have already
disappeared in the more central portions
of the empire Village life and land
tenure. festivals and folklore, grave
wards and ghost-lore Confuciansm,
Taoism. Buddhism. local deities, tree
and mountain worship are among his
more serious subjects. but, as already
said. il is in it's collective character
studies that lies the real value of the
book. 1t was to Mr.. Johnston that
Chinaman made the remark, which has
been widely quoted. to the effect that
most men are afraid Of their wives
and ~frreed. the real as distinguished
from the assumed status of the Chinese
woman is shown 10 be very much what
it is and always has been everywhere
else In the house of strong minded
Chinese wife. the author informs us, the
mother-n-law is no more mistress than
the husband is master. \ termagant
may terrorize a whole village. yet, on the
other hand the contempt Of life shown
by the Chinese woman in the perform
ance of her races conception of her duty
toward her husband and his family well
deserves the pages devoted to it by Mr..
Johnston.
AS for the Chinamans far-famed dis
regard Of the truth. especially in litiga-
tion, Mr.. Johnston proves that this is
largely an impression arrived at by the
European through his lack of under
standing of Chinese habits of speech
Many statements habitually made by
Chinese do not. and are not intended to.
deceive other Chinese to whom they are
addressed. They. like the native mag
tctv hoxr 20 oil
lowance for flowers Of speech:
If a wants redress against B, who has
removed landmark and encrOached upOn
HIS land, he Will probably add. in his petit
ton, that Is is the author of deep villa
MES. truculent daredevil and a plotter
OF conspiracies against the public welfare.
one such petition contains remarks which
/ translate almost word for word After
/ had discovered that he had stolen some
OF my land ! went 10 his house and tried
TO reason with him He refused 70 listen
and revled me in the most shocking terms
He then seized my mother and children
and beat them. too They are covered
with wounds and unable TO stand: in fact
they are barely alive. So ! had no resort
but 70 approach the magistrate" The real
point al issue was the disputed ownership
OF the land. No physical wounds had been
inflicted, and no fighting had taken place
To have taken the good man al his
word with regard 10 the assault would
have caused him pain and astonishmort.
Mr.. Johnston questions the oft made
assertion that the Chinese lack patriot
ism, but. he adds. even if il be true,
they have a strong racial feeling that
amounts to the same thing in case
where race and nation are one
Mr.. Fergusson's Adventure. Sport and
Travel on the Tibetan Steppes" is an ac-
count of the two journeys of exploration
through China and Tibet undertaken by
tire late Lieutenant John Weston Bpooke.
F. r. 6. s. in 1906-'O7 and 19O7-OS the
second one Of his adventurous trips
among the almost unknown tribes that
live in Western China ending in his as
sassination by the LOlos Mr.. Fergus
son. who had visited the region before
as agent Of the British and Foreign Bible
Society. was sent out to identify his
body after il had been yansomed by the
Chinese officials. His book is largely
based on Mr. BrOOke's diaries which he
has supplemented with his own first
hand knowledge Of the region and its
populations. and from notes furnished
by Mr. C. ". Mcars. BrOOke's cOmpan-
ion on the second trip. who escaped with
his life.
The work is truly repre- sentative of
the spirit Of the English explorer at his
best. the narrator having taken much
pains to bring well to the fore the
young leaders qualities, his courage, en-
durance and resourcefulness. his ability
in command his powers OF observation
his love Of nature and sport. The reader
IS taken into new places, among new
semi-sayage peoples, into constant dan