Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10
ID.ACILBERT MYERS.

A son or THE NILE. BY simon
Robert Hoover. Boston: The STRAIT
ford Co
" NCANATIONS along the Nile
have served 10 stir the ro-
mancer no less than the archie
Il o'oGist and historian. Success
tul research in this quarter
within recent years has opened up In
Illuminating detail an ancient life OF
elaborate ceremonial and circum-
sance Here is, clearly, an achieve
ment absorbing in interest. important
In issue Enough like our own life IS
we'll. despite intervening ages. to pro-
vide q good nucleus of current under
standing and sympathy. The novelist
is taking advantage OF these findings
az science. "A Son of the Nile STANDS
as case in point. Against back
ground of the Nile itself-a Nile OF
deeply reminiscent atmosphereS II
turns ont to be--the story takes Its
way through maze OF strange Gus
toms and unfamiliar ceremonies. Yet,
underneath the alien outer forms of
this remote existence one comes al
most immediately upon the apparently
unchanging human. BY virtue of this
fact the reader finds himself at home
in this Egypt of forgotten ages. War
il the prime preoccupation of that pc
Rod. as ii has been of every succeed
ing one. Around its central figure
fighting men are gathered. Kings and
their military leaders offer peoples and
nations as the stake of conflict. Lesser
activities support this supreme one in
a hfelike summary OF effect. Basic
ally. therefore. this is cotemporane-
Gus tale OF general human interest.
The good Sift of the writer has been
exercised chiefly in creating a consist
ent and dramatic ensemble out of the
Odds and ends of a dug-up. casual lit
ter of old Egyptian life. A difficult un-
dertaking. carried out in both vision
and painStaking. so that there results
a vivid story supported by history it.
self. and better still one that is suS-
tanned well within the credbiltieS of
human behavior. Too long. too pack
ed with detail? Hardly that in view
of its effect of vividness and reality.
Too long. perhaps. for the speed limit
Of these rushing days. but that is an
other matter.
WHAT ABOUT NORTH AFRICA
BY Hamish McLaurin. Illustrated
from photographs. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
THE answer is a guide book Of
ing course between excessive guidance
on the one hand and random tourist
jottipgs on the other. Good sense AMI
practical information come to the fore
in this book on North Africa. Not
stodgy good sense. not duh informa-
ton. for the author is beyon, doubt
an enthusiast, aided and abetted by
the wife, who is "a born vagabond."
It is in great good spirits, therefore,
l,of he oil caIx Io
south coast of the Mediterranean,
more accessible region than the popu-
lar Orient, cheaper. too, and just at
present safer place than China ce:
tainly. despite the bad name that tur
bulent Riff tribes have for some years
given to this African coast. Where to
90 in this quarter and how to get
there are the leading questions, whose
answers offer not only the ways and
means, concisely and clearly, but
which embody also the good descrip-
tive and historic substance of the
hook. At the end of each chapter
there is a snug little summary of its
main pointS-a fine feature. At the
end Of the book is a schedule of COM
modities offered at various cities and
settlements, such as are suitable for
purchase on the part of the traveller
for example, at Rabat. native rugs,
so on through comprehensive list Of
places and products. Beside this help
full point there is a short chapter of
general advice about the proper clothes
10 wear, the right food to eat and the
right food to avoid. There is no end
of interesting stuff here in the way
of pictures of natural features, the
native element, the superimposed
civilization Of western brand, old
fA-
whatnot LAS an indication of the
ease with which one can make this
trip it may interest the reader to
know that the writer and his wife
covered practically all of Morocco
and a considerable portion of Algeria
in small inclosed town car of nine
horsepower, French rating" Again.
this memorable outing is put forth
in the desire that it may open field
for fellow wanderers" Let's go.
X X X X
THE VOICE OF DASHIN: A Ro-
nance of Wild Mountains. BY
''Ganpat" on. l.. A. Compertz).
author of ''Harilek," etc. New
York: George II. Doran Co.
THE world, electrically reduced to
about the circuit Of an English
walnut, is giving writer's of romantic
adventure rather a hard time. This
kind Of story thrives best in coun.
tries that are widely remote from
readers. Both romance and adVen'
ture lose their particular Savors
through familiarity of contact. Lucky
for "Ganpat" that his lines appear
to have been cast in the still distant
relatively unknown. Himalayas. Here
in the north Indian mountains he
has things pretty much his own way
with none to dispute, none to ques
ton. Not that one wants TO asl;
pesky little questions about exacti
tudes Of place and peoples and Gus
tOms-nOt when the story races along
as THE Voice Of Dashin" does
through a wild and beautiful country
where strange East-Indian things
happen, mystifyingly; where unheard-
of cities spring up along the way
where fierce tribes gather. hostile 10
the white mans advance and where
nature itself bars the way in tower
ing mountain and impa ssahle glacier
Against this background of dramatic
quality and stirring effect "Canpat
sets q real story that, beginning III
the spirit Of adventure, gathers w
along the way a good love story
but that, of course, is adventure. too
of the most strenuous sort. SO. with
out any break in the momentum oil
its initial movement. without any
slowing down Of pure adventure UNI
der what might be apprehended as
the excess baggage of love. "Thf