11 MAY 1934, Page 28

CASSIAR

By M. Conway Turton

To endeavour to reproduce the peculiar " significance and type " of a particular country in such a delicate series of descriptive essays as those which compile this volume (Macmillan, 7s. 6d.) was not too happy or harmonic a thought on the part of Miss Turton. Cassiar is in itself district of such dimensional magnitude that, on account of the extreme diversity of scenes alone, the attempt at a verbal photography of it must have been trying, not -to say impracticable. But Miss Turton has to a degree succeede I in approximating through words the particular " feel " which Cassiar imparted to her. This sequence of vignettes, without ostensibly stating general impression, but by a more delicat process of personal experience and individual reaction, seem to convey a detail of topographical information which is fact it does not. By a sort of sleight of pen, Miss Turton has managed to reproduce the peculiar " significance and type " of Cassiar without convincing the reader that she knows it, The style in which her essays are composed never exceeds or excels that of an extremely competent journalist—but since it enables the author to accomplish her purpose of depicting the country, one must admit that here certainly the end seems to justify the means.