The Rainbow Bridge. By Reginald Farrer. (Arnold. 21s. net.)—It is
sad to think that this is the last of Mr. Farrer's charming books of travel in search of flowers, for he died a year ago in Upper Burmah. In this volume ho continued the story, begun in On the Eaves of the World, of his long journey in Western China, on the borders of Kansu and Tibet, in 1914 and 1915. He took a lively concern in men and scenery as well as in plants, and his descriptions of the remote hill-country are most attrac- tive. Botanists, of course, will take a special interest in the long chapters on the Kansu flora, but even those who know little about botany will be delighted with Mr. Farrer's cheerful, scholarly and humorous narrative. Even in the remote fast- nesses of China he found the Chinese culture as strong as in the East. The Manchu Viceroy of Kokonor Tibet, for instance, had a stately palace and a wonderful garden, with hot-houses and cold-houses that filled Mr. Ferrer with admiration. Such a book as this impresses us with the innate power and stability of the ancient Chinese civilization, however troubled the political situation may appear in foreign eyes.
Previous page
