12 OCTOBER 1889, Page 42

Jima Japan to Granada. By J. H. Chapin, Ph.D. G.

P.

Putnam's Sons, New York and London.)—Dr. Chapin is a Professor of Geology, but his favourite subject, when he enjoys a holiday, appears to be Architecture. Temples, churches, or mosques are constantly turning up in this account of what the author saw and thought, as he travelled round the world by way of Japan, China, Singapore, Ceylon, India, Egypt, Palestine, Palmyra, Malta, Sicily, Northern Africa, and Spain. His thoughts seem to have run more on ancient history than on the present condition of the peoples he visited, and he accordingly takes the opportunity of reminding his readers of many tolerably familiar events. Possibly some may be instructed by his brief account of Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, but we think that the author might have been more sparing with the facts of Scripture history which go to fill his chapter on Palestine. However, the volume is very readable, and decidedly superior to many globe-trotters' books in literary style and power of picturesque description.