26 MARCH 1921, Page 24

Early Travels in India, 1583-1619. Edited by William Foster. (H.

Milford. 12s. 6d. net.)—This admirable little book contains the narratives of seven Englishmen who travelled in India during the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir. Ralph Fitch was the first, followed by Mildenhall, Hawkins, Finch, Withington, Coryat, and Terry. The narratives are reprinted from Hakluyt and Purchas with some additions, and are skil- fully but sparingly annotated. There are a few illustrations —such as Coryat's woodcut of himself riding on an elephant —and two maps. These early travels in India are profoundly interesting, and it is good to have them collected in a compact and well-printed volume. Mr. Foster's introductions to the narratives are excellent and, as usual, contain some new facts, for no one can rival his knowledge of early Anglo-Indian history.