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Mr. Kingdon Ward's primary purpose in making the journey to Tibet, which is the subject of this extremely able book (Cape, 12s. 6d.), was the philanthropic one of collecting rare plants for his fellow horticulturists in this country. As well as this, he intended to make a botanical and geographical survey of the unexplored country between the Tsang-Po and Salween Rivers, in which he suspected the existence of a great snow-range, and to make a film. In all of these objects he appears to have been remarkably successful (he brought home seeds of over a hundred new and rare plants, the suspected snow-range correctly materialized, the film was satisfactorily made), and those portions of the book in which he concentrates on these activities will no doubt be of particular interest to those for whom these topics are among the first interests in life. For the ordinary reader, for whom botany and the orography of Tibet are not subjects of overwhelming interest, the book still has much to offer. Mr. Kingdon Ward was without contact with any white man for over six months, and being almost entirely dependent for existence upon the produce of the locality and the goodwill of the natives was in the best possible position to observe the conditions of life in a country of which our knowledge is generally restricted—some of us indeed know no more of it than the deliciously epigrammatic descrip- tion given a number of years ago by the Japanese monk Kawaguchi : " The Tibetans are characterized for four serious defects, these being : filthiness, superstition, unnatural customs (such as polyandry) and unnatural art. I should be sorely perplexed if I were asked to name their redeeming points ; but if I had to do so, I should mention first of all the fine climate in the vicinity of Lhasa and Shigatze, their sonorous and refreshing voices in reading the Text, the animated style of their catechisms, and their ancient art." Mr. Kingdon Ward's account is more favourable to the Tibetans than that of the waspish monk, and his instructive and amusing descriptions of inhabitants, customs, and usage will do much to increase the ordinary reader's knowledge of that fascinating country. His descriptions of scenery are vivid and suggestive, and the illustrations which he has included are all delightful. The journey which he made from Sh ugden Gompa, which was his headquarters, to the Salween, was full of incident, and is very well described, and he gives illuminating accounts of various aspects of the administra- tion. This is, in brief, a most attractive book which can be recommended with confidence.
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