The Life and Work of Emin Pasha. Translated from the
German of Georg Schweitzer. 2 vols. (Constable and Co. 32s.)—So much that was contradictory had been written as to the history and character of the German savant, best known as Emin Pasha, that the true story of his work in the Equatorial Province of Egypt long remained somewhat obscure. That obscurity, however, is now fully cleared up by this excellent biography, compiled by his compatriot and executor, Mr. Georg Schweitzer, from the journals, home letters, and official notes that Emin left behind him. But the mystery of- the man himself will still baffle the reader. It is diffi- cult, even with the copious material furnished by his biographer, to construct for oneself a consistent picture of that apparently unique character, at once curiously wayward and yet persistent and enduring in its purpose to the death. Apart from the natural import- ance with which this hitherto unwritten chapter of African history is invested, the study of the man, Emin Pasha, is one of supreme interest. His home letters, especially those written to his sister, give perhaps the clearest and best view of his personality, and reveal a character which, with all its contradictory elements, its strength and its weaknesses, was at least an extremely amiable one. Whether, apart from his purely scientific labours, any results yet exist of his patient and untiring energy as an administrator, it is impossible to say. The best years of his life and all his strength were devoted to lay- ing the first foundations of civilisation in the wild country entrusted to his charge some twenty years ago. And long since that time the wave of Mandism closed over the scene of his labours and shut out from civilisation the land and the people he once ruled. Of that rule, and of his hopes and bitter disappointments, his biographer is able to give a fairly full and well-connected account ; and though his English editor, Mr. Felkin, another personal friend of Emin's, is obliged to join issue with him on certain disputed points of political import, it would seem that the account is, on the whole, as trust- worthy and accurate as it is sympathetic and interesting. Now that the recent campaign in the Soudan gives hope that the way to the Equatorial Provinces may be cleared once more, this history of what one man has already done and suffered in their cause should claim the attention of all who are interested in their future.
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