SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading Ice notice such Boats of the seek se bus net bees reserved for renew in other forms.]
Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet. By Sarat Chandra Das, C.I.E. Edited by the Hon. W. W. Rockhill. (John Murray. 10s. 6d.)—We seem to return to the era of interest- ing travels again in this fascinating and picturesque account of a Baboo's adventures in Tibet. 'It is net the habit of the modern traveller to convey his information day by day and from page to page ; he usually boils it down into clumsy appendices. Sang Chandra Das writes with the freshness of a boy the story of his toilsome marches and climbs, and intersperses the diurnal tale with copious descriptions of the manners, dress, customs of the Tibetans, Chinese, and the variety of traders who pass and repast the highways of Tibetan commerce. No figure, no incident, no armoury escapes his observation, and he has an extraorclinary memory for details. The anecdotes alone of historical and semi- mythical persons afford a mine of entertainment and instruction. The account of this expedition of the Baboo made in the " eighties " has been published before, but not in an accessible form. It has been shortened and edited by Mr. Rockhill, and is illustrated by coloured diagrams of a great lamasery, a view of Lhasa, and some maps. The editor and the Baboo differ occasionally, we see, as to details and spelling. The general reader, whether interested in Tibet or not, will find himself attracted by the happy touches of description and pf humour in these travels. The Baboo paid only the briefest of visits to Lhasa, but his life at the lamasery of Tashilhimpo, whither the Prime Minister of the Tashi Lama had invited him, is full of colour, with details of audiences, ceremonial routine, anecdotes;and remarks on Chinese and kindred customs. The Baboo's method may be unscientific; so was Boswell's, and we prefer this "methodfor reading.
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