The Travels of Peter Mundy. Vol. ILL Edited by Sir
R. C. Temple. (Hakluyt Society. 2 parts.)—Peter Mundy, the adventurous Cornishman (1600-1667), who left an illustrated record of his world-wide travels which is now in the Bodleian, well deserved the attention of the Hakluyt Society. Sir Richard Temple has already edited two instalments of the unpublished manuscript, and now gives a third portion, describing Mundy's voyage in 1636-38 to Western India, Sumatra, Macao, and Canton, where the Portuguese hindered his fellow-merchants from trading with the Chinese. The venture was made by a body of wealthy traders, headed by Sir William Courteen, who secured a Royal licence authorizing them to infringe the East India Com- pany's monopoly. Mundy was an accurate observer, as the editor testifies, and his notes on what he saw, especially at Goa, Macao, Canton, and Madagascar, are of great interest. He was a talented amateur draughtsman too, as may be seen from the sketches so admirably reproduced in these volumes. We may mention the lifelike study of a chameleon darting out its long tongue at an insect, the elephant kneeling to pick up a burden, the Chinese and Japanese figures, and the Malagasy with their elaborate coiffures. The editor's introduction and notes are excellent, and there are good maps and a full index.
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