4 NOVEMBER 1911, Page 45

Sunny Australia, By Archibald Marshall. (Hodder and Stoughton. 6s.)—Mr. Marshall

describes his book as "Im- pressions of the Country and People," and the description exactly suits it. In fact its value lies in this, that it gives impressions not judgments. The casual visitor, if he is wise, does not judge. Of course he sees things which the old inhabitant either does not or will not see, and he is right to describe what he sees, and the more modestly and cautiously he does this the more likely he is to be of use. Mr. Marshall—already known as an excellent novelist— tells us in a most interesting way about various places which he visited, about people whom he met, about great industries which he inspected—wheat growing, for instance, and wine making and dairy farming. Now and then he touches upon con- troverted matters. The Australian working man is, he thinks, somewhat apt to be exclusive : he has got a good berth and he does not want it overcrowded. It is not for everyone to see that there must be an adequate population if the country is to held its own. There is, we see, a postcript on " Irrigation." It would be interesting to know what is thought of the per- manency of the artesian well supply.