Malayan Monochromes. By Sir Hugh Clifford, K.C.M.G. (J. Murray. 6s.)—Even
those who know not Malaya have complete confidence in the truth of Sir Hugh Clifford's pictures. This dozen of stories tells us of the struggles, loves, superstitious, and codes of honour among an Oriental people who owe much to the author, and one gets the impres- sion that some of them realise the debt. The last story is his instrument for conveying the philosophy of the change wrought by British influence. Where, as in the tale of two little slave girls, the story is subordinate to the description of the circumstances illustrated, he still writes in a picturesque and interesting manner. There is horror in some of these tales, and one is frankly a ghost story. He calls them " mono- chromes "; the sense that he persistently conveys is that of the warm moisture of air and land. This pervades every tale : one can feel it just as Mr. Kipling can induce thirst by impressions of the heat and dust of India.
Previous page
