Cities Of The Dawn Part 11

'The Sultan and his People,' by Richard Davey.

'The Outgoing Turk,' by H. G. Thomson.

For invalids merely travelling for health, I would recommend 'The Mediterranean Winter Resorts,' by E. A. Reynolds Ball, which is now in a third edition. Great prominence has been given to the medical aspect of the princ.i.p.al invalid resorts, and special articles dealing with the climatic, sanitary, and general hygienic conditions of these resorts have been contributed by resident English physicians. This is the only English guide-book published containing authoritative articles on the princ.i.p.al winter resorts by medical experts. Another new feature which may be specially mentioned is the introduction of detailed descriptions of the newer health resorts, such as Biskra, Luxor, Helouan in North Africa; St. Raphael, Gra.s.se, Beaulieu, Ospedaletti on the Riviera; Torre del Greco, Castellamare, Amalfi on the South Italian Littoral, which have come into favour within the last few years. In describing the different places in this guide-book, a certain uniform order has, as far as possible, been preserved in treating of the various subjects. Routes, climatic conditions, society, hotel and villa accommodation, amus.e.m.e.nts, sport, princ.i.p.al attractions, places of interest, and excursions, have been dealt with consecutively in the above order, greater or less s.p.a.ce being accorded to the various subjects according to the special characteristics of each resort. The author has attempted to give rather fuller information about the newer and less known winter resorts, concerning which little has been written in the standard works of Murray and Baedeker, than he has done when describing the popular and well-known Riviera resorts, which possess a whole library of guide-book and travel literature of their own.

Dealing with the delicate question of hotel accommodation for visitors, Mr. Reynolds Ball has not shrunk from the invidious task of occasional recommendation, based either on personal experience, or on trustworthy reports of friends or residents. Most of the information in this handbook has been derived at first-hand. He has visited nearly all the places described, and with regard to others he has availed himself of the help of travelled friends or residents possessing knowledge gained on the spot.

Magazine articles in connection with the countries and cities here referred to are numerous. Social life at Naples is well described in an article in the _National Review_ for February, 1892. A readable account of the sanitary and meteorological conditions of Cairo will be found in an article in the _Lancet_, November, 1889, ent.i.tled 'The Winter Climate of the Nile.' An interesting description of Corfu appeared in the _Sunday Magazine_ for May, 1893, by Professor Mahaffy; the reader will find also a good deal of useful information in Ca.s.sell's 'Picturesque Mediterranean,' 1891. For Corsica the reader had better refer to Mr.

Freshfield's interesting account of climbing experiences in the island, which appeared in the _Alpine Journal_, 1880.

When one thinks of the enormous number of works published in connection with Egypt, it is worth noting that when Edward William Lane wrote his account of the 'Manners and Customs of Modern Egypt,' of which an excellent reprint has been published in the Minerva Library, when he returned to England with a complete description of Egypt as it then was, and a hundred excellent drawings, Egypt was not known or appreciated in England, and no publisher would incur the expense of publishing the work and reproducing the drawings, though they were universally praised by all who saw them. In this respect the change is simply marvellous.

THE END.