celles d'avant et d'après l'arrivée du chameau. Cet animal a été introduit en Égypte par la conquête persane (525 avant J.-C.), mais il n'a pas pénétré dans le Sahara avant la fin de l'empire romain. A cette époque, du Fezzan à l'Atlas, le pays était occupé par des agriculteurs noirs, qui ont laissé sur place tout un outillage lithique très caractéristique. Le chameau, instrument exceptionnel pour donner de la puissance au désert et au nomade, va permettre à ce dernier d'inaugurer l'irrésistible et lente poussée qui a peu à peu refoulé les Nègres vers le Niger et vers le Tchad. L'introduction du chameau a déterminé ce mouvement, en créant, pour ainsi dire, des tribus nomades à grand rayon, turbulentes et guerrières, et cela bien avant l'Islam.

L'ouvrage se termine par des chapitres sur le Sahara Tibbou, le Fezzan et le Sahara Touareg, contenant des informations très intéressantes sur les habitants de ces régions. HENRI LABOURET.

Au Gabon, par F. GRÉBERT. I vol. gr. in-8°. de 227 p. illustr. 2e édition. Paris: Publications de la Société des Missions Évangéliques de Paris. 1928. En publiant ce livre la Société des Missions Évangéliques de Paris apporte une documentation nouvelle et très intéressante sur les Fang, le pays qu'ils habitent au Gabon et l'œuvre missionnaire accomplie parmi ces indigènes. A la vérité ces populations nous sont déjà connues par les travaux de MM. Allégret et Trilles, mais la synthèse réalisée par M. Grébert, en un style aimable et simple, accessible à tous, est loin d'être inutile.

L'ouvrage comporte quatre parties: Le Pays; Les Fang ou Pahouins; Les croyances religieuses; L'œuvre missionnaire. Les derniers chapitres sur l'œuvre scolaire, l'œuvre sociale et l'éducation par le travail retiendront l'attention de tous ceux que préoccupent l'évolution et l'élévation des indigènes au point de vue matériel et moral. HENRI LABOURET.

Le Maroc et l'Europe, par A. G. P. MARTIN. Librairie E. Leroux. Paris, 1928. I vol. in-8° de 149 pp. 9 fr.

L'AUTEUR, ancien officier interprète de l'armée d'Afrique, a déjà publié plusieurs ouvrages estimés sur les oasis sahariennes, la géographie, l'histoire et la sociologie de l'Afrique du Nord. Il expose ici la politique internationale au Maroc durant ces dernières années et en particulier les conférences de 1927 et 1928 relatives au statut de Tanger et auxquelles participèrent, il y a quelques mois, les représentants de l'Angleterre, de l'Espagne, de l'Italie et de la

France.

Un très curieux appendice de seize pages est consacré à la Rimaïa, confrérie pour le tir, l'équitation et la guerre sainte, inspiratrice réelle et constante depuis treize siècles de l'attitude du Maroc et en général de tous les pays musulmans à l'égard de l'Europe. HENRI LABOURET.

Kirk on the Zambesi, a chapter of African history. By R. COUPLAND. Map and illustrations. Oxford: Humphrey Milford, Clarendon Press, 1928. 286 pp.

185.

THIS is the first volume of Professor Coupland's biography of John Kirk, who more than any man save Livingstone was instrumental in destroying the slave trade in East Africa. It deals with his early life and his travels with Livingstone on the expedition of 1858-63. Our readers must not expect to gather anthropological or linguistic material from these pages. The value of the book consists in its picture of Africa in 1850, in the account of Nyasaland in the days before British occupation, and in the illuminating portrayal of the two heroes, Kirk and Livingstone. To many readers the last of these items will be of greatest interest. Livingstone's limitations are made clear, but these only emphasize the essential greatness of the man. Mr. Coupland has done his work skilfully and well. The photographs made by Kirk and here reproduced are extraordinary considering the date. EDWIN W. SMITH.

Essays Catholic and Missionary. Edited by the REV. E. R. MORGAN. London: S.P.C.K., 1928. 332 pp. 8s. 6d.

THE most notable, from our point of view, of the sixteen essays contained in this volume is the one on 'The Christian approach to non-Christian customs', by Dr. W. V. Lucas, Bishop of Masasi. He defines in this way what he considers to be the right approach: 'Our first aim must be to conserve all that can possibly be conserved of essential native life. And only when consultation with the best local opinion clearly establishes the fact that the retaining of any particular custom is inimical to the attaining of Christian holiness should that custom be proscribed and abandoned. And at the same time it should be our serious endeavour, where it is necessary to condemn some particular point, to substitute in its place another custom which will not conflict with high moral ideals.' Bishop Lucas applies these principles to problems presented by his work among the Yao and Makua, dealing successively with clothing, dancing, divination, funeral rites, hospitality, housing, hygiene, marriage, music, names, sacrifices, sickness, witchcraft, and initiatory rites. Under the last head he describes how the Church in his diocese has adapted the rites. We wish these paragraphs had been more full of details, but what is given is of profound interest and value. We commend this essay to our readers. EDWIN W. SMITH.

The Kalahari and its Native Races. By E. H. L. SCHWARZ. London: H. F. & G.
Witherby, 1928. Pp. 244, with photographs and maps. 165. net.
THE greater part of this volume contains an account of a journey made by
Professor Schwarz through Ngamiland and the Kalahari Desert during the

latter half of 1925, and gives a vivid picture of the country and conditions of travel, interspersed with notes on the Natives, anecdotes and personal experiences. In the final chapter Professor Schwarz passes in review the different native peoples encountered by him—Bushmen, Hottentots, Bergdama, and Bantu-and attempts to trace out their origin and affinities. His remarks on their culture contain little that is new, and are too fragmentary to be of much service; while his views on their racial antecedents are, to say the least, often speculative and supported by inadequate and even unreliable evidence. As a contribution to the ethnology of South Africa this book has little real value. I. SCHAPERA.

The Way of the White Fields in Rhodesia. By EDWIN W. SMITH. London: World Dominion Press, 1928. 55.

THIS book belongs to a 'World Dominion Survey' Series. It is about two British African territories which are estimated to be nearly five times the size of Great Britain in their united extent. The editor of the series in which the book appears defines its object as being 'to describe briefly and clearly the situation as viewed from the standpoint of the Kingdom of God'. In his survey the author gives us three maps, lists of local African tribes, and a mass of information about Missions working among them. One is grateful for these, but one is still more grateful for the sympathy and insight that he has shown in dealing with problems of Imperialism and Christianity in an African danger zone. He is very sure of the worth of the Africans who inhabit the Rhodesias. A fine, intelligent, lovable, loyal people, they are well worth all the efforts of the Church to win them for the Kingdom of God.'

Mr. Smith gives both Rhodesian Governments credit for their general attitude towards the work of Missions. Under both Governments the Church enjoys full liberty, and a large measure of active and even cordial support.' But he adds an uncompromising assertion of the Church's grave responsibility as he sees it in this part of British Africa. The Church is, of course, not the servant of any Government; and its function is not that of acting the moral policeman in keeping order. It must reserve its freedom of action, and unhesitatingly pronounce its judgment upon unchristian doings -whether committed by black or white. Such recent enactments by Southern Rhodesia as certain clauses in the Native Affairs Act (1927) and in the Native Juveniles' Employment Act cannot find the support of the Church.' It is to be hoped that many who have found help in understanding modern British Africa in the Golden Stool may welcome this special study of the two Rhodesias. ARTHUR S. CRIPPS.

BIBLIOGRAPHIE DE LA LITTÉRATURE ACTUELLE CON-
CERNANT LES LANGUES ET CIVILISATIONS AFRICAINES

Préparée avec la coopération de H. Labouret (Paris), H. Melzian (Berlin),
I. Schapera (Londres).

La bibliographie contenue dans ce numéro se réfère aux livres et aux articles parus dans les périodiques publiés de novembre 1928 à janvier 1929. Les titres des sections seront imprimés successivement en français, en anglais et en allemand.

Le rédacteur sera reconnaissant de recevoir tous les renseignements relatifs aux ouvrages, études et travaux divers publiés en Afrique et qui pourraient lui échapper.