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 828 Reviews of Books Metcalf Massacre differs in certain important particulars from all other contemporary accounts, but the author gives no reason for discrediting them, nor does he even refer to them. In fact there is much curious in- formation in the book, difficult to obtain elsewhere, but loosely put to- gether and not well digested. From its very comprehensive title one might expect a larger view of the subject, less detail on unimportant points and a more thorough treat- ment of critical events. Instead there is a tendency to steer clear of debatable questions, and traverse new seas, where the course is not so well known and the sailing is smoother. Otherwise it is difficult to under- stand why a whole chapter is given to "the Port Lloyd Colony in the Bonin Islands," except that little notice has ever been taken of it ; while in the chapter devoted to "early American interests on the Pacific coast " there is no mention whatever of the voyage of the Columbia on which the Columbia river was discovered. The incident is given the briefest possible mention in a foot-note (p. 20), in an earlier chapter, but with no references. The best part of the work is that which relates to " unlocking the gates of the Orient." It is a pity that Dr. Callahan did not give more than forty pages to this subject, which has so much interest at present. The Americanization of Hawaii, a subject on which volumes might be (and have been) written, is disposed of in twenty pages. There is probably no one topic in American relations in the Pacific which has re- ceived more attention than the question of the reason for the landing of troops from the Boston in Honolulu on January 16, 1893 ; but Dr. Cal- lahan is content to dismiss it with the bare statement that "by request of the unopposed de facto government, marines from the JSosto?i were landed to preserve order" (p. 130). This he bases on the statement of a single naval officer who has written a popular book on the subject. The whole chapter is too brief to be of much service without more extensive references. In its thirty-one foot-notes there is not a single reference to any of the standard histories of Hawaii, except a general mention of Jarvis. The chapter on Samoa does more justice to its subject, and is well worth reading. The Philippines are summarily disposed of in half a dozen pages, and the book closes with a brief sketch of the "interna- tional situation in the Far East. ' ' The title of the book makes it exceedingly difficult to form a just estimate of Dr. Callahan's work. Taking the title as it stands the book is a disappointment ; much that is of importance has been left out, and too many trivial details have been introduced. On the other hand if the volume had been entitled " Brief Notes for a History of America in the Pacific and the Far East," all omissions might easily have been pardoned, and the " trivial details " would be gladly welcomed as important addi- tions to the literature of the subject. On the whole the book is worth having. There are too many typographical errors and there is a lack of uniformity in the spelling of proper names. Hiram Bin'gham, Jr.