Louis Becke.

IN a recent article in the magazine “To-day,” Arthur Jose, the historian critic, hinted at the manner in which Louis Becke first narrated his South Sea yarns.

Collectors of Louis Becke’s works will probably be interested in the first pub lished editions of his early novels and stories. There are curious little books, 6¾ x 3¾, the first “By Reef and Palm,” issued in the Antonym Library, 1894, by P. Fisher Unwin, with a fine intro

duction by the Earl of Pembroke, wherein hunters after biographical de tails of Louis Becke’s career will And a deal of material, for Pembroke arrived at Apia, Samoa, in 1870, when Becke was running a cutter between that port and Savaii, and “Bully” Hayes, the Pacific Island pirate had just paid a visit to the town and cleared off with Pease's armed schooner.

The year following Unwin’s publica tion of “By Reef and Palm” came the first Australian edition of one of Becke’s works, “His Island Wife,” very similar in get-up to “By Reef and Palm,” but in a light red paper cover.

It was published by Alexander Lindsay of Hamilton Street, Sydney, as the first of the Australander Library, 1895. Both volumes, in good condition, are now very scarce, and will become valuable as the years pass, for Becke’s fame as a writer of Pacific romances is increas ing annually.—From “To-day.”

“Old hands” in the Pacific may be interested to know that when I was in London recently I called upon Mrs Becke, and Miss Niya Becke, the widow and daughter respectively of the famous Pacific writer. Mrs. Becke was secre tary of a women’s club, and Miss Becke, who is herself a clever writer and poet, had a position with a publishing firm Both, while now ardent Londoners, spoke longingly of Aus tralian sunshine. Mrs. Becke loaned me the photograph from which the above block was made.—R. W. Robson.

Late Mr. Louis Becke.