“Mutiny” and The “Bounty.”

Two Good Books.

By R.W.R.

I AM rarely guilty of recommending books to the attention of Islands readers —my experience is that they are fairly skilful in selecting their own reading matter. But two volumes have just come along, and I want to say that they are both worthy of Islanders’ notice.

The first is “Mutiny”—a new story of the “Bounty” by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, two gifted Ameri can writers who now live in Tahiti.

Some three years ago I wrote that there was need for a worthwhile book on the “Bounty Mutiny”—and I complained that no writer had done justice to the most dramatic event in all the colourful history of the South Seas.

“Mutiny” is the book that was called for. It is written in the form of a novel; but it will live for ever as a reference book, because the authors, while giving us a fascinating story, have been careful to preserve the historical accuracy of the strange events they describe, and also they have provided, as a delightful background, a faithful picture of life and romance in Tahiti 150 years ago. These two men have a fine literary style; and, from that angle as well, their book can be most heartily commended.

So much putrid rubbish has been served up recently by writers of alleged “stories of the South Seas” that one is inclined, after reading “Mutiny,” to propose a vote of thanks to Nordhoff

and Hall, on behalf of libelled and de fenceless Polynesia.

The story of the “Bounty” will never be written better, or more accurately, or more painstakingly.

“Tropic Equations.”

In “Tropic Equations,” by Don Gordon, we have a creation of a different colour. Don Gordon is the pen-name of a well-known resident of New Guinea, and “Tropic Equations” is a quick-moving story of life, love and laughter in that colourful and interest ing Territory. It is a conventional story of faithless wives and jealous—and equally faithless—husbands; but it builds up into quite a stirring romance, in which this new novelist displays con siderable technical skill, and a gift of lively description. There is a most ingenious plot, with an unexpected de nouement; and it is linked up with native intrigues and tribal sorcery in a way that discloses, on the part of the author, an unusual knowledge of native psychology.

We predict that those who know New Guinea will turn the pages of “Tropic Equations’ in a kind of fascinated horror; there is faithfulness, amount ing almost to cruelty, in the portrayal of some of the characters. Here and there, when describing conditions of life in New Guinea, Don Gordon has stamped with very disrespectful feet upon the toes of officials and institu tions. His comments and criticism, in general, are clever, shrewd, and pene trating, and all are directed to the ulti mate good of the Territory. But the book is not a sermon or a leading article. It is “a darned good yarn,” flavoured spicily, and generally with

good humour. Australia and the big world will read it with pleasure; but when New Guinea peruses it her feel ings may be rather like those of a very dignified matron, who quite unexpectedly finds herself standing naked in front of a mirror.

“TROPIC EQUATIONS,’’ by Don Gordon. Our copy (6/-) from the publishers, the Macquarie Press, Sydney.