A mournful interest invests this the June number of the "Review," for it is the last to come from the hand of Mr. Couling. The thread of life was very tenuous before he read the last proofs, and his death occurred before the number was in the hands of the reader. We are informed, by a note printed at the close, that at Mr. Couling's request the "'Review" will be continued to the end of the year, through the collaboration of his widow, his secretary and another personal friend. Is it too much to hope that some one will be found to continue the excellent work so bravely begun? In the three years and a half of its existence, the "Review" has made a place for itself among sinological publications. The old "Review" had been silent for 17 years, after 25 years of useful existence. Is the present time so destitute of scholars who have the n-~7*-1 leisure and taste, that no one can take Mr. Couling's place in the editorial chair?
Turning to the contents of the current number, we note first of all a delightful article by Sir Aurel Stein, "A Chinese Ex-. pedition Across the Pamirs and Hindukush, A, D. 1747.' The omnivorous scholar who writes the article has dug his material from the originals and from Chavannes; but the interesting thing is his corroboration of the ancient accounts, made possible by his own travels and explorations, are told in vigorous narrative, which never pauses long enough over learned details to become dull. The romantic tale of Kao Hsien-chih was worthy. of being set out by such a writer as Sir Aurel, and reminds us not a little of some of the best work of Froude.
The remainder of the number, while not exactly light reading, will maintain the interest of the serious student. Pere Mauilie writes of the location of the ancient ruing of Woupinghsien, in North China. Mr. W. Clennell offers a long paper on "The Historical Setting of Chinkiang, or a Bit of Consular Bluff," in which he really provides an outline history of China, with the well-known Yangtze port as the centre of interest. Finally Dr. de Vargas concludes his article, "Some Elements in the Chinese Renaissance," with a very clear and complete statement of the facts of the recent literary revolution in China. Among the various accounts of that movement that we have seen, this is the best, and will probably become the authoritative source for future historians,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.