varieties of wild durions with much smaller fruits, one of them orange-colored inside; and these are probably the origin of the large and fine durions, which are never found wild. It would not, perhaps, be correct to say that the durion is the best of all fruits, because it cannot supply the place of the subacid juicy kinds, such as the orange, grape, mango, and mangosteen, whose refreshing and cooling qualities are so wholesome and grateful; but as producing a food of the most exquisite flavor it is unsurpassed. If I had to fix on two only as representing the perfection of the two classes, I should certainly choose the durion and the orange as the king and queen of fruits.

The durion is however sometimes dangerous. When the fruit begins to ripen, it falls daily and almost hourly, and accidents not unfrequently happen to persons walking or working under the trees. When the durion strikes a man in its fall, it produces a dreadful wound, the strong spines tearing open the flesh, while the blow itself is very heavy; but from this very circumstance death rarely ensues, the copious effusion of blood preventing the inflammation which might otherwise take place. A Dyak chief informed me that he had been struck down by a durion falling on his head, which he thought would certainly have caused his death, yet he recovered in a very short time:

Poets and moralists, judging from our English trees and fruits, have thought that small fruits always grew on lofty trees, so that their fall should be harmless to man, while the large ones trailed on the ground. Two of the largest and heaviest fruits known, however,- the Brazil-nut fruit (Bertholletia) and durion, grow on lofty forest-trees, from which they fall as soon as they are ripe, and often wound or kill the native inhabitants. From this we may learn two things: first, not to draw general conclusions from a very partial view of nature; and secondly, that trees and fruits, no less than the varied productions of the animal kingdom, do not appear to be organized with exclusive reference to the use and convenience of man.

CAT'S-CRADLE IN BORNEO

I AM inclined to rank the Dyaks above the Malays in mental capacity, while in moral character they are undoubtedly superior to them. They are simple and honest, and become the prey of the Malay and Chinese traders, who cheat and plunder them

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continually. They are more lively, more talkative, less secretive, and less suspicious, than the Malay, and are therefore pleasanter companions. The Malay boys have little inclination for active sports and games, which form quite a feature in the life. of the Dyak youths; who, besides outdoor games of skill and strength, possess a variety of indoor amusements. One wet day in a Dyak house, when a number of boys and young men were about me, I thought to amuse them with something new, and showed them how to make "cat's-cradle" with a piece of string. Greatly to my surprise, they knew all about it, and more than I did; for after Charles and I had gone through all the changes we could make, one of the boys took it off my hand, and made several new figures which quite puzzled me. They then showed me a number of other tricks with pieces of string, which seemed a favorite amusement with them.

THE TRIAL OF A THIEF IN JAVA

ONE morning as I was preparing and arranging my specimens, I was told there was to be a trial; and presently four or five men came in and squatted down on a mat under the audience-shed in the court. The chief then came in with his clerk, and sat down opposite them. Each spoke in turn, telling his own tale; and then I found out that those who first entered were the prisoner, accuser, policemen, and witness, and that the prisoner was indicated solely by having a loose piece of cord twined round his wrists, but not tied. It was a case of robbery; and after the evidence was given and a few questions had been asked by the chief, the accused said a few words, and then sentence was pronounced, which was a fine. The parties then got up and walked away together, seeming quite friendly; and throughout there was nothing in the manner of any one present indicating passion or ill-feeling,-a very good illustration of the Malayan type of character.

ARCHITECTURE IN THE CELEBES

MY HOUSE, like all bamboo structures in this country, was a leaning one, the strong westerly winds of the wet season having set all its posts out of the perpendicular to such a degree

as to make me think it might some day possibly go over altogether. It is a remarkable thing that the natives of Celebes have not discovered the use of diagonal struts in strengthening buildings. I doubt if there is a native house in the country, two years old, and at all exposed to the wind, which stands upright; and no wonder, as they merely consist of posts and joists all placed upright or horizontal, and fastened rudely together with rattans. They may be seen in every stage of the process of tumbling down, from the first slight inclination to such a dangerous slope that it becomes a notice to quit to the occupiers.

The mechanical geniuses of the country have only discovered two ways of remedying the evil. One is, after it has commenced, to tie the house to a post in the ground on the windward side by a rattan or bamboo cable. The other is a preventive; but how they ever found it out and did not discover the true way is a mystery. This plan is to build the house in the usual way, but instead of having all the principal supports of straight posts, to have two or three of them chosen as crooked as possible. I had often noticed these crooked posts in houses, but imputed it to the scarcity of good straight timber; till one day I met some men carrying home a post shaped something like a dog's hind leg, and inquired of my native boy what they were going to do with such a piece of wood. "To make a post for a house," said he. "But why don't they get a straight one? there are plenty here," said I. "Oh," replied he, "they prefer some like that in a house, because then it won't fall;" evidently imputing the effect to some occult property of crooked timber. A little consideration and a diagram will, however, show that the effect imputed to the crooked post may be really produced by it. A true square changes its figure readily into a rhomboid or oblique figure; but when one or two of the uprights are bent or sloping, and placed so as to oppose each other, the effect of a strut is produced, though in a rude and clumsy manner.

LEW WALLACE

(1827-1905)

ENERAL LEW WALLACE disproved the oft reiterated assertion that a prophet is not without honor, save in his own

country," for he was beloved and honored to a remarkable degree in his own State of Indiana. For many years before his death which occurred Feb. 15, 1905, his home in Crawfordsville was a Mecca towards which thousands of Indiana people journeyed annually to enjoy a brief glimpse of the distinguished author.

Lewis Wallace, or Lew Wallace as he preferred to be called, was born in Brookville, Indiana, on April 10, 1827. His father David Wallace, a prominent lawyer, had been once governor, and twice lieutenant-governor of of the State. The son received a common school education and then took up the study of law, upon which he was engaged at the time of the breaking out of the Mexican War. From his earliest years he had been particularly interested in Mexico, and the invasion of Cortez had possessed an especial fascination for him. He had written some 150 pages of The Fair God,' a tale of the conquest of Mexico, when the Mexican War broke out, at which time the young man laid aside his pen and his law studies and went to the war. At the expiration of his term of service Wallace returned to Indianapolis, resumed the study of law and soon won for himself an enviable reputation in the legal profession. During the years which intervened before the opening of the Civil War, the writing of 'The Fair God' was taken up at odd moments as a pastime, without serious thought as to its publication. Then came the stirring years of military action, after which a long time elapsed before the completion of this piece of literary work.

LEW WALLACE

When the Civil War began Lew Wallace was appointed adjutantgeneral of Indiana, and soon afterwards colonel of the 11th Indiana volunteers, with whom he served in West Virginia, participating in

the capture of Romney and in the ejection of the enemy from Harper's Ferry. He distinguished himself at Fort Donaldson, and was made major-general in March, 1862. General Wallace did good service at Shiloh and in the Corinth campaign which followed. He was, in November, 1862, president of the court of inquiry into the conduct of General Don Carlos Buel in the operations in Tennessee and Kentucky. In 1863 he prepared the defences of Cincinnati, preventing its threatened capture by General Kirby Smith, and in 1864 at the head of 5,800 men he fought the battle of Monocacy against a force of 28,000 under General Early. His action at this time resulted in the saving of Washington.

General Wallace was a member of the court which tried the assassins of Lincoln and presided over the trial of Captain Wirz, the inhuman commander of Andersonville prison; he was mustered out of the volunteer service in 1865 and returned to Crawfordsville to resume the practice of law. From 1878-81 he was governor of New Mexico, at the end of which time he was appointed minister to Turkey, where he remained until 1885.

While some critics consider The Fair God' the general's finest book, and Sir Charles Dilke pronounced it the greatest historical novel ever written, Ben-Hur' is popularly accepted as his masterpiece. It appeared in 1880 and soon won its way into widespread favor. As the sub-title indicates, it is a tale of the Christ, and it is executed in the most thoughtful and reverential spirit; it is a well-known fact that its production carried the writer from an attitude of indifference towards spiritual things, to the possession of a strong and deep religious faith.

'The Prince of India,' another historical novel, appeared in 1893. This deals with the capture of Constantinople by the Turks.

General Wallace also wrote a 'Life of Ex-President Harrison,' and 'The Boyhood of Christ,' a biographical study. In 1889 he published 'Commodus,' a blank-verse tragedy which was republished in 1897 in a volume which contained also The Wooing of Mulkatoon,' a narrative poem.

General Wallace was always pre-eminently the soldier, and his martial spirit was never quenched by legal, political or literary employments. It is greatly to be regretted that the Autobiography' upon which he wrote up to the last, was only partially completed, as it would be difficult to find any contemporary life which furnishes such varied and fascinating material for a work of the kind.

An able lawyer, a valiant soldier and military judge, wise terri torial governor, clever and diplomatic envoy to the Sultan, successful author and lecturer, it is seldom that one brief mortal career can boast of such a record as that enjoyed by General Wallace.