The Green Mummy

by Fergus Hume

Fergusson Wright Hume, known as Fergus Hume (1859-1932) was an English novelist.Shortly after graduation he left for Melbourne. He began writing plays, but found it impossible to persuade the managers of the Melbourne theatres to accept or even read them. Finding that the novels of Emile Gaboriau were then very popular in Melbourne, he obtained and read a set of them and determined to write a novel of a similar kind.The result was the self-published novel 'The Mystery of a Hansom Cab' (1886), which became a great success. After the success of his first novel and the publication of another he returned to England in 1888.He resided in the Essex countryside for thirty years, eventually producing over 100 novels and short stories. He was a capable writer of mystery stories, and may be looked upon as one of the precursors of the many writers of detective stories whose work was so popular in the twentieth century.His other works include 'Madame Midas' (1888), 'The Silent House' (1899), 'The Bishop's Secret' (1900), 'Secret Passage' (1905), 'The Green Mummy' (1908), and 'Red Money' (1912).

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, 20th Century, 19th Century, Classics

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1908

About the author

Fergusson Wright Hume (1859–1932), New Zealand lawyer and prolific author particularly renowned for his debut novel, the international best-seller The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886).

Hume was born at Powick, Worcestershire, England, son of Glaswegian Dr. James Collin Hume, a steward at the Worcestershire Pauper Lunatic Asylum and his wife Mary Ferguson.

While Fergus was a very young child, in 1863 the Humes emigrated to New Zealand where James founded the first private mental hospital and Dunedin College. Young Fergus attended the Otago Boys' High School then went on to study law at Otago University. He followed up with articling in the attorney-general's office, called to the New Zealand bar in 1885.

In 1885 Hume moved to Melbourne. While he worked as a solicitors clerk he was bent on becoming a dramatist; but having only written a few short stories he was a virtual unknown. So as to gain the attentions of the theatre directors he asked a local bookseller what style of book he sold most. Emile Gaboriau's detective works were very popular and so Hume bought them all and studied them intently, thus turning his pen to writing his own style of crime novel and mystery.

Hume spent much time in Little Bourke Street to gather material and his first effort was The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886), a worthy contibution to the genre. It is full of literary references and quotations; finely crafted complex characters and their sometimes ambiguous seeming interrelationships with the other suspects, deepening the whodunit angle. It is somewhat of an exposé of the then extremes in Melbourne society, which caused some controversy for a time. Hume had it published privately after it had been downright rudely rejected by a number of publishers. "Having completed the book, I tried to get it published, but everyone to whom I offered it refused even to look at the manuscript on the grounds that no Colonial could write anything worth reading." He had sold the publishing rights for £50, but still retained the dramatic rights which he soon profited from by the long Australian and London theatre runs.

Except for short trips to France, Switzerland and Italy, in 1888 Hume settled and stayed in Essex, England where he would remain for the rest of his life. Although he was born, and lived the latter part of his life, in England, he thought of himself as 'a colonial' and identified as a New Zealander, having spent all of his formative years from preschool through to adulthood there. Hume died of cardiac failure at his home on 11 July 1932.

Reviews

[Catfantastic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so impressed with the female characters that for awhile I thought "Fergus Hume" might be a pseudonym, but what I thought was wry wit turned out to be earnest sexism, and then the whole thing descended into a racist ball of fail.

[iasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this novel to be rather pedestrian; it never really held my attention for more than a few minutes.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fergus Hume (1859-1932) wrote some of the most popular novels of his period, not excluding Arthur Conan Doyle. They aren't quite so popular anymore, but easily found now that many are public domain. His most famous book was The Mystery of a Hansome Cab (1886 -- and which supposedly inspired Doyle to start his Sherlock Holmes stories with A Study in Scarlet), but the particularly egregious samples of racism I'm exploring today are from The Green Mummy (1908).

It's not all bad. I quite loved this...

"Oh, it's all very well asking questions as can't be answered nohow, my lady, but I be all of a mubble-fubble, that I be."

"What is a mubble-fubble?" asked Hope, staring.

"It's a queer-like feeling of death and sorrow and tears of blood and not lifting your head for groans," said Widow Anne incoherently, "and there's meanings in mubble-fubbles, as we're told in Scripture.

My frustrated dreams of archaeology also mean I quite liked this too:

It is to be feared that Braddock was somewhat selfish in his views, but the fixed idea of archaeological research made him egotistical.

There are occasional other gems scattered throughout:

Like a geographical Lord Byron, the isolated village of Gartley awoke one morning to find itself famous.

But on to his view of women -- it is not at all nice.

Thus Mrs. Jasher found no one in the drawing-room to welcome her, and, taking the privilege of old friendship, descended to beard Braddock in his den. The Professor raised his eyes from a newly bought scarabeus to behold a stout little lady smiling on him from the doorway. He did not appear to be grateful for the interruption, but Mrs. Jasher was not at all dismayed, being a man-hunter by profession. Besides, she saw that Braddock was in the clouds as usual, and would have received the King himself in the same absent-minded manner.

She's not the only woman moved by material desires:

Donna Inez clapped her hands and her eyes flashed, for, like every woman, she had a profound love for jewels.

There is much more of the same, but it doesn't quite compare to the racism reserved for the native of the Solomon Islands (Hume was born in England, but raised after the age of three in New Zealand, only returning to England after several decades).

One member of the Braddock household was not included in the general staff, being a mere appendage of the Professor himself. This was a dwarfish, misshapen Kanaka, a pigmy in height, but a giant in breadth, with short, thick legs, and long, powerful arms. He had a large head, and a somewhat handsome face, with melancholy black eyes and a fine set of white teeth...But the most noticeable thing about him was his huge mop of frizzled hair, which, by some process, known only to himself, he usually dyed a vivid yellow. The flaring locks streaming from his head made him resemble a Peruvian image of the sun, and it was this peculiar coiffure which had procured for him the odd name of Cockatoo. The fact that this grotesque creature invariably wore a white drill suit, emphasized still more the suggestion of his likeness to an Australian parrot.

1st - a mere appendage? 2nd - Kanaka -- I know so little about this part of the world, I looked up the term and found this word's connection with all the horrors and dislocations of Empire: (apologies it's wikipedia, but for further exploration):

Kanaka was the term for a worker from various Pacific Islands employed in British colonies .... "Kanaka", sometimes used as a derogatory name,[1] ...

They were most often indentured laborers. Cockatoo is really more a kind of slave, though apparently some kind of voluntary one.

Cockatoo had come from the Solomon Islands in his teens to the colony of Queensland, to work on the plantations, and there the Professor had picked him up as his body servant. When Braddock returned to marry Mrs. Kendal, the boy had refused to leave him, although it was represented to the young savage that he was somewhat too barbaric for sober England. Finally, the Professor had consented to bring him over seas, and had never regretted doing so, for Cockatoo, finding his scientific master a true friend, worshiped him as a visible god. Having been captured when young by Pacific black-birders, he talked excellent English, and from contact with the necessary restraints of civilization was, on the whole, extremely well behaved. Occasionally, when teased by the villagers and his fellow-servants, he would break into childish rages, which bordered on the dangerous. But a word from Braddock always quieted him, and when penitent he would crawl like a whipped dog to the feet of his divinity. For the most part he lived entirely in the museum, looking after the collection and guarding it from harm. Lucy—who had a horror of the creature's uncanny looks—objected to Cockatoo waiting at the table, and it was only on rare occasions that he was permitted to assist the harassed parlormaid. On this night the Kanaka acted excellently as a butler, and crept softly round the table, attending to the needs of the diners. He was an admirable servant, deft and handy, but his blue-lined face and squat figure together with the obtrusively golden halo, rather worried Mrs. Jasher.

Captured, sold into slavery, his character fixed into the straight jacket of another too-common type -- the savage who has become partially civilized through the influence of a white master he treats as god and would do anything in the world for. It makes me particularly sick to my stomach. The childish rages are par for the course as well.

Only the Kanaka was unmoved and squatted on his hams, indifferently surveying the living and the dead. As a savage he could not be expected to have the nerves of civilized man.

Lack of empathy. It's curious how so much of the things attributed to to Cockatoo are clearly reflections of the white attitudes around him.

Let us move on to the Peruvians:

On a nearer view, Don Pedro proved to be a tall, lean, dry man, not unlike Dore's conception of Don Quixote. He must have had Indian blood in his veins, judging from his very dark eyes, his stiff, lank hair, worn somewhat long, and his high cheek-bones. Also, although he was arrayed in puritanic black, his barbaric love of color betrayed itself in a red tie and in a scarlet handkerchief which was twisted loosely round a soft slouch hat, It was the hat and the brilliant red of tie and handkerchief which had caught Mrs. Jasher's eye at so great a distance, and which had led her to pronounce the man a stranger, for Mrs. Jasher well knew that no Englishman would affect such vivid tints. All the same, in spite of this eccentricity, Don Pedro looked a thorough Castilian gentleman, and bowed gravely when presented to the ladies by Random.

Don Pedro and his daughter are partly redeemed by their Spanish blood, but I find this insistence on their love of colour as the trace of their barbarous past quite hilarious.

"Ha!" murmured the widow to herself, "then that accounts for your love of color, which is so un-English;"

and also:

Yet about Donna Inez there was the same indefinite barbaric look as characterized her father. Her face was lovely, dark and proud in expression, but there was an aloofness about it which puzzled the English girl. Donna Inez might have belonged to a race populating another planet of the solar system. She had large black, melting eyes, a straight Greek nose and perfect mouth, a well-rounded chin and magnificent hair, dark and glossy as the wing of the raven, which was arranged in the latest Parisian style of coiffure. Also, her gown—as the two women guessed in an instant—was from Paris. She was perfectly gloved and booted, and even if she betrayed somehow a barbaric taste for color in the dull ruddy hue of her dress, which was subdued with black braid, yet she looked quite a well-bred woman. All the same, her whole appearance gave an observant onlooker the idea that she would be more at home in a scanty robe and glittering with rudely wrought ornaments of gold.

The exotic other, just white enough to be suitable for fancying and even marrying. But still. More at home in scanty robes. Honestly Fergus Hume, I am ashamed of you.

More on the innate knowledge of the native, and the odd contrast with what a young woman might desire -- for her perfect lover to outshine even such an expert:

"Cockatoo is much cleverer than the average white man," said Braddock dryly, "especially in following a trail. He, if any one, will learn the truth. I would much rather trust the Kanaka than young Hope."

"Nonsense!" cried Lucy, standing up for her lover. "Archie is the one to discover the assassin. I'll see him at once. And you, father?"

And of course -- and SPOILER here so you can stop reading if you really want to experience Fergus Hume's The Green Mummy in its full -- it is the native who is the violent one and the murderer, even if his brains were never up to planning everything. It turns out the archaeologist Braddock and Cockatoo are behind it all, and Lucy's fiance is quick to disavow any blood relationship with Braddock. Given the gist of the whole book and its racist reasonings, that kind of criminality is as likely to pass down from father to daughter as any barbaric love of colour:

"Call him your step-father," he said quickly. "No, dear, I do not think he will be hanged; but as an accessory after the fact he will certainly be condemned to a long term of imprisonment. Cockatoo, however, assuredly will be hanged, and a good job too. He is only a savage, and as such is dangerous in a civilized community.

Only a savage. This boy stolen from his family and his people, sold into slavery, brought to England, made to steal and kill.

"Chuck the mummy and nigger overboard and make for the ship," he yelled, swimming with long strokes towards the boat.

This order was quite to the sailors' minds, as they had not reckoned on such a fight. Half a dozen willing hands clutched both Cockatoo and the case, and, in spite of the Kanaka's cries, both were hurled overboard.

He is hated by all, and thoroughly blamed for everything.

"I don't quite agree with you, dear. Cockatoo's innate savagery was the cause, as Professor Braddock did not intend or desire murder. But there, dear, do not think any more about these dismal things. Dream of the time when I shall be the president of the Royal Academy, and you my lady."

In truth, that 'But there, dear, do not think any more about these dismal things' seems to be a common refrain in these stories. Over a hundred years later we are still hearing it.

[Ceejay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read this nearly century old book by Fergus Hume, I can certainly see why he was a best selling author in his day. I can also understand why his popularity has faded.

On the plus side, despite the age of this mystery, it is still an easy read. The characters are enjoyable, and the mystery itself is quite good. The heroes of this story, a soon to be engaged couple, really play well off of each other. The young woman is funny, and is an expert at teasing her lover. I see her, in a few years after this story takes place, in the British suffrage movement. The villains hide their evilness well, and may prove to be a surprise to many of the readers. Why is there a mummy? It was, I'm sure, the authors attempt to use the worldwide interest in all things Egyption to sell his novel.

On the downside, there are smatterings of racism in this story. There is a minority dwarf character who is spoken of using the n-word. Also, because this character is from one of the British colonies ( the sun never sets on the British Empire), he is thought of as stupid, uncivilized, and immoral. Is it any wonder that at some point, the Brits would lose their empire. As seldom as these references are made, I could see this story being easily rewritten. On the other hand, such remarks could serve as a lesson on how bad things were and for how long they have existed.

I will be looking, on line,for more books by Fergus Hume. It is an excellent period piece mystery.

[Ray · Rating 1 out of 5]

Someone murders an archeologist's assistant as he transports an Aztec mummy to England for his eccentric patron's collection. Even worse, the mummy is stolen! Who could have done such a dastardly thing? Sadly, we don't much care in this slapdash book. The characters are generic stereotypes. The writing is careless, hasty, and cliched. And the offhand racist and sexist comments come across as jarring to modern readers.

[MH · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some ugly racism in this, but also the entire plot depends on inconsistencies, with a character at one stage described as being "a giant in breadth" later on becoming "slender" when it was convenient.

[Basia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bardzo przeciętna, szkoda czasu.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whew that was talky. Two murders, blackmail, theft, and mummies - and yet it was too talky and lacked action.

[Apteryx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not racist or sexist enough. That being said, I found it a rollicking good yarn. Read. Enjoy.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public Domain - Free for Kindle |

Another convoluted mystery by the author, which is an enjoyable read but not challenging except when it comes to the personality of one of the characters. |

Wrong victim in this one, seriously. I'd have long since strangled the Professor if I had to deal with him for 10 minutes, let alone extensively or repeatedly. It made it less of a pleasure to read. I complained with Hume's first novel about how a couple characters sat around with a confession in hand and argued about what it might say instead of just reading the thing. Well, Hume has done it again! Two characters sit down with a written confession, with full knowledge that the culprit has not been apprehended and is on the run, and instead of tearing into the confession to get all the needed information so the police can get a search underway, they say to each other 'wait, would you like some coffee or alcohol first?' 'oh, yeah, coffee. and let's not even open this thing until the coffee arrives.' 'good idea, let's instead argue about what it contains for several minutes, while we smoke and wait for coffee.' I desperately hope this is the author making poor narrative choices, I would hate to think the British upper-class was actually that stupid and he was reflecting them properly.

[Viktoria Neborikina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Загадка перуанської мумії

Або такий собі англійський детектив. На третині ще думала може зміню свою думку, але ні. Ну типу банальний сюжет, косплей під Агату Крісті, але такий посередній, на 4-ку. Так, я не здогадувалась, що ж та хто, але я так роблю маже у всіх детективних книгах😅

Ох і бісячий той єгиптолог (Професор Браддок ), хотілося підійти і дати затріщину. Або закричати: та подивись ти навкруги, годі сидіти у тій бульбашці!. Він може забути про все, поїсти, про вигляд та оточуючих, але про єгиптологію - ні.
Його падчериця Люсі - дуже наївне закохане дівчисько. Трошки вона мене недалеко, або вдає з себе дурнушку.
Селена Джашер наче цікава вдовиця, але хитра і ти весь час думаєш, коли ж вона дістане ніж з-за спини.
Автор доречі трохи схожий мені на Еркюля Пуаро. Він прикольно й детально описує одяг героїв та навколишню обстановку.

Однак любителям Єгипту варто придивитись до роману, бо там доволі багато сюжетних подробиць, які його стосуються

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A professor bought a green mummy from Peru and sent his assistant to fetch it. It arrives and instead of the mummy, his assistant is found inside dead. The professor also has a step-daughter who has just gotten engaged, another woman interested in him, and a servant he brought from Peru. On top of that, a noble man and his daughter from Peru come to claim the mummy for their country and Sir Random also helps. The main characters try to figure out the deepening mystery with lots of twists and turns.

One of the main characters really grated on my nerves. If I had known him, I would have wanted to kill him. He was heartless and cruel and selfish.

Note: Some of the attitudes toward foreigners and the one that England was the most civilized country of the world is kind of degrading, xenophobic and snobbish.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖍️ Fun to read.
Character with a clever name, “Cockatoo:”

He had a large head, and a somewhat handsome face, with melancholy black eyes and a fine set of white teeth. Like most Polynesians, his skin was of a pale bronze and elaborately tattooed, even the cheeks and chin being scored with curves and straight lines of mystical import. But the most noticeable thing about him was his huge mop of frizzled hair, which, by some process, known only to himself, he usually dyed a vivid yellow. The flaring locks streaming from his head made him resemble a Peruvian image of the sun, and it was this peculiar coiffure which had procured for him the odd name of Cockatoo.

📙Published in 1908.

🟢The e-book version can be found at Project Gutenberg.
🟣 Kindle.
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[Tim Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

By modern standards, Fergus Hume is a longwinded writer. His mysteries are scrupulously fair, which makes them rather too easy to solve. So I find myself half way through the book, knowing who done it, and having neither the patience nor the incentive to read the rest.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, the one person I never suspected ended up as the murderer. And I don't know how anyone could stand the Professor. Still, a fun story.

[Alexis Chateau · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would have been an excellent read, but for the sexism, the racism, and the awkward unraveling of the truth.

[Cassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was engaging though it was awkwardly racist as books from that era can sometimes be.