He has

mate, customs, and manners, nor a series of hasty, if not ill-tempered, sketches of Scottish life as seen through the eyes of a foreigner from an hotel window, or a first-class coupé of a Northern Express. It is exactly what it pretends to be, and gives a very true and charmingly delineated picture of Scotland past and present, especially of the last century and this. M. le Comte Lafond has evidently lived long enough among us to become in some measure acclimatised to our weather, and sympathetic with our peculiarities. He has made a patient study of our ways, and of those of our forefathers, and his book is the expression of many pleasing memories of his sojourn in our midst, and of the interest with which his perusal of our history and of our literature has inspired him. clearly not been content with a superficial or second hand knowledge of either, but has read deeply in both. The result is that wherever he takes us in these pages he not only describes the scenery with the pen of an artist, but narrates the incidents and events that have made those places memorable, with the love of an antiquary. He starts his peregrinations from Edinburgh, but lingers lovingly through two chapters of his book over the picturesque situation and surroundings of Auld Reekie,' its quaint old streets and lingering landmarks of by-gone glories, its chequered history and last century manners and life. Holyrood and its memories, of course, occupy a considerable share of his attention, and Queen Mary and Prince Charlie naturally figure largely in these latter. From Edinburgh to Abbotsford and the country of Walter Scott, is the subject of chapter iii. In chapter iv., we are taken north by Stirling and Perth, and chapter v. is devoted to Culloden and the story of the adventures of the fugitive prince. Chapter vi. gives us a picture of the relations of chief and clan, and Highland life generally during the last century. Chapter vii. is taken up with an account of the superstitions of the Highlanders, (shared in largely by the Lowlanders), while a special chapter is given to that of the 'second sight.' Then we are taken to Oban, and from there to Glasgow by the Stage Coach, which gives occasion for a description of the country of Rob Roy, and an account of his chequered career. Chapter xi. is given to the touching story of two unknown Stuarts,' and the last chapter to the Crofter Question.' This confines itself, however, to the writer's experiences of the Highland crofts, and his investigations as to the tenure of land on the part of the Highland lairds. He does not pretend to solve the difficult problem now before our Legislature, but his sympathies are all with the crofters, and he sheds not a little valuable light on the origin of the troubles that have arisen. Altogether the book is delightful reading; but the printer has made sad blunders in his efforts to give the quotations from the Scottish writers whose works M. le Comte Lafond has put under tribute. He would do well to keep a sharp eye on

the proof-sheets of any future edition.

Pioneering in New Guinea. By JAMES CHALMERS. Illustrations and Map. London: Religious Tract Society, 1887. Though making no pretentions to literary finish, this volume contains a graphic and interesting account of travel and doings in a little known island part of which with its adjacent islands is now one of the outlying portions of the British Empire. Mr. Chalmers, as readers of his former volume are aware, has resided in it as a missionary for a considerable number of years, and may be said to know more of the country than any other European. In fact no European has seen so much of it. It may be doubted indeed whether many of the natives have. He has travelled far and wide along its coasts and among its mountains, and visited scenes and tribes where the face of a European has never before been seen and to

which the natives on the coast seldom penetrate. His volume therefore wears an air of novelty. There are few corners of the earth which have not been ransacked, and Mr. Chalmers is probably not far from the last of the pioneers of geographical discovery. Elaborate detail or description is not in his way, but from the rough notes of travel which he has here thrown together it is easy to see that New Guinea is full of magnificent scenery, is well watered-in places too well-bears abundant evidence of fertility, is for the most part healthy, and offers a pretty extensive field for commercial enterprise. The fauna of the island is singularly poor. Mice and other small deer abound, but the largest animals to be met with inland are dogs and pigs, though the rivers have enough crocodiles in them to make boating and bathing at times far from comfortable. Mr. Chalmers, however, has less to say of the country than of its inhabitants. Among these he appears to be quite at home and to be thoroughly acquainted with their ways and habits. They are not a particularly inviting lot. Though on the whole peaceable, they are impulsive, easily excited, and not altogether to be relied upon. Roast pig has as great an attraction for them as it had for Charles Lamb. The expectation of one will often chain them to a spot for hours. Many of them have the uncanny habit of eating the bodies of such of their enemies as they are able to lay hands on, and widows will sometimes dig up the bodies of their dead husbands, cook them, and present them to their friends as toothsome morsels. Among their most highly prized possessions are cooking pots; and to be deprived of the gravy of their loathesome dish is to the aboriginal mind the greatest of losses. It is no small credit to Mr. Chalmers and his fellow missionaries to be able to say that in several tribes they have managed to suppress this horrible practice, and that through their influence roast pig is rapidly taking the place of roast man. Some of the most interesting passages in the volume are those in which its author describes the opinions and beliefs of the natives, some of which are very curious. One of them accounts for the origin of canibalism and singularly enough charges the women with being the authors of the practice. Another accounts for the origin of fire. Another gives what Mr. Spencer would probably call a theory of the universe. To the question whence comes thunder, and who causes it? the Motumotu answer: 'Feviri, one of the ancients, was fishing, and he saw a line let down from the heavens. Then the lightning ran along it, followed by thunder, and he saw a very large man descend with a peal and ascend. The line was fastened above, and that is all we know.' Among the Motu the following story is told about the moon. 'In the beginning a chief, when digging came on what he thought a beautiful pearl shell cut crescent shape. He picked it up and went to the sea to wash it, and when bright, let it lie on his open hand, and was admiring it, when it slid away out of his hand, swam out to sea to a rock, on which it stood, and said, I am a man, I am no pearl shell; so, great chief, where is Jan Maïri? Now listen ! Six times in Guitan (in the south-east) and six times in Labara (in the north-west) you will see me, and when done each time I shall pass under the land. When the moon is set, or when he is lost,' as the Motumotu say, they believe he is eating pig. The religion of the tribes Mr. Chalmers has come across seems to be of the most rudimentary kind. All worship spirits, some of them pebbles, and most of them the spirits of dead ancestors. They believe in the power of prayer and have great faith in their sorcerers. During sleep they believe the soul to be travelling. Dreams they attribute to the intercourse of the soul of the sleeper with the spirits. We should add that Mr. Chalmers has much to say about the proclamation of the British protectorate and deprecates the visits of the labour-ships of Queensland to the coasts of New Guinea. The volume is provided with an excellent map and has numerous illustrations.

Australian Defences and New Guinea, compiled from the Papers of the late Major-General Sir Peter Scratchley, R.E., K.C.M.G. By C. KINLOCH COOKE, B.A., L.L.M. London and New York: Macmillan & Co. 1887.

At the present moment when so much is being thought and said about the defence of the Colonies, the publication of this volume is extremely opportune. For a number of years Sir Peter Scratchley occupied the responsible post of Defence Adviser to the various Colonial governments in Australasia, and Mr. Kinloch Cooke has here put together in a series of clearly written chapters the conclusions he arrived at as to what required to be done in order to render the various ports and harbours of Australasia capable of successfully withstanding the attacks of an hostile force. The materials for these chapters, are of course taken from Sir Peter Scratchley's papers, and for the most part are in Sir Peter's words, Mr. Cooke having contented himself with the duties of compiler and commentator-duties which he has discharged fairly well. It says not a little for the soundness of the views which Sir Peter Scratchley formed respecting the work he had in hand that the Australian Colonies are now rapidly carrying them out, though, not till after considerable hesitation owing chiefly to an unwillingness to incur the necessary expense. The schemes aim chiefly at fortifying the principal harbours and approaches to the capitals, at providing field forces where they are likely to be required to resist the landing of an enemy, and recommend the employment of armoured and unarmoured vessels and torpedo launches both for the general defence of the towns along the seacoast and for the protection of commerce, as well as in the event of bombardment. Before going out to Australia, Sir Peter Scratchley had seen service in the Crimea and in India during the Mutiny; while acting as Adviser to the Colonies he was appointed Her Majesty's Special Commissioner to New Guinea. Here as is admitted on all hands, he did valuable work, but was unfortunately cut down by fever while engaged in it. The chapters on New Guinea will be read with interest. They bear out much that Mr. Chalmers has to say of the islands and its inhabitants. Not the least interesting parts of the volume are the extracts it contains from the Diaries kept by General Scratchley while in the Crimea and New Guinea. Sir Peter was on intimate terms with General Gordon, the two having studied and worked together when young. In November 1884, the former sailed for Australia and the following remarkable incident which we give in Mr. Cooke's words occurred--' On Christmas eve, the night being perfect and the sea like glass, General Scratchley, seated in the quarter deck, told his intimates how, in a dream the night before, he saw his friend Charles Gordon, who appeared to be in great trouble and danger, although for what reason was not apparent. A few weeks later the world heard of the hero's death.'

A New Dictionary on Historical Principles. Edited by JAMES A. H. MURRAY, LL.D., &c. Part. III. Batter-Boz. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1887.

This part of Dr. Murray's magnificent undertaking concludes Ba-, and contains the whole of Be-, Bi-, Bl-, and Bo-. It deals with 8,765 words, of which 5,323 are main words, and the rest compounds and subordinate entries. Of the 5323 main words fully one fourth, or more exactly 1379, are obsolete, 142 are foreign or words not yet completely naturalized, and 3,802 are in actual use. Many of the words dealt with are of special interest, and several of great difficulty. Under B are some of the oldest words in the language, comparatively few of those of which it forms the

6

;

initial letter being derived from Greek or Latin, the majority of them coming from Teutonic sources. During the long period of their use many of these have branched out into a vast variety of meanings, which cost the lexicographer no little labour to disentangle and classify. The verb to be, for instance, has so branched out that its definitions and illustrations occupy no fewer than twelve and a half columns. The pretix be- is used close upon 1500 times. About 850 of the words with which it is compounded have here, either on account of their meaning, their long history, or frequent modern use, received separate treatment; the rest, about 600, have been arranged in groups under the various uses of the prefix; but even with this attempt at brevity of treatment, almost as much space has been required for the prefix as for the verb. Beam occupies nearly four columns, the verb to bear nearly ten, beat and its derivatives seven, the noun bed over five to the word bee over two columns are given, to bell, belly, and bench, four each, to bend and bind five. Bob appears with upwards of forty meanings, and bolt with nearly as many. Bow claims seven columns, and box as many, having as a noun some twenty meanings, and as a verb nearly the same number. The labour which the treatment of words like these involves is something enormous. Etymologically this part of the Dictionary has presented very considerable difficulties, the derivation of not a few of the words being uncertain or unknown. But good work has been done, and a number of errors eliminated. Beltane is derived from the Gaelic bealltainn, the Celtic name of the first of May. The rubbish about Baal, Bel, Belus, imported into the word from the Old Testament and classical antiquity,' says Dr. Murray, 'is outside the scope of scientific etymology.' As to the Warders of the Tower of London, the conjecture that their popular designation, beef-eaters,' is derived from buffet, sideboard,' is pronounced 'historically baseless.' No such form of the word as buffetier, it is pointed out, exists. Beaufet, which has been supposed to form the phonetic link between buffet and beef-eater, is merely an Eighteenth Century bad spelling, not so old as beef-eater. Literally the word means a loaf-eater, and is derived from the Old English hlრáeta. As might be expected the history of some of the words here treated is full of interest. The origin of boycott is well known. Blarney is another word of Irish origin, and is often used, but few are aware how, from being the name of a village near Cork, it has come to mean 'smoothly flattering or cajoling talk.' Dr. Murray's note makes it clear. In the village is a castle, and in the castle an inscribed stone difficult of access; and the popular saying is that any one who kisses this Blarney stone' will ever after have a cajoling tongue, and the art of flattery and of telling lies with unblushing effrontery. Equally interesting notes may be found scattered here and there through this as well as through the other parts of the Dictionary; for instance, under such words as bellarmine, bell, Beghard, beadle, belfry, Bayard, baxter, bidding, &c. We can only hope that Dr. Murray will continue to maintain the exceedingly high standard of excellence he has attained. Of this, indeed, with his increased staff of assistants, there is every prospect. It should be unnecessary now to urge those who take any interest in the language to make themselves the possessors of this work. The least that can be said of it is that it deserves every support which can possibly be given to it. English Writers: an Attempt towards a History of English Literature. By HENRY MORLEY, LL.D., &c. London, Paris, and New York: Cassell & Co., 1887.

Mr. Morley's original English Writers being out of print, he has resolved to recast and continue it, and of this project we have here the first of at least twenty volumes. We say 'at least,' because if the remaining periods

are to be treated with the same fulness as the one which is dealt with in the volume before us, we have serious doubts as to the proposed number being sufficient to admit of the whole story of English literature being told. But be the number of volumes what it may, no one who has read either the old English Writers or this new volume, will do otherwise than hope that its author may bring it to a successful conclusion. The subject is one on which he has written largely, and few, if any, are better equipped for dealing with it in so thorough and effective a way. The present volume may be said to consist of two parts-introduction and history. The introductory matter occupies 164, out of 358 pages. Of these

6

164 pages again, 121 are devoted to the introduction proper, and the rest to a chapter on the 'Forming of the People.' The latter is admirable; in fact we do not remember to have seen the subject so succinctly and vividly treated before. For the Introduction' we cannot say so much; one has some difficulty in making out its purpose. If it is intended to afford a general sketch of the origin and development of English literature, it might have been more compactly put together. But once past the 'Introduction,' no one will complain that Prof. Morley is in the least degree tedious. One follows him with pleasure. His chapters on the Old Gaelic and Cymric literatures are excellent; so also is his chapter on the old literature of the Teutons. A citation or two from the Edda or the Icelandic Sagas might have given an additional interest to the chapter on Scandinavia. The chapter on the Beowulf poem is perhaps the best in the book. It is followed by a very full and useful bibliography.

Messis Vitae Gleanings of Song from a Happy Life.

STUART BLACKIE.

Co., 1886.

Happy Life. By JOHN

London and New York: Macmillan &

Verses of a Prose-Writer. By J. A. NOBLE. Edinburgh: D. Douglas, 1887.

Natura Veritas. By GEORGE M. MINCHIN, M.A. London and New York: Macmillan & Co., 1887.

In Divers Tones. BY C. G. D. ROBERTS. Boston: D. Lothrop & Co; Montreal: Dawson Brothers, 1887.

The Captive King and other Poems. By JAMES SHARP. Illustrated by Florence Holms. Paisley and London: Alex. Gardner, 1887.

King James the First: An Historical Tragedy. By DAVID London and New York: Macmillan & Co.,

GRAHAM.

1887.

Border and other Poems. By ROBERT ALLEN. Kelso: J. & J. H. Rutherford, 1887.

Poems and Ballads (Scotch and English). By ROBERT W. THOM. Glasgow: Maclaren & Sons, 1886.

These eight volumes form rather a mixed company, but as they all claim to be poetry and are all more or less poetical we have brought them together for the sake of convenience. The poetry of none of them can be said to be of a very high order; yet that of most of them is pleasing, and one or two of the volumes are considerably above the average. Professor Blackie's volume has for its alternative title Gleanings of Song from a Happy