British Seamen, as Described in Recent Parliamentary and Official Documents.
By Thomas Brassey, M.P. (Long:mans, Green, and Co.)— Mr. Brassey is indefatigable. Surely ho is the model of the modern UP. of the period, who, not content with travelling round the world, seeing everybody and everything, collecting, comparing, analysing, and finally publishing it all, takes up also with his Home hobby, effectually masters it, and becomes the authority upon it. Mr. Brassey probably -knows more about seamen and seamanship than any other living lands- man, and if he did not also know so much about navvies and handi- craftsmen we should suppose he cared for nothing but the sea and sailors, so complete and microscopic seems his survey of what may be called marine politics. It would be impossible in this note oven to summarise 311r. Brassey's conclusions, but we confidently refer all who are interested—and Mr. Brassey may well ask who is not?—in the stability and prosperity of our mercantile marine to this comprehensive and elaborate volume. We are glad to see that Mr. Brassey gives the weight of his authority unequivocally against the advance-note system, and would render it illegal ; he also insists with much force on the im- portance of increased education and general culture to the officers of the merchant service, and the higher social status they would thereby acquire. Ho thinks that a more intimate connection between them and the Reserves would tend to elevate both, professionally, morally, and socially. On those and many kindred topics, Mr. Brassey writes well and forcibly, and we may say that there is hardly a chapter in his book that may not be profitably studied alike by experts, politicians, and philanthropists of all classes.
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