The Log of a Privateersman. By Harry Collingwood. (Blackie and
Son.)—Mr. Collingwood's work naturally suggests a com- parison with that of Mr. Clark Russell, nor need such a com- parison be "odious." Each novelist has great merits. Mr. Clark Russell, regarded from the literary point of view, is easily first. His seascapes are admirable, as fine as any descriptive prose in our language. And he draws a woman with great skill. His tales furnish us with quite a gallery of fine female portraits. As a story-teller Mr. Collingwood is not surpassed. His incidents are brilliantly described, and follow in a rapid succession which never flags or repeats itself. The Log of a Privateersman is a good specimen of his powers. The young hero has a more than human good fortune in the multiplicity and success of his adventures. But no one will be disposed to criticise this characteristic of the tale. The scene is laid in the days of the war with Napoleon, and opens shortly after the failure of the Peace of Amiens. The subject—the adventures of a privateer—lends itself to the pur- poses of a tale-writer, and is well worked out.
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