Bush-life in Queensland. By A. C. Grant. 2 vols. (Blackwood
and Sons.)—John West, whose "colonial experiences" are here described, goes out to Queensland. Unhappily, ho goes under the auspices of a swindling ex-colonist, who robs him of his capital, foist- ing upon him at an excessive price a number of almost worthless sheep. Bat this, of course, snbserves the author's purpose very well. John's progress to prosperity is not too rapid, and is, therefore, the more instructive. He is a warning, as well as an encouragement. Intending emigrants may learn from him to be very careful about the men to whom they entrust the handling of their capital, as well as the prospects which are open to industry and intelligence. Then, again, John has to put his hand to work to which an unbroken course of prosperity would never have led him, and his historian has the larger field for his descriptions. Naturally, with the web of John's fortunes is entwined a thread of love-making, love-making on the part of John and of his friends. Naturally, too, there is a villain, whose misdeeds introduce into the story a very tragical element. We cannot pretend to bring any special knowledge to the criticism of this book, but we can say without hesitation that it is remarkably entertaining and lively, abounding with sketches of manner and character that have all the look of truth and fidelity to fact. Both light and shade are given. We see how men may rise in the new country, and how they may fall ; one becomes a wealthy and prosperous landowner, another sinks to be a miserable hanger-on of taps and billiard-rooms. The writer's literary skill, too, is con- siderable. In short, this is one of the beat books of the kind that we have seen.
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