FICTION.
A LITTLE SH1E.t
Taus are changed since Byron wrote :—
" Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean—roll I Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain ; Man marks the earth with ruin—his control Stops with the shore—upon the watery plain The wrecks are all thy deed, nor cloth ream.' A shadow of nutn'e ramp."
• The Clash. By William IL Meow. Tomato: J. 31. Drat and Boas, 27 Metals Street.
t Littte Yhip. By" Taffrall." Leaden and Dfinbarga W. and It, (Lambert. far. net.; (rho italics are ours.) Yet " Taffrail " in his new and ex- cellent book, devoted chiefly to the work of destroyers, strikes a somewhat similar note in one passage :- "Man may bridge space, harness rivers, and, within limits, change Cod's configuration of the land ; but he can never compel the great ocean to do his bidding, never control the raging of the storm. The sea is ever such a fickle mistress, smiling and gay in her happiness, but quick to anger, and relentless in her passion. She is a thing of whims and fancies, now joyous, now depressed, and always very difficult to please ; a merciless enemy, ever eager to reap the advantage of the slightest lapse or most momentary indiscretion on the part of her servants. She is utterly implacable, and rarely forgives a grievance. Sometimes we bate her, for she punishes cruelly—killing. and maiming, and drowning our seamen ; battering and wrecking our ships ; swallowing millions of our money. But even in her fury she fascinates, so that at the back of our minds we really love and respect her. Moreover, it is to the sea, and to the effect that she has had in moulding our national traits and characteristics, that we owe our greatness as an Empire."
Since the battle of Jutland tho destroyers have perhaps borne the brunt of the fighting. " Tehran " therefore has done well to bring home to landsmen, whom the little ships have enabled to "sleep sound in their beds," exactly what the day's work in a destroyer means, from her trials to the full rigours of lightning encounters in the North Sea. Two types of destroyers are described in detail, but many other auxiliary craft come into the picture, down to the humble "trot-boat." Incidentally a great deal of information and curious naval lore is conveyed on such subjects as the origin of pennants ; badges and crests ; josses and mascots; oil v. coal. The strange mixture of types to be found in any ship's company, and the unifying solidarity of the sea, are happily illustrated. Under the head of "Eccentricities"
Tehran " has collected a number of entertaining anecdotes of the peculiar " mentality " of the sailorman. Here ho has not always avoided the retailing of chestnuts." But the chapters on the North Sea vigil, on fights with enemy destroyers, ace- planes, and submarines, and on the rescues of torpedoed crews, form a splendid tribute from an expert to the skill, the courage, and the chivalry of officers and men, culminating in an account of the Zeebrugge exploit, all the more impressive from its absence of heroics in dealing with what was perhaps the most heroic achievement in the annals of the Navy.
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