The Golden Bock. By Ernest Glanville. (Chatto and Windus.) —Once
more do the old " properties " do service for a story of adventure. An old hunter leaves a map to his nephew with which he is to find a mountain of gold somewhere beyond the Limpopo, and then dies. Frank determines to set out for the Cape, but his manner of journeying is suddenly changed, and he finds himself on board a warship belonging to some South American rebels, and goes through some exciting moments, and learns something of the handling of modern warships. All this is described with great ease and spirit, and is all the more interesting because we have yet to learn so much of the behaviour of warships under heavy fire. Then we reach South Africa, and Frank Hume and his companions begin in earnest the quest for the "Golden Rock." Mr. Glanville is at home in those solitudes of the hunter, and ilescribes with picturesque vividness and truthful detail the march through the bush and the veldt, and the many dangers that menace the gold-seekers. An added mystery is the presence of some unseen enemy who has possessed himself of their secret, and again and again hampers and hinders them with an invisible cunning that threatens their cherished hopes with failure. But the most exciting and brilliant portion of the tale is after the river is passed, and they are pursued by Zulus in league with the unknown enemy. The account of the great sea of reeds, and the flight through it to the mountains, and the subsequent spectacle of the fierce warriors hunting for them far below in the jungle of reeds, is thrilling and fascinating. The excite-. ment is kept up all the time while they reach the carious "eye" through which at sunrise the "Golden Rock" flashes a reflection, and they and their new ally, " Sirayo; defeat the Zulus, after a stubborn defence of the ruined temple. Sirayo is a splendid warrior of the Umslopogaas type, and he is certainly a most striking and noble figure. Parts of the book, particularly some of the dialogue, are a little superfluous, but the presence of a heroine may be considered to make this necessary ; and we can forgive all in the general excellence of the style and handling of the material, the movement of the scenes, the sense of freedom and life, and the powerful and vigorous touches of scenery and national character. The Golden Rock will fascinate old and young.
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