SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading us notice such Books of nu wags as have not bens ramose' for /11P1410 in aim. form.] Personal Adventures and Anecdotes. By Colonel James P. Robertson. (E. Arnold. 12s. 6d. net.)—Colonel Robertson went out to India in 1842, and served through the Sutlej Campaign, his regiment (the 31st) coming out with but four officers unwounded. Nor need we wonder when we read what follows :—" Sir Hugh Gough's simple strategy was to put the strongest regiment into the hottest place ; no attempt was ever made to outflank or turn a position." The fighting is described by Colonel Robertson with great spirit, and is made real by the little touches of detail which the historian does not, and indeed cannot, give. The numerous casualties naturally brought juniors into prominence, and Mr. Robertson had the misfortune to look younger than he was. He had the charge of some invalids, and his repeated experience was, when he reported himself to the authorities, to be asked : " Why, doesn't the commanding officer come and report for him- self ?" After the Sutlej Campaign came, with an interval of service at home, the Crimea, and after the Crimea the Indian Mutiny. Of both we hear many interesting things. One that is told, not by any means for the first time, goes to confirm the belief that if we had only gone on we might have taken Sebastopol immediately after the victory of the Alma. The Allies "had nothing to do but to walk in," was the remark of a Russian lady who was in the city at the time. Colonel Robertson leaves us with a most agreeable impression of soldierly qualities. We may venture, however, to observe that his opinions about slavery are a little out of date. He says, a propos of the West Indies and the compensa- tion paid in consideration of the emancipated slaves " Suppose our farmers in Great Britain bad all their horses taken from them at a market price, with a strict prohibition against purchasing• others, how could farming be carried on ? Yet that was the way in which the unfortunate West Indian proprietor was served." Similarly, Ile seems to hold that our efforts to put down the slave trade were wrong because they compelled the skiers to crowd their
captives into inconveniently small vessels. It is curious to fmd thesi oPinioxis still flourishing.'
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