A Summer in the Rockies. By Major Sir Rose Lambart
Price. (Sampson Low and Co.)—General Coppinger, of the United States Army, being about to go on a tour of military inspection in the Rockies, invited his friend, Major Sir Rose Price, of the British Service, to accompany him. The result of this inspection is the volume which Sir Rose Price has now published, which is very pleasant, very military, and in many respects very conservative. He lets his readers know that he is a long-service advocate, and that as regards compulsory service, "except for the mere money-grubbers, it would be the best thing that could possibly happen to the nation." Of the American Army, as judged from General Coppingees tour of inspection, he says that "their cavalry and infantry could not have been better," and "I very much doubt if we have a single cavalry regiment in our Army which could turn out for inspection and perform all the tricks and manceuvres that I saw at Forts Meade and Robinson." Major Price has, of course, much to tell about Indian reserva- tions, elk-shooting, trout-fishing, canon scenery, rattlesnakes, and so forth ; but it can hardly be said that he has made any important discoveries. He never offers anything much more original than "I never was in a country where there were so many porcupines as in this part of the Rockies. The number of trees they bark seems incredible. The Indian squaws use their quills a great deal for embroidery ; mocassins and horse clothing are for gala purposes ornamented with them a good deal, the quills having been previously dyed some brilliant colour." The Major's " philosophy " is not specially profound, as may be gathered from such remarks as "We don't always get our own way in this wicked world" and "How few of us ever recognise the fact that about an honest half of our pleasures in life consists entirely in anticipation!" At the same time, he has produced a readable volume which will be found good holiday reading, and the figures he gives at the close of his work of the strength of the British and American Armies are important and useful.
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