Bombay and Western India. By James Douglas. 2 vols. (Sampson
Low, Marston, and Co.)—Mr. Douglas seems to have been in the habit of contributing to various Indian newspapers articles on local and historical subjects. These " stray papers," as he calls them, he has now, at the suggestion of Lord Reay, put together. They fill together two massive volumes of the largest octave size. Interesting they certainly are. Wherever the reader may turn, he is certain to find something that will entertain and, it may be, instruct him. But it is impossible to deny that it would have been well to use a little more compression and arrangement than Mr. Douglas has thought fit to employ. If we add to a certain lengthiness and want of order, a style full of peculiarities, not to say eccentricities, we have mentioned the chief of Mr. Douglas's faults. There is nothing to binder his being read,—his pages will, indeed, amply repay all the time that may be spent upon them. There was, indeed, an enormous mass of materials from which Mr. Douglas had to choose. Distinguished men— among whom may be mentioned Wellington (then Sir Arthur Wellesley), Sir Charles Napier, Outram, Mountstuart Elphinstone, Sir J. Peter Grant, and Sir James Mackintosh—are described. Scarcely less interesting are a number of men who cannot be called distinguished, but who did good work in laying the foundations of the Indian Empire and in building upon them. Sir Charles Napier and Outram have chapters of peculiar interest devoted to them. The presentment of the latter has a certain novelty about it. His exploits as a mighty hunter are but little known. One tiger he killed with a pistol; another ho followed and speared on foot, " an act which was never done before nor since in Khandeish." His exploits in this line were' done in the earlier part of his life. Ho killed his first tiger in 1825, his last in 1837. The more familiar story of his splendid generosity is told again. Every one does not know that his resignation in favour of Havelock, " besides depriving him of honour and glory, deprived him of making the means of provision for old age." Among native celebrities, we have Sivaji. His forts are among the notable objects described, for Mr. Douglas writes of places as well as of people. The two volumes are of remarkably handsome appearance, and are copiously illustrated with a variety of photo- graphs. If we cannot place their literary merit very high, we may nevertheless fully acknowledge their general value.
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