WHALING, NORTH AND SOUTH. By F. V. Morley and J.
S. Hodgson. Illustrated. (Methuen. 10s. 6d.)—If "the old open-boat stunting " is gone, and though steam and the harpoon-gun have revolutionized whaling (and even seaplanes for spotting whales are suggested by Mr. Hodgson), it is still a bitter, hard life (in the -Wild, inadequately charted Antarctic seas especially), but, as the Dutch long ago saw, a game which breeds men. At present half of the world's whalemen are Norwegians, and they ply their hardy calling, from our own Shetlands south to those other bleak and inhospitable Shet- lands which lie to the south-east of Cape Horn, and off which between 10,000-and 15,000 rorqual whales are killed yearly. How the whale is killed, what is done with him when lie is towed (after being blown up by air-pumps) through an atmosphere of indescribable stench to the fiensing-stage, and on aamirable historical summary of the industry, form the subject of this absorbingly interesting book, which is one of first-hand knowledge. Lively information, picturesque writ- ing and the real stuff of adventure go towards its make-up. Of the two authors, Mr. Morley (whose recent book on the Thames will be remembered) is the More delightful as a stylist, but ,- both can be envied the pow,- of writing this book, and still more the experience which produced it. Their work will take worthy rank with Moby Dick and Cruise of the Cachalot.
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