THE ARTERIES OF OUR EMPIRE.*
PENDING the appearance of a comprehensive history of British commerce with the rest of the world, Mr. Cornewall- Jones has done his countrymen a notable service in the compilation of this handsome volume. Of all the wonders crowding in to crown the nineteenth century or greet the advent of the twentieth, none are more worthy the full-hearted admiration of British-bred men and women than that globe-embracing web of oversea traffic which we concisely term the British Mercantile Marine. If ever, in the history of the world's progress, the genius of a nation for one particular metier above all others has manifested itself in spite of all home hindrances, want of Governmental fostering, foreign treachery, and the active bounty-fed competition of all other countries, we behold it here. Moreover, as if in disdainful exuberance of exhaustless vigour we would show all competitors the illimitability of our resources, we fling wide all the portals of our own commerce to all comers, unheeding serenely the ugly fact that whenever and wherever it falls within their power to exclude us from a port, such exclusion is attempted. Yet like the nervous system of a world, our trade-routes enmesh both hemispheres, while from the palpitating ganglion of this little group of islands flash and return unceasingly the thought-matter of a commerce to which that of all the rest of the world is but a moiety. If with enlarged power of vision we could gather in at a glance the illuminated half of our planet, and see all our ships upon those seas at one moment of time, how soul-stirring would be the sight. In some shipowners' offices a large Mercator's chart of the world is kept open upon a wall. On it are placed tiny models of the firms' ships wherever they are supposed to be day by day. Thus the head of affairs may at any time marshal his forces, as it were, and study, Moltke-like, new combinations of attack in his peaceful campaign. This strikes the imagination as a practice calculated to strengthen and expand the mental vision; but to think of an instantaneous review of Britain's fleets wherever they are sailing under the sun gets to the head like new wine. Clustering closely round our own shores in almost every conceivable rig and at every rate of speed, farther seaward converging homeward or departing along radiating tracks that vanish as the steady keels glide on, in stagnant calms where the air is oily with heat, through steadfast - blowing "trades" whose healthful currents sweeten the breath of the smiling sea, wrestling doggedly with hungry, snow-laden gales and sullen waves vainly striving to beat them back, pressing ever on, favoured by or battling against every variation of their change- ful environment, come and go these tireless feeders of our nation's strength. And on the other half of the revolving globe through the darkling hours while on land man and beast are sleeping—unresting, undeviating, there go the ships. The silent helmsman, his eye upon the tiny circle of light irradiating the face of the compass, steers confidently through the dark, while the officer in charge of the watch, his faculties all attuned to his sea-surroundings, paces the narrow limits of bridge or quarterdeck, or leans motionless over the rail, gazing with experienced eye far ahead into the mysterious void of the night. One by one the fleeting hours ring out upon the ship's bell to the echoless silence enwrapping them ; the divided waves murmur incessantly, throwing up in diamond- bright coruscations a continual galaxy of sea-lights ; while watch succeeds watch, and, swiftly or slowly, the unresting keel devours the lessening miles.
Perhaps even more fascinating than these reflections are those engendered by our author's sketch of the rise and pro- gress of our gigantic Merchant Navy. The brine in our blood fairly tingles in response to the call of those early mariners who in ships hardly larger than fishing-boats, cum- brous of build and complicated of rig, and enduring hardships almost incredible to us, pampered as we are by the innumer- able comforts of these luxurious days, laid the keel and bolted the breast-hooks of our present greatness upon the sea. Warriors, explorers, traders, buccaneers, pirates, if you will, but sailors always ; to them were entrusted under the • The British Merchant Smite. By R. J. Ooraewall•Jones. London Sampson Low. Marston, and Co. [142.] good providence of God the maintenance of our freedom no less than the erection of a commercial fabric which should dwarf the proud enterprise of Venice infinitely more than she, in her day, had overtopped the might of sea- dominating Carthage. How nobly they fulfilled their great charge is writ large upon our history, but underlying those bold characters is an undecipherable palimpsest appealing only to the cultivated imagination, and telling of unchronicled deeds of peaceful daring, of patient endeavour, devotion to duty, and fathomless gi ayes wherever the wide sea rolls. If, as some think (though we are not of the number), we are at the zenith of our power and the day of our decline is at band, the remembrance of these ancient worthies should reinvigorate us, even if a feeling of shame at our increasing tendency to "let things go" should for the time make us profoundly dejected. Fortunately, there are not wanting signs on every hand that an awakening interest is being manifested in our noble Mercantile Marine, a growing indignation at the idea of its being allowed to drift under the control of the alien, and a more intelligent appreciation of its vital importance to us as a free people. All this is matter for rejoicing, because we have often noticed that while the glory of the Royal Navy is a very real thing to almost every Briton (as it should be), a large majority think slightingly, or do not think at all, of that far greater Service (using the word "greater" in its true sense) without which "we none of us bad bread."
We have left ourselves but little space for criticism of Mr. Cornewall-Jones's book, but for this we do not feel called upon to apologise. For the ungenerous task of finding fault with such motes as occasional misprints, differences in quality between illustrations or arrangement of matter,'we confess to having little taste. Far more congenial is the duty of com- plimenting the author upon having produced with much painstaking research so valuable, and at the same time so eminently readable, a volume as this undoubtedly is. And for one chapter, at least, all seamen, whatever their rank, ought to be, and doubtless will be, profoundly grateful. It is entitled "Treatment of Apprentices," and deals in the frankest manner with one of the most deep-seated evils of the Merchant Service. With a definiteness of detail and clearness of language that cannot be too highly praised, and show in addition a first - band acquaint- ance with the facts utterly impossible to one who has not had personal experience of the subject, the writer probes this sore place to its depths. And be then goes on to make a series of common-sense suggestions, which if carried out could not fail to be perfectly effective in removing this long-standing reproach. From intimate personal experience extending over many years, we can heartily endorse every word of the author's remarks upon the subject. In fact, Mr. Cornewall-Jones always writes of the internal economy of ships out of the fulness of his own knowledge and observation, while his literary equipment for such a task as he has accomplished leaves nothing to be desired. It would be pleasant if practicable to give a few extracts from such interesting chapters as those upon " Clipper Ships," "Manning of Merchant Ships," " Duties of Seamen and Officers," &c., but the reader of the book will have all the more pleasure in picking out these plums for himself. To the sailor this book will be delightful reading, for he need have no fear of being continually annoyed by gross inaccuracies of detail or ignorant conclusions drawn from wrong premisses. But we should like to see it on the shelves of every library in the realm, especially in those belonging to technical institutes and higher-grade schools. And in this hope we heartily commend it to the notice of all those in charge of such institutions.
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