Beyond Horizons. By Carleton Mitchell (William Kimber. 15s.) BOOKS about
travel; it would be interesting to know how many of them are published in A year. Mr. Mitchell, however, most acceptably differs from the usual mixture by writing about the sea and ships, with places and countries incidentally. Unless one is a sailor it is not easy to imagine all that can take place at sea or be entirely aware of its hardships and hazards. The book deals with several well-known voyages of dis- covery: Anson's round Cape Horn; James's search for a North-West Passage, which turned out to be a courageous but miserable affair; and Bligh's historic voyage of 3,618 miles from Tifoa to Timor. After reading Bligh's sober and brave journal he certainly deserves reconsideration as a man. The author has modernised passages from the journals of these voyages and has made admirable comments on the conditions, the traditions, and the sailing and rigging of ships. "One witness to a good deal of flogging said that after a dozen lashes 'the lacerated back looks inhuman; it resembles oasted meat burnt, nearly black before a fire'." And I now know what "royals" are. A racy, highly entertaining account, and a book to be read by Hollywood pro- ducers of the sea, who make romantic what is more often fraught with squalor, hardship and danger.
B. W.
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