WILL MARINER
By Vice-Admiral Boyle Townsend Somerville Will Mariner (Faber and Faber, 10s. 6d.) is the last book written by Admiral Somerville, who, it will be remembered with deep regret, was assassinated at his home in Ireland a few months ago. It is one of the year's best stories of true adventure. Will Mariner was born in 1792, and first went to sea, in a privateer, at the age of thirteen. For two years the ship wan- dered up the coast of South America, until, in need of repairs, she anchored oft Lifuka in the Tongan Islands. Young Mariner owed his escape from the general massacre by the natives to his looks, and was adopted as son by a wife of the Chief. For four years he lived on terms of great friendship with the Chief's son, living the life of a young Tongan chief himself and taking part in all the tribal activities—usually of a warlike nature. Eventually lie was rescued and returned to London. An account of Mariner's adventures, pub- lished in 1816, has been used by Admiral Somerville, who was able to fill out the narrative from his own considerable knowledge of the Tongan Islands.
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