With Macdonald in Uganda. By Major Herbert H. Austin. (Edward
Arnold. 15s. net.)—Major Austin's book has a somewhat disappointing effect on the reader. The most important subject is, of course, the mutiny of the Soudanese troops and its suppres- sion. This, however, is not completely told. We should have liked to hear what its cause really was. Major Austin disposes, satisfactorily as far as we can see, of certain charges, if they may be so called, which have been brought against Colonel Macdonald; but he does not really enlighten us. The " dream of the Sudanese all over Uganda to set up a Mahometan kingdom of their own, to overthrow the British administration, and to make slaves of such Waganda as had turned Christian" may well have been a reality —Africa seems to be prolific of such dreams—but the rank-and- file must have had some personal grievances. Then we are not told the end, of which we should have been glad to read, at least in summary, even though the expedition had no share in the operations. The narrative of exploration that follows is not by any means with- out interest. There are some curious experiences of travel, humorous and gruesome. What a story is that of the lion which carried off a man from his tent ! The creature was driven off, and the man brought back to the tent. While his wife was bathing his head the lion came back and lapped up the bloody water from the basin. Then there are important observations, as, for instance, the difference in the quality of the water of Lake Rudolf at a first and a second visit. At the first it was tolerable, though with a strong flavour of soda; at the second, owing to a drought which had cut off the supply of fresh- water, it was nauseous. A notice, again, of the climate will be something of a surprise. "This," writes Major Austin of a particular night in September, " was one of the very few occasions in Africa that I have ever experienced anything to at all resemble the Indian hot-weather night." We learn that the game reserves are decidedly successful.
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