The Paradise of the North. By D. Lawson Johnstone. (W.
and R. Chambers.)—In this tale the Pole is actually discovered in the middle of a fertile country, and the air of probability for this startling finale is ingeniously preserved throughout the story. So careful, indeed, is Mr. Johnstone to preserve this air of reason- able probability, that the story, otherwise a capital picture of Arctic exploration, often drags, with the abundance of detail. An expedition of this kind is not all "beer and skittles," but in a fiction it is a mistake to remind the reader, indirectly even, that such is the case. Part of the plot is distinctly novel, and if only there had been a little more "go" in the fighting, and a little more mystery about the rival expedition, The Paradise of the North would have made a better tale, though, indeed, it is a lively story of adventure, and a decided addition to Polar literature.
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