Per the Colours. By Herbert Hayens. (T. Nelson and Sons.
6s.) —In the first chapter of this "Boys' Book of the Army" Mr. Hayens gives a brief sketch of British battles from Hastings down to the end of the War of the Roses ; in the second he carries us on as far as the end of the Commonwealth. After this we have Marlborough and Peterborough; in short, every great war which the British nation has waged, down to this last still going on in South Africa, is briefly described. If we have a criticism to make on Mr. Hayens's work, it is that he seeks to do too much. If we compare it with the masterly narratives of Mr. Fitchett, we shall find that the latter has a way of seizing hold of characteristic details which he gives with such force that they remain impressed on the mind. For the Colours certainly refreshes the memory; it is an excellent summary; but we do not carry away from it any very definite recollections. Nor can we admire the style. It is broken up into paragraphs— two pages, taken at random, contain eighteen between them—and the effect is irritating.—We may regard With the Flag at Sea, by Walter Wood (A.. Constable and Co., 6s.), as a companion volume to that noticed above. The early history of the Navy from Alfred to the Tudor period is omitted, and Mr. Wood begins his narrative with the Armada. The story of this great struggle is told at some length, and with some of the detail which is in- dispensable for real interest. (How curious it is to read, in the light of recent events re the pay of the Yeomanry, "it is pitiful to have men starve after such a service.") The next great epoch of naval history was the struggle for more than twenty years between England and Holland. When Holland ceased to be a foe France took her turn as our great antagonist. Mr. Wood does justice to an ill-treated Admiral, Lord Torrington, who "saved the country from invasion by the sacrifice of his imme- diate reputation." This was in the battle off Beachy Head in 1690. The next century was a century of naval victories and naval heroes. The succession ceased only because there was no one to conquer. The story of battles is followed by some interest- ing figures relating to prize-money. It must make a "Navy man's" month water to read that the 'Active' and 'Favourite' got from taking the Spanish treasure-ship Hermione,' and that without striking a blow, more than half-a-m illion of money. Here is the list, which is good enough to give in detail :—
Captain Commissioned Officers
••• ...
465,050 13,001 each
Warrant Officers ... ••• •••
4,336 „ Petty Officers...
• . ••• ••• 1,806 Seamen "- "•
••• •••
485 „ The 'Favourite's' crew received a very small fraction less. There are other interesting things in the book, but it is needless to say much when the subject is of the sea.
Of picture-books for younger children we may mention Dayton's Leading Strings (Wells Gardner, Darton, and Co., is. 6d.), a series of didactic little stories, well illustrated. All the pictures are not as good as that which tempts us on the cover, but they are decidedly meritorious.
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