The Romance of the Ship. By E. Keblo Chatterton. (Seeley
and Co. 5s.)—The story of the sailing ship can never lose its fascina- tion, and so sailors and landsmen will no doubt read Mr. Chatter- ton's book with considerable appreciation. He writes for boys, but where the sea and ships are concerned all men are boys. The scope of his subject prevents the author from dwelling as long on some types and designs as we should like, notably the smaller sailing craft which young England is learning to handle ; but he gives us a good, clear idea of the continuous progress which has gone on in shipbuilding since mediaeval days. One would think that as the sailing ship has always had the same problems to solve—wind and weather—they would not make for steady, and certainly not for quick, development; yet evolution was rapid in the best and palmiest days of the sailing ship,—that is, in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Like other crafts, that of the marine designer reached its zenith just before it was shelved—it had not decayed—in favour of the steamship. Some of the author's most interesting pages describe the fishing fleets; and if he wants to delight boys he should devote a volume to the sailing craft of our coasts, a fascinating study. Mr. Chatterton never bores us; he always makes his subject entertaining and instructive; he is, in fact, just the writer for boys, who like to learn while they are being amused. We heartily recommend The Romance of the Ship to all youths and their fathers.
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