BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

Evening Star, Volume 11221, Issue 11221, 21 April 1900, Page 8

BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

‘ The Tides' Simply Explained.’' By the Rev; J. H, S.Moxly, Chaplain to the Forces. In this soientifio age, when gt earners run to time wkh a regularity of express railway trains, and have to depart ana enter ports at all times of the tide, both night' and day, this little voWme should be a treasure to the navigators. An ordinary intelligence of the elementary principles of trigonometry is only necessary, together, of course, with the sextant,books, and equipments of the modern pcientffio sailor. Mr Moxly has evidently Nathre' &ti'-’faia'aide,“ and everyone attracted —sailors and navigating officers particularly —by the peculiar and erratic ebb and flow, rise and fall, know the Admiralty formula is well understood when it says : “There are fo# physical subjects which are still at the present fftheon the whole moro unsatisfaotoijV”' MWMoily’s theory: “The tidal force 1 of bb'# ttttninariea cannot draw the water still less can it lift it vertically or cause contact with the earth. . . . What field of action is open to them in this matter? I reply, that of increasing gravity over one region of the earth and of counteracting—that is, in effect, lesseninggravity over other regions.” Tidal knowledge, or rather the want of it, has wrecked many a magnificent vessel, both on the coast of , New Zealand and elsewhere. Those entrusted with inquiries into wrecks and strandings should certainly have this little work at their Angers’ ends. There should be no more misunderstanding as to anomalous, abnormal, or irregular peculiarities about the tides. The book is published by Rivingtons, Covent Garden, London, 1809. ‘On the T <by Henry Lawson. Angus an ii., ■!, Melbourne; J. Braithwaits, Dunedin. A wel!-prinie< , bandy little volume containing a‘number of stories already made familiar to a large circle through the columns of the 1 Bulletin,’ ‘ Town and Country Journal,’ and other Australian papers. The tales are nineteen innumber, and embrace the many and varied experiences that fell to the digger’s lob in the early days. Stories of love, adventure, jollity, and revelry, intermixed judiciously with those of pathos and mourning, are told in a free and easy style - that attracts and retains the attention of the reader. It is unnecessary to specially select one or another where all are of a fair order of merit, and, in their line, as well tf Id as those which familiarity has rendered dear to us. Many old colonists will welcome such a collection with pleasure, and recognise scenes and characters, songs and incidents that they themselves, in the long ago, were privileged to witness and to share.

Gur general? in Smith Africa have between (hem written many books. Lord Roberts's ‘Rise of Wellington’ is well known, and !.i-i ‘Forty-one Years in India’ has been or.c , of the most popular biographies of recent years. His Chief of Staff (Lord Kitchener) l as contributed magazine articles to ‘ Blackwood's.' and is the author of a portion of ' The Survey of Western Palestine.’ Sir IT. E. Colville is a. facile writer. His best known works arc ‘A Ride in Petticoats and Slippers,’ ‘ The Accursed Land,’ ' History of the Soudan Campaign,’ ‘The Land of the File Springs,’ and ‘The Kick of Time; a Musical Romance in Three Acts.’ With the exception of Sir Charles Warren, the literary activities of the generals commanding in Natal have been almost entirely confined to military subjects. Sir C. F. Clcry is the author of the well-known ‘ Minor Tactics.’ Maj,or-general Hildyard translated from the German ‘ Studies in Troop Leading ’;' he has also written an ‘ Historical Record of the 71st Regiment, Highland LightInfantry.’ Major-general Hart is the editor nr ' Hart’s Army List.’ Among Sir Charles Warren’s productions are ‘Underground Jerusalem,’ ‘ The Temple or the Tomb,’ and ■Jerusalem.’ The ‘ Academy ’ has selected the following books of 1899 ns the most notable for promise, sincerity, and thoroughness in literary art. To each of the authors an award of twenty-five guineas has' been made:— Poetry: Mr W. B. Yeats, for ‘The Wind Among the Reeds.’ Fiction : “ Zack ” (Miss Gwendoline Keats), for ‘On Trial.’ Biography : Mr Hilaire Belloc, for ‘Danton : a Study;’ History :MrG. M. Trevelyan, for ‘England in the Ago of Wycliffe.’ r Translation; Mrs Garnett, for her translation of Turgcneff’s novels. Miscellaneous : The Rev. H. G.- Graham, for ‘ The.Social Life of Scotland in the Eighteenth Century.’ Count Tolstoi is recovering from his recent severe illness and is again at work upon h:s interminable revisions of the. proofs of his ’ Resurrection.' • Mr Thomas Hardy has agreed to be one of the contributors to Mr Clement Shorter's new periodical ‘ The Sphere.’ Mr Shorter, by the way, proclaims a high ambition in the matter of illustrations, hoping to eclipse in that particular all his contemporaries. The author of ‘ The Silence of Dean Maitland’ is about to bring out a new novel, which she calls ‘ The World’s Mercy.’ Miss Marie Corelli also has a novel in preparation for the spiing. In his new volume on the political history of Great Britain Dr Goldwin Smith sets forth some neat sentences concerning divers personages of the past. Edward I. ,be says. “ will continue to reign,' even if his special institutions should pass away, as the statesman who achieved a union of authority with rational opinion.” As for Henry VIII., his character was of “ a selfishness as intense as ever hhd its seat in the heart of a man.” George IV. he pronounces “ a worthless sybarite. . . . untruthful enough to believe his own. untruths.” Here is what Dr Smith says of the problem of England’s future in India: “If danger how impends, it is from the impossibility of acclimatising the racing race ; from the difficulty of holding open the road to India in the face of the maritime Powers; ' from the financial difficulty of administering a poor though gorgeous country on the footing demanded by European opinion ; above all, from the growing pressure of multiplying myriads of human., sheep* helpless and reckless with their plagues, and famines, upon the energies and resources of a paternal Government.” The. chatty article on Auckland and the Hob Lakes in ‘Blackwood’s Magazine’ for February may whet the reader’s taste for Mr and Mrs A. S. Boyd’s forthcoming book of Antipodean travels, which will be entitled‘Our Stolen Summer.’ The eminent Edinburgh publishers of ‘ Maga ’ have it in hand. A hopeful, sign." Mr Smreson Howland has declined an offer from Gay and Bird for his new book. I! he is wise hell wait a little till war prospects brighten. 'Ho one dares do business now.

Captain Jackson Barry’s latest book will be entitled ‘The Australian Colonies and New Zealand, ’ and besides his personal biography it will contain (says the ‘New Zealand Herald *) his notes and observations on men and places and incidents that are historical now, together with autobiographies and photos of leading men throughout the colonies. Mr Barry’s hook will shortly be published, over 2(M) copies having been subscribed for in Auckland alone. Mr Barry deserves recognition, not only for his literary undertaking, but for his pioneering and exploring work, of which he has done much, and in-spite of his age is still doing, for he has only recently returned from a visit to the King Country, where he travelled for the purpose ,of showing his friends the locality of minerals. ThbVnevi chttroh paper which Mr LathbnßJr | pMt-ieailß» ,: of the ‘ Guardian*) is startingHfor Lord /Halifax and party is not after alrthb'e 1 dilled ‘The Sky Pilot,’ bnt simply ‘ The FiMti.’ It will be published on Saturdays. : ' We do hot know who Mr Harold Begbie may be, apart from, his work, but he writes capital war verses. Witness the first stanza ofSong ih r Camp,’ from the ’Morning There’s one can tell of the grizzly bear, -And one of the kangaroo, Over the borders we’ve come with our orders, \Vo know what we’re here, to do: For we all of us hve in the same big house. Though each lias bis own Jittie wing. And when obstinate nations attack the foundations ; We all come together and sing: “ For England, for England, the cradle of our line, The lances ride and the rifles ring, and the ' scattered sons combine For England, for England.| Wetting onr strength between' ■’ ■ ■. -j -“• The Engiire and the Danger for our England and the Queen.” 1 ■■Ol-V.'j . f ■'.] ";■] r:-,' ' .