always "call right." Take, e.g., the case of a highly conscientious Thug, with a conscience educated in the principles of Thuggism; and then contrast with that a conscientious Brahmin. And as of the individual so of the national conscience, and what is called the moral sense of mankind.

But to pass on; the scope and bearing of the book, apart from its ethical value, is a vindication of the rights of our fellow-creatures of what is called the lower order of animals. Very racy, very piquant, and very telling is the line of argument taken; it is by far the best book for "prevention of cruelty to animals" we know; of course of a much higher order than the Society's well-meant tracts; placing the subject on a broader, firmer, wider basis, illustrating it in a far more effective and real way, and very discreetly limiting it by other rights, as remote from the sickly sentimentalist as from the brutal advocates for torture. Vivisection, for instance, a subject now so strongly debated, is held (p. 61) to have its "warrant in the case of harmful animals, and animals which are man's rivals for food," and so on.

We by no means wish it to be supposed that this book deals solely with high and abstract theories or "first principles" alone; on the contrary, it is eminently practical, and quite level with everyday life. The horse, for instance, which, in the words of John Lawrence, is at one instant whipped for holding too close to the driver, at the next for bearing too much off; now for going too fast, then for going too slow; by-and-by for stopping, afterwards because he did not stop, comes in for some most sensible remarks. So, too, the discipline of dogs, the mode of necessary slaughter, field sports, sports of schoolboys, the fly

on the window-pane-all have something said upon our dealings with them that will commend itself to most readers, and interest and instruct them, and that not without amusement added as well.

The writer perhaps best sums up the purpose of his book in this sentence, p. 18: "For those who believe in a wise Maker of men and animals, and who wish to help in fulfilling his end, the same reasons which would lead them to include in that end the happiness of men, must lead them to include in it the happiness of all his other creatures." This is the keynote of the essay.

Mr. Nicholson has something to say as to his style. "To save any one the trouble of picking my style to pieces, I have no style worth speaking about. In schoolboy days I gathered from books and newspapers two main rules to follow in composition : composition: first, always

to choose a romance word before an English word, and a Latin or Greek word before either; secondly, to shun tautology." This rule, only reversed, is the present aim of the writer, and he has very effectively observed it. We think the result, as to style, is a good idiomatic English, with much freedom of expression. Even the NeoCartesian view, the animal soul and the animal reason, and other scientific matters, are treated of without infringing the writer's rule, or importing into the discussion either Latin or Greek words.

Altogether, the book is a pleasant and useful contribution to its sub

ject. Amongst other curious things coming fresh to ourselves is the remembering, p. 14, that Lord Redesdale, whom our readers have perhaps known as an amateur theologian, and a pamphleteer on various recondite theological subjects, stood up in the House of Lords, in 1849, to defend cockfighting "when fairly and properly

The Transvaal is at this time of much interest to Englishmen. It is not alone for the "hunting," or for the dash of the " 'expedition," that we are very glad of this translated book; it has much to recommend it in that respect; and quite as much in other, perhaps wider,

matters.

Senhor Neves had for many years unusual opportunities of studying the various tribes and races of the country he hunted over; this of itself just now is an important matter. The ways and habits, the customs and methods, of these tribes, with whom we are more and more coming in contact, is a subject on which Englishmen should have at least some general ideas, and not less some knowledge as to adapting or framing their own customs and methods in dealing with them. How to treat them is a rising question. If kindness is thrown away, harshness may be kindness, extermination may be the solution of present difficulties; but it ought not to be so, and should, at least, be that only as the last resource. We have, however, wandered from the more direct purpose of our notice. Still, before returning to it, we must transcribe one passage to which late events give particular significance, and which at the same time affords a sample of the book, and of the useful form its adventurous exploits sometimes take. It is à propos to a very stirring, well-told narrative, for which we send our readers to the book itself, p. 257: "There are two kinds of assegais

used by the natives. The first, the hand assegai, has a long, broad blade, and is used when fighting hand to hand. The second, which the natives use for hurling, has a longer handle, and the blade is smaller and sharper. The Vatuas and the Landinas can, at a distance of thirty paces, pierce a through with one of their hurling assegais."

man

This is from the description of a singular method of hunting buffaloes, practised by a celebrated native hunter, who is also a marvellous runner. It reads almost as an instructive comment on recent events.

The original work was published last year in Lisbon. Our readers may recall Mr. Oswald Crawfurd's review of it in the Academy at the time. The translator is, we believe, sister of the African traveller, whose "Angola and River Congo" we all know, and she has the advantage of being well acquainted with English, as well as her mother togue. A good translation indeed always needs a certain mastery over the language into which the translation is made; only less-if indeed at all lessthan the knowledge of the language from which it is taken. Mdlle. Monteiro is fortunate in possessing both. We have not detected many faults, unless indeed the not sufficiently interchanging the labials in rendering into English from the Portuguese, where, as is well known, the idiom of pronunciation and of spelling vary. As an example of what we mean, the word "Vatuas" in our above quotation would have been properly Batuas for English eyes as well as English ears, and there would then have been no danger of Englishmen not recognising the tribe with whom they have lately had the probability of only too much acquaint

ance.

We wish our columns allowed us to give our readers the story of an elephant hunter, twice caught by elephants, and carried in the air for a great length of time. On the first occasion the animal laid him down very carefully. On the second, when passing a large tree, he placed him on the top of it. On neither did he receive the least injury.

We send those who enjoy hairbreadth escapes and the like exciting marvels of the chase to the twelfth chapter for this particular story, and to the whole book passim, with full commendation of it for this its speciality; and also, as we have said, even more for the higher matters which it so competently describes, and as to which it gives materials for further thought and for forming opinions.

Australian Grazier's Guide, 1879. Silver, London; Robertson, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

We conclude that the late Kilburn Exhibition will have sufficiently aroused general interest in the general subject, to give a special interest to this special branch of it. To an intending emigrant, with a purpose of cattle farming, whether

stock," as it is called, or sheep, which is the other staple of Australian farms, this small book is exactly what it is called a guide. The experiences of colonial life, as squatters and otherwise, are care

fully counted up; the advantageous prospects are not exaggerated; the difficulties are not diminished; the drawbacks are not withheld. It is practical: choosing stock, finance, stud-flocks, are all treated of. In one thing it strikes us as of use in the old country, if only our old farmers could be persuaded to profit by it; we mean the cleanness of the wool-not the mere washing, which is another matter; but the cleanness by prevention, as to which our own herdsmen are so strangely deficient in care. When we read (p. 50) that, "if there be a road to cross, a careful man will go a mile round to avoid it; if a gateway becomes dusty, it is shut up and a fresh opening made in the fence," we can but contrast with this the state of things as we have seen it at a sheep-shearing at home. In many respects the Australian grazier rejoices not only in more careful "hands," but also in higher appliances than we can boast of. "It pays," we are told," to have a steam engine at the wash pens, acres of battens, scores of men, hot and cold water, covered pens." Truly Australia is a big country, with large ideas, as well as a great future before it which is the moral we draw from so small a book as this "Grazier's Guide," and so small a matter in it as its sheepwashing.

CHAPTER I.

He was born some thirty years ago, at a moment when Saturn was lord of the ascendant, irradiated by a malefic quartile aspect of the planet Mars, afflicted by a baneful opposition with Jupiter; a nativity which declares that the native shall be involved in troubles and dangers, even to the hazard of his life. Failing to discover in his family tendencies or early surroundings any influence that might have made him what he was, we have fallen back on the idle old method of casting his horoscope.

The only child of fond but judicious parents, John Ichabod began life with every advantage under He was not to be forced;

the sun.

he was not to be spoilt. They would prepare the soil, temper the air, and supply good nourishment for the young plant, but never check its growth. So the roots were to spread, the twigs to shoot, the buds to expand, according to the dictates of a healthy nature.

Both father and mother watched eagerly for dawning signs of distinct gifts, the germs of particular powers in the infant brain. They had made up their minds not only to allow their son to follow his bent, whatever it was, but to give him every

facility for the development of his tastes and talents, whether they should turn out to be the stuff of a soldier, or a scholar, a Premier, or "only a fiddler.”

He did not keep them waiting long. But when-it was at the early age of three-peculiarities first gave signs of life, they were of a kind that filled his nurse, at least, with wonder, not unmixed with alarm.

"Times out of number," she narrates of her charge, " he ran his life and limbs into danger by a way he had, even as a baby, of prying into the inside of whatever he had to do with. It wasn't pure mischief either, but he would have the real thing at all risks. I have seen him go into fits of rage at what he thought tricks and deceits we played off upon him. He loaded his little waggons and trains till they broke, and then threw them away, ate his painted wooden fruits and vegetables, armed his tin soldiers with penknives, and put a live coal into the toy cannon's mouth!"

On his birthday six, he was presented by a benevolent old uncle with a set of playthings that would have made earth a heaven to any commonplace child for at least a week. Coming into the nursery the next morning, his mother was

horror-struck to see the treasures already carefully picked to pieces, the parts sorted and neatly arranged on the floor. She checked

her impulse to scold. John might be a mechanical genius-a Watt or a Stephenson in the bud. Unable, however, to refrain from some exclamations of regret, she was promptly rebuked by her son. Child though he was, he could triumphantly prove to her now that the so-called horse was a lump of wood besmeared with paint,-the same, substantially, as the cart; the picture book a roll of daubed rags; the lamb that ran, and bleated, and wagged its tail, worked by springs inside. It was all a trick, a delusion, and a snare, and made him vastly indignant. It was long before he could be induced to speak to that uncle again, nor did he ever quite forgive him for trying to take

him in.

Ichabod, junior, was a prodigy ; that was settled. It was very interesting, yet his mother often thought she would rather he had been more like other children, in some ways; as on one unlucky day when his active mind (which soon rose above the nursery and its contents) addressed itself to her favourite piece of Venetian glass.

Unluckily for the glass, that is. He melted it down, and brought her the residue with some glee, and was both surprised and hurt by her displeasure. Of course it must be a shock to her feelings to receive proof positive that her precious vase was but a mixture of sea-sand and soda; but, as it was the fact, she ought to be glad to have it verified. He had destroyed the ornament, of course; but on the other hand he had made out for her a descriptive catalogue of all the ingredients used in its manufacture.

The little critic spared nothing or nobody. His old nurse, who had

A pet lark was one day found dead in its cage, and there was a great stir among the maids. But the young master came forwards fearlessly and begged to refer them to a book called " Euthanasia for Birds," in which they might read of a method of putting them to a painless death, and also that larks were good, very good, for food. It was a scientific experiment of his which had been perfectly successful, and he wanted now to have the bird for supper, which, he confessed, he thought more important than song.

His first instruction in the mysteries of Latin and Greek he received from his father, who was delighted with his quick progress. But here again rocks ahead soon showed themselves. The boy was a good boy to work, but in these particular studies familiarity bred contempt in him with distressing rapidity.

Attwelve years old he scandalised his poor father, an enthusiastic classical scholar, by holding forth on the folly and inconsistency of