IN the pages of Mr. Bowles' book a description will be found of the many-sided life of a seaman, with its chance and charm, its hardships, its occasional pleasures and pastimes, and its dangers and unforeseen contingencies at all times. There is something in a sea life-some tinge of romance, which appeals to even those who have had no real experience; and the dweller in large towns or the country side feels the magic of its charm just as much as the man who spends his life in studying the ever-changing surface of the oceans. Mr. Bowles has himself felt the breath of the sea on his cheek, and the poetry of its ceaseless swell in his heart. The result is a breeziness and cheeriness of style which I hope will commend this book to the reader. Combined with an attractiveness of manner and expression, he presents a very truthful picture of sea life, and many of the things he says are worth study and remembrance. In " Borley " he shows an insight into the character and disposition of boys, and a thorough appreciation of the methods employed to develop the character of those who join the Britannia at a very early age, but who may some day become foremost men in our great service. He very rightly lays stress on the value of a training which throws the responsibility of a man on boys of tender age, by which you get the work of a man " all the more valuable, because the sap and juices of youth are still alive." It is a pity we do not recognise this truth later in the day. We catch our naval officers young; we early put upon their shoulders the responsibility of command. We recognise that promotion by selection is best for the State and for rewarding merit until they reach the prime of life, when their training is perfect and their mental and bodily vigour most valuable to the nation. After that our present system decrees that promotion shall no longer be determined by merit, energy, or knowledge of the profession, but simply by seniority. The result is that men are often put in important commands when they are commencing to lose those qualities and characteristics which are inseparable from youth. The recent enormous additions to the Fleet are irrefutable illustrations of the lamentable want of vigour, energy, and foresight of those whose duty it was to see the Empire properly defended a few years ago. You cannot have in the old admiral the same enthusiasm, daring, and reckless disregard of consequences as go hand in hand with youth, and generally command success. What you gain in experience you lose in energy and dash. The tale explains how gradually the boy's character changes as his load becomes heavier and his responsibilities increase, until you have the man-boy " the finest working animal alive." Mr. Bowles alludes to the charges of bullying on board the Britannia with a fair and reasonable explanation in the little story of " Borley." In " Below There ! " will be found a very accurate account of the work entailed by the process of getting up steam for full speed, and it deals with the hardships of the engine-room-a death-trap very often in war-time. The men below have all the risks of the men on deck at the guns. To those risks are added the dangers of being parboiled by an accident to the boilers. They have none of the excitement of the fight, and too often fail to get their share of the credit of victory. They really stand in the position of the old A. B.'s, who won our fights in days gone by by putting the ship in the position of advantage. The artificer in the engine-room, who unnoticed sees and promptly repairs some defect which a few minutes later would have caused serious damage, will do as much to win a victory as the old seaman who, without receiving orders, stoppered the stranded sheet and so prevented it carrying away ! The truthful pictures which this book draws of sea life, and especially of the important work in the engineroom department, will, I am convinced, instruct as well as entertain the reader.

Charles Beresford.

Introductory Note