The New York herald., 1875-12-26
LITERATURE.
Popularity Of Talboys' West
India Pickles.
SONGS or THREE CENTURIES
Roderick Hudson-R0se and Rooftree-The
Shepherd Lady-StOries for
the Young.
WEST INDIA PICKLES.

DIARY CRUISE THROUGH rHE WEST INDIES IN TUE
YACHT JOSEPHINE. New York Yacht Club BY W.
7. Taboys G. W. Carleton h Co., Publishers
We avail ourselves Of The appearance Of the above
work in its second edition. only congratulate the
author upon this substantial evidence of success but
to say word or two about the book itself
Iaprimis, inquisitvey ask, ''Why picklesS"
Why not rather 'tWest India Marmaaden or Jam ~
There is suggestion of acdity in the title which not
borne ont by the facts, and led TO expect
juice when we only find sweets There is certainly not
vinegar enough in the whole book to set up the mides
spnster in business, and the only 'sour author
appears to have with is a fitting appendage to
rum Even the natives he encounters ashore ful
OF the milk Of human kndness-milk sweet and fresh
the very sugar of milk. 1t Is only in dealing with the
Of Ham that he shows acerbity, possibly because
they not "sugar cured" Cincinnati
Indeed the flavor OF the negro is rather acrid than
acid, but 'Wes India Pickles. :" though little hot y
the mouth quite free from bitterness of any de-
scripton Leaving New York on November T. 1874, the
good yacht Josephine sped on her way southwark
der mixed experience of sunshine and storm Arriv-
ing at Aquadlla In the Island of Porto Rico, voy
ayers quickly discovered that the officials were far
from being ION hospable thoughts intent" but were
rather inclined to cut up rough and make themselves
generally unpleasant at the advent of a craft that,
being neither government vessel trader was set
down dangerous nondescript that required looking
after. A few hours smoothed things however,
and the rest Of the trip appears to have been
but q record of halcyon days. From Porto Rico
yachtsmen bent their way the Windward Islands and
the Spanish MAN, visiting the chief ports and the back
lying country and getting pleasant insight into the
social life of each ofcourse Mr. Talboys does notwear
barnacles for nothing and he improves each occasion
by telling us in humorous, chatty way what he saw,
what he did and what he left undone
Leaving the Main behind them our voyagers spread
canvas for ST Domingo and Cuba where we are treated
to more gmpses of scenery and society in the same
delicate VEIN of humor and appreciation which marks
the whole book.
Steering for home the yacht encounters a gale Of
wind-a real Simon Pure this time-a gale OF wind
which mixes sea- sky and ship like tie ingredients of
Russian salad. Weathering this, and somewhat tmor
Gus of the wintry North after many weeks crus-
ing in summer seas, our yacht cast anchor
finally at Beaufort N c. and the voyage
''West India Pickles. misnomer though 1t be, is
valuable addition the scanty number OF works that
have been published yacht cruising in foreign
clmes and fairly deserves to be placed alongside the
works OF Lord DuTerin and the Earl and the Doctor
Written in an easy and epgrammatic style, but with
slight touch of pedantry (thc suspicion of garlic,
which gives zest to the salad and with keen appre-
citation of the beauties of nature and capabihty to
the marked characteristics of places and people,
Mr. Talboys has given not only valuable but
eminently readable book We congratulate him the
OF his venture and resolving ourselves into
committee OF the whole, like Oliver Twist
scientiously ask him for 'more"