New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-05
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
NARRATIVES HUMOROUS AND OTHERWISE.

Although Sir Samuel lakcT is Tic idoe AS"''
from whom ore would expect to hear that the
gunner Is the curse of the nineteenth century,
and that the desire "for the glory of u heavy
game-list should lie universally condemned yt
It must be confessed that his last work. "Wlid
Beasts and Their Ways" lMacmillan). is one oil
the most attractive and useful Of his DOCKS
There are those who may feel disposed to dispute
his merits as an explorer, bat there can DC no
question with regard to his fame as q srcao
Shekarrya and Nimrod. No Enghshmah ho"
living has so long a list OF Dig game III
credit as Sir Samuel Baker, who has certainty
laid low more lions. elephants. tigers, ana o'her
wild beasts than any of his countrymen' aco"S-
toned though they may be to begin tnei "as
with the exclamation, Let's XIII someohihg'
II the course Of his hunting expedi"ohs !"
America. Europe, Asia and Africa, Sir oamuel mas
contrivcd to gather a conslderaoe a"ouho VI
valuable information and points concerning the
neculiarities and ways of the game that he pur-
suad and inasmuch as he is Of the opinion that
We oupht to thoroughly understand the habits
~ tho wild beasts before we can undertake to
t;u them. he has produced a book which Is
destined not only to serve as a chart ana compass
for every hunter Of big game. but which Is Ike
wise a valuable study of natural history, placed
before the public in a practical and interesting
form.
Putting aside the records of exciting adventures
Nth which the volume abounds, and which may
he taken with q certain s"|om Of salt-ior wnerc
Is the Nimrod who does not occasionally en-
broider" on ~facts-it is worthy of note that OH
Samuel foresees the extinction OF all Dig game
a quarter of o century hence. Lions ana elephants
will soon become as nearly extinct as the Noruh
American bison if the present rate OF slaughter
continues. At one time lions abounded in Asia,
= Nxo<orio po1actjpa Persia and
India. But now the monarch of the forest has DIS
ornearrd almost entirely from Asia. only a few
remaining in Persia and in the district OF Guzera'
in India.
With regard to the elephant, Sir Samuel gives a
dec;dedlv novel estimate of the intellectual capa-
bjlities of the creature, which we have hi'herto
bceu accustomed to regard as the most SPACIOUS
of beasts. He says: r..
The elephant is. in my opinion, overra'ca. ne
ran be educated to perform certain a6ts. pec n
would never volunteer his services. 1here Is ~
clcnhant that l ever saw who would spontaneously
interfere TO protect his master from drowhlas na
attack. An enemy might assasslnatf you d. ~
font of your favOritc elephant, but ne wouid heN1i
aftempS to interfere in your defence. lie woulu
probably run away or remain lmpassiVc, uniSSS
guided and instructed by. MS mah9ut. lan,
miami will do nothing useful unless ne Is speoi"hS
ordered to perform 4 certain work or movement
Sir Samuel also asserts that the elephant is very
easily scared. and gives an amusing descripuoh Vi
the way in which a gigantic elephant became panic
stricken during a tiger hunt and bolted IN
consequence of a small and terrified hare haVlus
suddenly dashed between It's legs While making ii
cover in the Jungle. With regard to the popular
theory that n steady look from a human eye VIII
exercise o subduing influence on a wild BEAST or
Samuel declares that it il altogether wrong al
opinion in which,, by tn" ny, he IS eh'lreiS ~
roborated by the rativcs- line uaVeieT' L"
claims, should ehdcavor to avoid tie direc1 sa|c
If the animal. l believe that the mere fact OF
this concentration of a fixed stare upon the re-
spondinc eyos Of a savage animal will increase It's
raqc and will, jncite attack. If an animal sees
Won and imaoincs that it IS itself unobscrved' u
will frequently pass bT, or otherwise retreat as
IL believes itself unseen, and therefore has no I'M
mediate dread. But if it is convinced that you
mean mischief, by staring it out OF conntenance,
H. will in all probability take the initiative ana
forestall the anticipated attack
avid Beasts and Their Ways" is dedicated 10
.he Prince of Wales, and is handsomely illustrated
by H.. Dixon.
"Kfbboo Ganey' was one OF the most
exciting. as well as one OF the nioso
wholesome " Juveniles" of last year; ana IL us
SEQUEL, The Drifting Island Roberts bfo'herS!,
is not quite as attractive, SO far as style goes IL
is equally interesting. A ~captious critic might say
1ldJ no Sutn COlltttloh VI SNAo
could. in the nature of things, he healthful read
ing but the book is pervaded with so manly.
reyerent and generous a spirit as to more imam
excuse its wild romance.--Mrs.
children of the Castle" MACMILLAN d Coz Is
n story of the mystical sort which imaginative
children love, whether they understand IL or noo
"a tumble of ~allegory, ~fairyland whimslcality ana
solid moral teaching, which is, on the whole, good
for small readers"
.Tbc Wonderful Deeds and Doings of Little
Giant Boab and His Talking Raven Iaolb lice
e. Shepard takes higher rank than any other
book of the season intended for young people, ana
is indeed even cleverer than its amusing prede-
ccssor. which recounted. the adventures of Baron
Trump and his delightful dog Bulger. IN thS
story of a mighty young Spanish giant, Tabib, the
raven, plays the guiding, protecting and humor-
ous part taken by Bulger in Mr.. 1ngersoll Lock
woods first story, and his somewhat cynical
sbrewdpess and hearty affection for his master
make the little gentleman in black a very
winning figure. With the humorous tone OF the
hook is blent a sweet and kindly spirit that
much enhances the charms of its wild adventures
The illustrations, if not practically we'll drawn. are
full of fun" Changing Base" DIR. William Ever
ett's book for boys, written over twenty years
oco. has been reprinted by Roberts Brothers In
company with another volume, a sequel, entitled
Thine, not Mine" Many OF the characters oi
the first book reappear therein, though its hero is
q member of the third generation and the -" base
ball interest is fully maintained. The title OF
the book defines its leading motive, which Is pre-
lsented with detail in the Doctors preface. My
object has been,' he says, to bring out INTO some
plain relief the peculiar responsiveness of the selfish
or rather self-conccntrated temper; how one and
another boy, fitted in many ways to be liked and
+rnsted NAV he a source of care to his parents and
teachers and aversion to his schoolmates, merely
because his thoughts always find their root In his
own comfort and glory" 1t should be said that
the author has entirely succeeded in his object
Elsie Yachting" (Dodd, Mead & Co.. is another
volume of the seemingly endless series OF -" Else
Books The Dr-Johnsonese OF Miss Finley
grows more stilted in each volume, her characters
conversing they can't do anything 30 undigniheo
az talkincl in such beautiful language as IS surely