fe, never before
in print, are here given; some excellent essays on the prominent phases
of American military life; and many anecdotes and biographical sketches
of the officers who fell with Custer on the "Little Big-horn," with
portraits, are also given. The volume is a very large, handsome octavo,
illustrated by two portraits of General Custer (one an excellent
likeness on steel), and many full-page woodcuts, and seems especially
seasonable as a holiday present. No biographical collection can be
considered complete without it, and we should think it would have an
especial charm to military readers. That Mrs. Custer is to receive a
share of the receipts from its sale will not lessen its circulation.

* * * * *

Palestine is certainly an inexhaustible source of books, and Dr.
Ridgaway[15] tells us the reason why. Travellers' descriptions of the
grand mountain scenery, its strange deserts, its ancient customs,
transmitted from the dawn of history, its trees a thousand years of age,
and its mighty ruins, contribute to and intensify the interest which the
Christian feels in that region alone of all the earth. Of late years
this country has been the scene of systematic explorations and the theme
of an important series of critical works. Dr. Ridgaway's volume deserves
a place in this series, though he has little of novelty to present. But
the author has produced just the book that was needed, the one which it
might be supposed the first traveller there would have written. Leaving
out nearly all the every-day incidents of travel, he aims to extract
from each place he saw just what is of interest to the Bible student. He
is to be congratulated on a rare ability to discriminate between the
important and entertaining and what is matter-of-course. The plan of his
journey, which was made in company with eleven others, mostly clergymen,
was to follow the route of the Israelites from Egypt to Palestine, and
then to visit every place made memorable by the life of Christ, besides
many others of Biblical interest. He tried to be critical, and
constantly discusses the pros and cons for admitting the received
location of prominent points; but in this he is not very successful, and
seems to decline at length into helpless acquiescence. He rejects the
innovations and doubts of such men as Robinson and Baker, and
acknowledges that the sacred sites have for the most part been
identified. But there is a limit t