British North America.

Macdonell, J. A. (Q.C.)—Sketches illustrating the Early Settlement and History of Glengarry in Canada. 8vo. Pp. 337. Montreal: Wn. Foster, Brown & Co. 1893.

In much that has of recent years been written on the interesting subject of the United Empire Loyalist Settlement, the war of 1812-14, and the rebellion of 1837-8, there is but little, if any, mention made of the part which the Highlanders of Glengarry took in the American Revolutionary War of 1776-83, and the early settlement of the country at the close of the war, its defence in 1812-14, and the suppression of the rebellion. In taking up the subject, the Author, after an interval of many years, submits I a clear and interesting statement gathered from early records, which I shows that the county of Glengarry contained at least as many Loyalist settlers who had fought for the Crown during the first war as any other of the earlier settled counties, and contributed more fighting men for the preservation of the country, its connection with the mother-land, and the maintenance of Canadian institutions than any other part of the Province. He points out how the county of Glengarry was originally settled by those page 100 who left Scotland for America under circumstances which redound to their credit as loyal and faithful subjects of the British Crown, and after-wards took part in the wars referred to, subsequently taking up their abode in what is now Glengarry. The work is an interesting history of the early settlement of Canada, and contains a record of the services of the descendants of the original settlers, many of whom have occupied, and still occupy, prominent positions in the Dominion of Canada.

Harris, Very Rev. W. R.—History of the Early Missions in Western Canada. 12mo. Pp. vii-339. Toronto: Hunter, Rose & Co. 1893.

This work is an expansion and a development of a sketch prepared some time ago and published in the Jubilee Volume issued on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the consecration of the Archbishop of Toronto. It, to a certain extent, is a collection of material scattered throughout the various histories of Canadian missions, &c., interspersed with new matter gleaned from reliable sources. Dean Harris has arranged and put together the material in an able and interesting manner, so producing a work of convenient size, with the chief points of the larger works brought together under one head. The subject opens with an account of the native tribes inhabiting the Dominion of Canada, then the establishment of the Franciscan Order in Canada and the work of its missionaries, whose dictionaries of the Huron language and series of narratives to the present day furnish a source of ethnological, geographic, and historic data for all writers on early Canadian history. Following the Franciscan Fathers, the Jesuits occupy the attention of the Author, who relates the circumstances under which they went to Canada and an account of the work performed by their earl; missionaries in the then almost unknown Huron country. The author then proceeds to give an account of the various individual missionaries who penetrated into the interior of Canada and by their devotion and fearlessness converted many among the savage inhabitants of the country. The work is a welcome addition to the Canadian mission records, and has every appearance of being historically accurate, the source of information being in every case stated.

Aberdeen, Countess of.—Through Canada with a Kodak. 12mo. Pp. viii-249. Edinburgh: W. H. White & Co. 1893. (Price 2s.)

In a pleasing manner Lady Aberdeen has brought together in this work a series of articles which she had previously contributed to a magazine giving an account of her travels through the Dominion, and conveying: impressions of the rich and varied attractions of the country, which are generally imperfectly realised by those in this country. After an account of the voyage, the journey commences at Quebec and proceeds, by easy stages, through all the chief towns of the Dominion to British Columbia— page 101 a description of which occupies a special position, probably on account of Lord Aberdeen having become a landowner in that province. Throughout the Dotes Lady Aberdeen confines herself to the simple recollections of a holiday trip, omitting altogether the deeper questions of Canadian life and politics. The majority of the illustrations are printed from photographs taken by Lady Aberdeen's Kodak, and with the pleasantly written sketch would form a guide for either the holiday seeker or intending settler.

Statistical Year-Book of Canada for 1892. 8vo. Pp. 659. Ottawa: 1898.

For purposes of reference and for obtaining general information upon the Dominion of Canada as a whole, this Annual presents many important features. For the statistician it is invaluable, and for the ordinary student of Colonial affairs a necessity. The various sections have been brought well up to date, and show at a glance the increasing importance of the trade of the Dominion, as well as the rapidly increasing settlement of the more remote portions of the country. If improvement in the present plan of publication is possible, it might be in embodying a set of statistics drawn up according to the British currency as well as Canadian, by which means reference would be considerably facilitated in the case of the ordinary student of commercial affairs.

Scidmore, Eliza Ruhamah.—Guide-Book to Alaska and the North-West Coast. 12mo. Pp. vii-156. London: 'William Heine-mann. 1898. (Price 6s.)

So little is known of the portion of North America termed Alaska, that this handbook, which is the third of a series issued by Mr. William Heinemann, will be of service to those intending making a tour in that portion of the world. Although so little visited, the country is described as mountainous, with bold scenery, and possessing several good-sized towns with suitable accommodation for tourists. Alaska itself is described as nine times the size of the New England States, and stretches more than one thousand miles from north to south. It contains 580,107 square miles, with a coast line of 18,211 miles, greater than the coast line of all the rest of the United States, in addition to which a large number of islands are included in the territory. South-Eastern Alaska is stated to be the only portion of this vast territory now accessible to tourists and pleasure travellers, and the Alaska Mail and excursion steamer routes include a tour through the Archipelago fringing the north-west coast and sheltering an inside passage over a thousand miles in length. The climate of the north-west coast is stated to be far milder than that of the north-east coast of the continent. In addition to an account of Alaska, the author gives a general description of a portion of British Columbia, which offers much to interest the tourist who awaits the Alaska steamer at Victoria. A largo amount of useful page 102 information is embodied in the work, including the various routes to this vast territory, as well as the names and tariffs of the hotels, and a mass of information regarding the country generally, as well as the chief objects of interest for the ordinary visitor and the fishing and hunting grounds for the sportsman. The work is illustrated, and contains two maps showing the various routes to be taken, and the position of the country as regards the mainland of the Dominion of Canada.