New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TRAVELS IN MEXICO.

more conveniently published 10 TWO sma"oi
volumes 1t is, however. creditabie specimen OF
ook-making after the modern fashion when ap
proves of ultra weight and size in books. and which
takes no thought for the comfort OF the genera
reader, compelling him TO purchase a readlngoesA'
or read awkwardly and rksomely at table
Aside from the Brobdinenagian proportions OF Mt
Oilers book il is in most respects pralsewortnY'
The author is already known to the puDhc Infousn
his pleasant book, Camps In the Cariooees' III
which he showed his possession of some OF the hoS'
necessary qualifications for traveller nancy ~"
eve for the picturesque strong power Oh ooSei's
1on and the ability to treat grave suOJects ela'eiS
and light ones airly in their relative propol
Notbinr is so wearisome as the habit OF huriesque
which many modern travellers seem 10 thihA mus
nensobIe 10 the description Of foreign scenes ana
,oouies II has spoled scores of books Which IL
,yr;tten naturally and sobery would have been III
terestng but which the perpetual stranlhg ai'ei
iocose effects renders inexpresslbly dreary anu
fat,puinC But Mr.. Ober is not chargeable with
this fault. He writes well and clearly, describing
what he has seen in easy, conversational way
keeping his eyes and his mind open, and catching
race and national peculiaritles with accuracy anu
promptness.
His hook consists of three parts. namely, travels
IN Yucatan: in Central and Southern Mexico; ana
in the Border States In the first part he goes over
the pround already thoroughly explored by
stephens. from whom he quotes freely. but az Inc
same time he presents much original observation
II ia made apparent very easily that MI Ooei mas
an artists eye for pretty women, ana IL Is "iuSi"s
10 note the unconscious righteousness WIN "ni'N
he describes lovely meSti:ds. creoles ana MeAio""
women Yucatan, as he describes II, woulu oo
very desirable place of residence II II were hot lo
the dlsiuclination of the people to progress. AS "
= bowever they are a model race. being gentle,
o,al Thair IN
lively and innocent. Their dress is exactly suited
10 the climate And while the latter is very hot IL
is ALWAYS tempered by refreshing Oreezes.
Mr.. Ober of course visited the ruins of Uxmal, on
his WAY experiencing Yucatecan hospitality III
very agreeable way There being no hotels III the
interior the old fashion of extending hospitality 10
strangers still obtains. aud though the cuisine is
rather Misunderstanding mainly of tOrtHGs ana
fiioles-or wheaton cakes and beans 1t IS maze
paatable by politeness and cordlaty such i'S are
seldom encountered nowadays in more civilized
countries MI. ODER in his comments on the runs
of Uxmal ventures a suggestion in explanation OF
the socalled elephants trunks in the carvings there
which will probably astonish the aTch9oogst SITS.
lie saws that while there is nothing 10 indicate all
acquaintance with elephants by the builders OF
Uxmal they may have seeII the mastodon' Fer
haps it Is hardly worth while to indulge so wild an
hypothesIs as this which would carry the building
of Uxmal back too many thousand years TO make a
reconciliation between geology and ethnolo,W posi-
BILE. more plausible theory. and one which de
riyes some weight from the discovery of alleged
Buidhistic relics in other parts of Mexico. is that
this continent was visited by travellers from Hin
dustap at an early period. The whole question,
however is 80 obscure that conjecture regarding II
,nust needs be loose and can hardly be profitable
From Yucatan our author proceeded to Central
and Southern Mexico visiting Palendue, ana OF
course adding his mite to the already abundant
speculations about the hidden city," Legends OF
this kind are always fascinating. and mankind Is los
nqadstnct source of pleasure through that modern
thorongness of exploration which IS leaving no room
for nossbe Fortunate Isles" or phantom cities, or
mysteries of any kind In another century there
will be literally nothing 10 find out and then the
restless spirits who have hitherto soaced them
selves with travel will stay at home and probably
coax n vent for their energies by cOnSpring against
the State On his way from Vera Cruz to tie capl-
taLour traveller visited the coffee plantations, and
gives full statistics of the industry. In fact lie
ALWAYS has an eve for the productions and COM
merce of the country and those who do not care
for the lighter portions Of the work will find plenty
of solid information and practical suggestion lie
has very high opinion of the commercial capabiii-
ties of Mexico but rather low one of the tendon
eies of the people lie describes the latter rs being
neither honest. industrious nor moral enough to
afford much expectation that they will welcome or
assist any radical progressive movement, while If
left to themselves there is little to ind cate that
thew NAV not continue to vcgetate for an Indefinite
peuod Naturally the condition of the border
States is the worst socially, and there the expert
ence of the MeXicans with the frontier Americans
has not been of kind TO endear the latter TO thcD
In fact many of the worst scOundrels the United
States can furnish have taken up their abode OH the
border aud they are SO far rs their number goes,
probably as bad neighbors az the Apaches
The work of the archaOogist is not rewarded,
though IT certainly is encouraged, by the Mexican
Government. According to Mr. Oher the latter
welcomes exploration which il is too lazy to under
fake itself but should tho energetic foreign
plorer find anything Of yalue IL Is at once taken
possesson of by the authorities for the National
Museum. This IS an ingenious method Of filling
that repository and not unlike that adopted by the
Turkish Government. OF the fostering of
national spirit is laudabc but it is hardly fair 10
take such an advantage of foreign archaeological
enthusiasm.
The reader is alternately treated TO accounts of
Toltec pyramids and ruins, visits TO museums,
charming genre pictures and statistics of panta-
tons railways, silver mines and pearl fisheries. III
one of his excursions he comes upon an lnshnan
who entered Mexico as plain Pat Mullins, and who
is now wealthy banker and farmer, married TO
The daughter of a rich k0ceadadO. and known 10 his
new eompatriots as Senior Don Patrclo Mllmo.
The new Southern Pacific Railroad is destined TO
open up and develop the trade Of Mexico rapidly,
IN the opinion of the author, and the people Of the
two countries will be brought into 30 much closer
contact that the old preudces entertained by the
Mexicans will have to give way. The Apaches will
have To DO dealt with effectively, and the frontier
policed thoroughly, and then commercial relations
can be trusted to do the rest. Mr. Obers Observa-
tons on the Indian question may be read with III
terest, though perhaps they SAVIOR rather too
strongly of border feeling natural result OF the