New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-23
LIFE IN THE TROPICS.
MR.. HEARN'S POLITICAL SKETCHES.


really admirable book. The subject was one emf
ncntly adapted to his special gifts His poetic TEN
permanent responded instantly to the charm OF 'iic
tropics his sensib' to natural beauties was sunni
lated BY the opulent and prodigal colorng OF ula'
sunny region: and In the picturesque ana su1kihs
peculiarities of the mixed their personal APP
pearancc their costume. their orentalism generally
his vivid Imagination and keen observation found
rare field for exploration. Mr.. licarn Is an artst
in words, and only writer possessing thao
endowment could DO justice to the scenes and the
social studies which fill these pages. The happy con
junction Of circumstances has resulted In the produc
ton Of book which unique in It's exccllcnces and
which deserves 10 characterized the best study
and reflection Of tropical life extant. The first nun
drcd pages are filed with an account OF nylhH
summer trip through the tropics, and while d.ac
necessarily hasty and imperfect sketches are harhco
by the qualities which lend attraction TO all the book
they do not compare In interest or value Win inc
delightful chapters on life in Martinique which con
stitute the bulk Of the volume. OF these chapters
II Is difficult to speak with restraint For the soul
Of che tropics breathcs through them and they reflect
30 wildly and infinitely the riot Of color. the ba1e
of light the persistent heat. the luXnrous vcgcitlun
the dreamy languorous Influences Of the place, The
barharc charm Of the Rorgcously colorcd Costumes
the grace and gcntlcncss and beauty Of The women
and all the details Of creole and native life that the
reader is completely carried away and almost inhaleS
the heavy perfume Of the orange blossoms-almost
hears the soft sweep Of the warm through the
foliage Of the palm, and giant ferns, and the mclan-
choy cadence Of the surf upon the shore.
Martinique Is called "Lc Pays dcS RcvcnantS,'
which nav he interpreted as the Land Of Ghosts" or
as the land 10 which returns. Both rcndcrinc'
have justification II Is a land Of ghosts. for the
supcrstons of the natives are numerous. strange
and complex. II i, land to which one returns, FOR
its subtle charm felt cannot be shaken on
and they who have fallen under the spell struggle In
hon .efy n HcaruS
magical glasses the wchcry Of the island appears I'm
ovitahlc for his book j. itself an incarnation OF
power and II will certainly prove magnet 70 draw
hundreds 10 the enchanted isle. Yet Nr. llcarn l.
not one Of those superficial. optimistic writers VINO
see only the attractions and avoid All the drawbacks
and bcmi-hcs. Sever have the dark and sinister
aspects Of tropical lie been chronicled with such
weird power and graphic force AS IN THIS book 80
where can there be found impressive. so complete
picture Of that tropical nature which clothes
with splendid colorns and luAuriani and eHqu-ii"N
graceful erowths ADVISES Of rorcnnc.- and decay
which hide. sudden death and lingering torture under
her famhoyant scenery which couples external beauty
with hidden corruption. which attaches penalties ana
inhibition, to her mos, lavish gifts. and associates with
The widest ouipourin- 81 light and ltc conditions
which almost transform the first into curse and re-
strict the manifestations Of the second - gro-, and
purely material forms. For IN the tropics the Intellect
Of the advanced races afrpphic-. their cner-ir, g.
dine. t.cy become Incapable Of science. literature,
art they are subdacd To tIcr environment and Sink
into a langud and -cn.pou- culof mcnt II NE. 3d.
capable Of serious Thought. reduced 10 the level al
most Of the mixed people around them
Of those mixed people Mr. liearn has gwen hiehly
inter, ting accounts. rel and brown and chocolate
,olorol and black. he ha, studied them and por
,a,,l them all aud the reader $40 them in their
habits - they live. with their madras head
e,ar their ray colorcd "donicti",T their swimming.
graceful. eastern carriage. their melting black eyc..
al IYIf.I Ifff. sf
lie can watch the ~por"u-c.r they spin -ii5
/ .urmouni the steep mountain paths with heavy
burdens on their head, or thrf pan" Atf way
! on their ong and daily journey II iofy or h'ty
mIlc- TO ret and eat if'c dry bread "t vi
Msc lakcr's. llc on accompany tA' traveller =
Cr,nde Ausc whence the hand-omc.t native rrl.
come and stand on tie wciN black strand % That
/ gray hamlet cmb0vcrcd ln green. and feel the
soporlnc influence of the strong warm -ci wind. and
lcd 10 it, Influence a- all do and NUT in tat
.Iccpic-t place in tlr world. or b" can return -
II Pierre on the Other -lic 81 the island. and leon
over the bridge io watch the ~blanchl,scu.c-' who
stand all day long up TO their knees ia lee cold
mountain water. and whose arduou, and pcill,u, oc
cupatlon fog they al d. ca~i' Of d,ea-c cnRc1frfcd
Of tai. worn Us sometime rendered SIN more deadly
rv the sudden descent Doe food Of the stream u
whose bed usuaily carving hut little aicr~they
habituallv labor.
Viewed on the surface all &, bright and ful Of
| bcautv grace and color ln Martinique scenery bat
| closer inspection reveals formidable s,amy side.
The forests with their podcal growth their exquisite
arborcal FORMS their brilliant fora their gorgeous
bird, and butter1ic. 10 u,c figure. planted full
| Of the dcadlcst mantraps and spring guns. The
! fearful serpent known the fer DC lance Is the
.ovcrcign Of these shade. The poison he sccrctc,
produces the most horrible cncot-. The victim Of his
fanps suffers swift mobilization. His tissues lose
cohcrcncc and dissolve strange myscry--into the
scmblancc 81 decaycd vegetation. into Initial ons Of
those many.hucd fungoid rrowfhs which abound in
the habitat Of tho vcuomous reptile. II the fang has
touched a VEIN thcrc f. no hope and II seems that
the majority Of such wounds prove mortal. 50 In
tested 4, the island by thi, snake that travel after
nighfall is impossible even In the outsir, ~ 1t.
Pierre for the fer DC lance prefers the darkness
for hi. excursions. and he haunts the highways.
Ills deadly and ubiquitous presence moreover IA,
hitherto prevented any horough scientific exploration
Of the island. The deadly creature Is too we'll con
ccalcd by his skin markings which make II Impossible
for any but an expert 70 distinguish him from the
ground or the fallen logs about which
he Turks and 90 into the Martinique woods alone
+. for the stranger % court one OF the most dreadful
Of deaths Nor j. the fer de lance the only draw
back 10 nfc In tho tropics Numbers Of tempting
fruits and brilliantly colorcd n,he, arc poisonous
Even the sparkling mountain water cannot be drunk
without infusion Of spirit. If the drinher be heated
There i, a beautiful fruit called the manchincc
apple" which deadly. There trees to lie under
which i most dangerous In fact nobody ever thinks
/ Of living on the grass Al Martinique for II sNarn-
with insect pest. There Immense hairy spiders
outside the towns. not ca, vcnomous than the tarin
tula. In the houses found equally vchomoa-
spiders thought by Mr.. Ncarn 10 be harmless. Then
there are three kinds Of biting ants, all very vcnomou,
| reaches ~ big mice. who eat everything cstab'
and dehle what dcfcs their horny mudihlcs mo,
dutoc.. and last but not least, the ccntiphc Mt
Icarns description Of this cpu-lvc creature Is ali,
enough make ones flesh creep.
Martinique has unique suPersttons. Ono
of them Is conception which one fancics could onl,
have incurred ~ "A tropical Imagination II Is tina
OF the quabcssc" according 10 the creole patDsj
daylight ghost demon. that appears IN the form o
a beautiful woman walking aonS the road a; MIA day
Her function 10 lure young men by her dakllln
charms and lead them T. their destricilon IhcI
there are combs. nondcscript phantom creation
l capable Of taking many forms. The LOmb appear