New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-26
SOUTH AMERICA.
AN AMUSING BOOK OF TRAVELS.
an enthusiasm.

DID,. xxiv-473. d. Appleton & Co.
new volume from Mr. Frank Vincent Is al
WAYS welcome, for the reading public have earheu
TO regard him as one of the most ih'ehlGei' anu
observant of travellers, and he has now survey"
with his own eyes so considerable p"Iu Vi '''o
earth's surface that he is enabled TO IfesHeh HIS
narrative with many illustrative comparISoHs'
Ills new book contains the essence oil twenty
months travel in and about South America III
Gliding visits to all the capitals, chlei cl'ies
and important seapors; expeditions INTO tHe III.
terror of Brazil and the Argentine KcpuOhc' ana
ascents of the Parana Paraguay, Amazon VTihoco
and Magdalcna rivers" The route covered a"o"u
2, GOO miles bnt though the authors experience
included good deal of exposure and discomfort
he had the singular good fortune TO escape even
so much as a days sickness; fact the more
70 he apprccatcd when we remember that much
of his cvnlorotion Law among the fevcrhauntcd
regions. tropical forests reeking with malaria
and other and plentiful cXctements 10 disease
So large an extent of country, 50 many different
Governments races, manners and customs, IN
dnstrics and modes of life generally, couiG not
Of course be treated in detail within the lihi'S
Of q single volume however portly and Mr. Nlhc'h'
las iudiciously confined himself 10 rccountihg
his personal adventures and observations when IN
every instance afford satisfying pictures oil the
various countries concerned
The reader who laws down this interesting vol
ume will probably carry away few general I'M
pressions about South American civilization, ana
can hardly fail TO he struck by the almost UNI
ycrsallv prevalent contrasts between IN" progress
of the Latin races on that continent III So'hc
things and their curious backwardrcss IN DINERS.
Nowhere in the world perhaps-unless IL ne III
some parts Of Spain-docs there seem u De s.
strange minclng of mcdiacvallsm ana rho"-
ernitv. in some parts of South America, in fact,
il is rather barbarian and modern IDEAS t"a' a''
mixed together in this odd fashion. Another
impressive and not encouraging phenomenon IS inc
slugrshncss Of the people in nearly all things bat
revolt against government. RevoutlorS my
he said without eXaggeration. TO be carried on
professionally in the South American republics,
and the men who organize them appear T. do 50
with n single eve 10 their own acknowledgements
uitbout thought or care for the interests OF the
nublic and the State The climate Is probably
in part responsible for the general Incidence an"
indispostion 10 do anything that can he lcit W.
done But tie climate must not be held account
able for too much The Aneio-SaNon In the
tropics doubtless loses in time part Of his resi-
les, encray. bat wherever he goes II Is 70 10 '"-
served that he retains enough OF 1t = cNcel '"'
natives Of those torrid countries IN activity
nrr-,ose and persistence and this shows that race,
after all, counts for more tnan climate III ue-
terniininc the dcstinics of a people
Mr.. Vincent began his travels at "uayqulI'
which he reached via Panama, and thence he
crossed the Cordillcras to Quito. In Ecuador 10
first saw the Llama, that curious c'i"'Fh"e
creature which. while much sentcr and more
tractablc than the camel. has the peculiar h"mt
Of defending itself. when attacked, by splitting
| .aIi lei
20 an extent which makes this mode Of retaliation
oui.c Formidable The PASSAGE over the Andes
VAS attended with some discomfort. bat 10 scri-
| ous diniculty n VERY fine carriage road. which
| cost 81 600 OO0 connecting Latacunea with TIE
| capital At Quito the traveller found the morals
doubtful and tire manners in some respects prlni-
! tive As nobody darcs leave his room open, every
| one is compelled 10 carry keys four inches long
and weighing a pound or more the locNs'hith
| art not having advanced beyond the sixteenth
century methods 4 striking popularity of the
capital is the dress Of the men. or perhaps
! should say the fulf-drcss Of the gentlemen, who
wear high black silk hats, black broad
cloth frock coats, black kid gloves, and
carry ornamental canes. These indications of
other and very different civilizations seem about
as much out Of place as would Ilindustanee tur-
bans or Indian war pumcs.7 In spite Of the
/
gloves. however, dirt was the prevailing char
acteristic Of Quito, combined with which was
that form Of pety which has been said 10 go
best with fondness for ardent spirit The priests
drank much-too much-brandy, and were not
ashamed 10 walk the streets in broad daylight
while under its influence.
At Lima Mr. Vincent found the people still
suffering from the terrible war with Chill, though
| the Peruvians generally very sanguinc and
/ light hearted, and react quickly against ordinary
misfortuncs The Chlians behaved with more
than the usual rapacty Of al least modern con-
auerors, having, among other dcprcGations, ran
sacked the National Library Of Peru and carried
of large quantities Ct priceless manuscripts. IL
is surprising that they should have left the relics
If Pizarro behind them, considering their average
vor,citv There is maanlliccnt hospital IN
Lima. Of which and its management Mr.. Vincent
snoalks in enthusiastic terms. II cost 81 100000
aud has 700 beds. II IS under the charge
nf q body Of French Sisters of CLERGY. Mr.. VIM
cent did not form very hopeful conclusions CON
,orniuc Peru. lie thinks that with good
.,ahIo covernmcnt and united people it. might
vet be prosperous country, p"I 'here seems TO De
Zoo Iittlc honor among It's public men. Instead of
being ambitious 10 save thcir country p''rior
;calL, most seem intent only upon robbIng her.
Instead Of cndcavoring to keep faith with their
creditors. they repudiate the just claims Of for
cicrcrs whom they now owe the immense sum OF
! 81 ga OOO 600 of American money" In word
thunder is the ruling motive Of the aglta,ors on
both and all sides Judgment which the events OF
tie recent past have unfortunately done nothing
to mitigate Neither here nor in any other part
Of South America does there appear to be much
intellectual growth. Everywhere the author has
the same thing to say; no books, no knowledge
of or interest in literature, no conversation on
topics of importance The women OF these Latin
races seem peculiarly frivolous and vacuous-
minded, the upper classes and perhaps most of
the middle classes vegetating rather than living
without reflection, experience, change or even tho