New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-18
TROPICAL AMERICA.
GLIMPSES OF FIVE SOUTHERN NEIGUBORs.

THE SPANISH AMERICAN REPUBLICS. ny Theo-
dore Child Illustrated evo, PIP. 444 New
York: Harper Brothers.
This volume has a misleading, or at least an
unduly pretentious title. Only five of the Spanish
American Republics are described in it's pages.
These are the three Plate countries and Chill
and Peru. Brazil may be strictly considered as
Portuguese America. and consequently may he
excluded from the common classification of the
southern empire conquered and settled by the
Spaniards. Bolivia, Ecuador Colombia, Vene-
zuela. Mexico and the five Central American
States are Spanish American republics, which have
preserved their original character more tenaciously
than the five countries frt named. These ten
countries have not been Europeanized by swarms
of Italian and German immigrants and enormous
masses of English capital The scope Of Mr..
Childs work did not embrace an exploration of
more than e-third of the group of nationaiities
which Is properly included under his title. 1t is
to be hoped that the enterprise Of the publishers
which has enriched the pages Of Harpers Maya
zine" with the most notable series of illustrated
papes on the Southern Hemisphere ever pub
lished will be sufficiently remunerative TO en-
courage them to complete this interesting ana
valuable study of the social and industrial progress
of tropical America.
The illustrations in Mr.. Cbild's book are of
such unrvalled beauty and excellence as to make
it work of the highest artistic value There
are 432 of these, many of them engravlngs from
photographs but not few original sketches and
studies reproduced with exquisite finish and bold
ness of treatment. 1t may not be too high praise
TO say that a clearer and more accurate idea Oh
the scenery architecture race characteristics ana
social condition of South America can be OBTAINED
from critical examination of these pictures than
from an exhaustive study OF twenty OF the pese
modern works of travel on the same suoJecuS
Sometimes in the attempt to reproduce the EURO
peanized costumes of Spanish America the effect
is somewhat strained. For example. Mr. Keln-
hart's Cathedral After Service in Buenos Ayres
represents a group of men and women
not only dressed precisely as the same
figures would appear at the entrance OF
ST. Thomas's Church, New-Yors, but having the
same facial type and carriage. There is only
one church porch in Buenos Ayres where SUN a
group could be seen, and that is the entrance OF
the English chapel, where small number oil resi-
dent foreigners worship. Even II the same cos
TUNES could be discovered on the Cathedral steps,
the faces and figures would be markedly differ
ent. There are few incongruities Of this sort
in the illustrations, which in the main reproduce
with absolute accuracy the color and spirit OF
South American scenes. The most beautiful
picture in the book is the Junction of the Rivers
Juncal and Blanco." in which the appalling
majesty and tranquil pcturesqueness of Andean
scenery are combined
Mr. Child disclaims in his preface any preten-
sion of exploring unknown territory or of
counting thrilling adventures in South America.
His object, as he succinctly says, was to OK
anime the actual state of the town and country
populations in the year 1890; to study the
mercial and social life of the capitals and ports
to see how people live and labor in the rural
districts to give an account Of the various special
industries; to describe the real aspect of the
tries in question: to note the characteristic
features Of the inhabitants; and in short, TO
make modern report Of the progress Of civiliza-
ton south of the equator" This plan OF opera
ton has been most successfully carried out. The
result is o volume OF the highest value as record
Of existing social and commercial conditions in
O large portion of Spanish America. 1t is evil
dent that the people and their employments and
reereations interested him TO q greater degree than
the political and economic problems which the
creole descendants of the conquering Spanish race
are laboriously working out During the year
which followed his journey Of observation most
m0mentous changes were effected in the political
and financial conditions Of both the Plate coun-
tries and Chilli so that in. concluding his
volume, he was compelled TO add an cpl
logue on the civil war precipitated by
Balmaceda's folly and obstinacy, and on the rev.
olution in Buenos Ayres and the collapse of credit
In which Uruguayan and Argentine securities
were overwhelmed. During that brief interval
two Of the strongest governments had been over
thrown and the material progress Of three Of the
most progressive countries INSTRUCTED and retarded
for decade. II is not strange that the epilogue
is strongly coored with cynicism. Indeed, through
out the volume there is little attempt TO conceal