New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-03
TRAVEL IN PATAGONIA.
A BOOK FULL OF INTEREST.

n BUN III LII Of
IDLE DAYS IN PATAGONIA ny yor,c II; h a%S
Tuet. SvO PIP. 90. ID. Appleton N Co.
This Is not a volume to be taken up, read through
at headlong speed. and then thrown aside III Is
hook IN he savorcd The reader II he wishes truly
10 apprchend its scope and purpose TO appreciate us
best qualities, understand It's peculiarities must
bpcin by putting himself far as possible, In Inc
place of the writer. Thus only can the real sig
nificance Of the work be perceived ana measured
But treated thus. the book will be found iuil OF IN
erest in many ways. TIL" author passed some years
In Patagonia In the valley watcred by Its one large
river and he came entirely under the nincnreS-aih
strange influences they are-O tAo.c vast plains 80
little stirred with life. either human or animal. Upon
those who live I'm Patagonia II seems that II sp'l laIls
They cease to for or 70 think about the 'mheN
OF the busy world which they have left belih. he
unbounded plain the unbrokcn forest. come TO FURNISH
them with all the varied interest life demands Now
and them indeed. some purely cty-bTpd man mus
himself quite lost In this world which Is the Oh.
and lapguishcs for the feshpots OF Egypt. But the
great majority swiftly accommodate themselves 10 'he
return 10 primcval ways and find tranquility ana hap
pincss In the change
In the part of Patagonia where Mr.. Hudson lived the
society was. to say the least, Scanty. lie hlhSeil
could discover but book and that an antiqua'en
conr ~ snonisb devotons For dissipation all he
could do WAS to play cards with an old Indian VINO
cid not know much to begin with ana iao re'oul'c'
II all long ago. Eut company was never mSS'u' Inc
traveller would rise In the morning. eat his breaKas
a meal reduced to tho very simplest proportions
saddle his horse and plunge at once into the immense
plan where lie could wander pirposce's, wiiile'S,
;0oo,Iv idle the livelong day. Never was or conl1
h. idlinc so Systematically and extensively carre1 Oh
rs in this valley. The weather was as RUE Simply
perfe6t sleep could be had ont OF doors qm'c as
comfortably and securely aS within There were ITO
formidable wild beats TO be In fear Of such creatures
as existed were. With one or TWO reP'lah eA'oP"''
both harmless and timid
Provided that enough could be had to eat ana
drink-and there seems TO have been no real ui'iH
about this though the bill OF fare was short enough
there was nothing 10 be concerned abon'. 'ui '""".
Is trained naturalist, and therefore found constant
int rest studying the beasts and birds OF the country
and he could lie on his back for hours under the
eouable sun and lazy ponder the problems when
exercised his mind in this Loos Land ana iheSc
problems which besct him in his lniaGonan sol'nd'
he has taken away from the great plains where they
were engendercd, and has dealt with them In his
hook I'm curious unlitcrary fashion. which 10 me
observant reader will strongly recall The pecui'ii-
ties Of the conditions amid which h" worked. such
questions as the effect Of white In large MASSES
upon the human mind; of the optical powers "l
savage races; of the effect OF color In the eyes Vi
birds and next. of men and women. are the matters
which engage his attention and develop his reasoning
tendencies.
Is there for instance, something uncanny about
snow covered landscape. or about the snowy FUR or
plumace OF arctic birds and beasts Is white bear
for example, more dreadful to encounter thah 4
brown or a black one7 Mr.. Herman Melville says
he is but Mr.. Hudson criticses Mr.. Melvllles ny
pothesis and would discover some other eHplan1-
tion Of the mysterious effect of whitcncSS-wmch
effect he admits TO be real and not imaginary HIS
own Imagination travels far and swiftly enough when
he suggests that In by gone ages man. lighting against
resstless advance of snow and ice. may have left in
bis di-f.n drsc
an unconscious recognition of that protracted and
terrible struggle. No doubt this is possible. so many
things for which no evidence can be adduced are
possible; but certainly it docs not sound very prob
able.
On another subject namely. the cyesisht OF
savagcs, Mr.. Hudson has something to say when
deserves more serious attention. After long and
careful observation he has become convinced that
savages do not possess exceptionally strong and
keen eyesght that in effect, their eyesight Is In no
essential respect better than that Of the civilized
peoples that their subject to all the defects
which civilized eyesght suffers from. but that mas
much they have opticians or oculsts, their
complaints are not attended 10. They can see things
which they have been accustomed all their hives
TO see. at great distances and quite clearly but II
on object which Is new TO them comes within the
range OF their vision at the same distance they are
quite as likely to make mistakes abOut II as are
civilized observers. These and many other observa-
ticns upon the habits and ways Of the Gauchos to-
cether with all those upon the fauna Of the country
are remarkable for vigOr ana independence Oh
thought and ingenious collocation OF unfamiliar
ideas In various relations.
After reading Mr.. Hudson's book with due care. one
feels that Patagonia ought to be magnificent re
course for the world weaIied souls who exhausted
BY the excitement OF life at hish pressure. In the
bosom Of that great plain, In the silence OF mos"
rrimeval forests, in The peace Of that pasaonlcss
region. in the entire absence of all the forms Of ac-
tlvty developed by civzaticn man has an opportunity
TO renew himself by pungng into the bosom OF the
beginnings This is the real story and secret OF the
book, and 1t is told in manner to carry with ii
q certain attraction and even fascination. OF MI
modern books Of travel it is certainly one of the
most original. and many are sure will also find
II one of the most interesting and suggestive.