Evening star., 1915-03-19
TRAVEL In LATIN AMERICA
By Frederic J. Haskln.

ing particular attention 10 the Latit
American market this year, SO Amer
lean travellers of all classes are turn
ing their steps toward the southern
repubIics more than ever before. Not
only the curious traveller and the
wealthy pleasure seeker. who are cut
off from Europe. but statesmen, writ
ers. students and naturalists are going
into this new field and none of them
will be disappointed For Latin Amer
lea is unique above all things in the
variety of interest she offers her
great cities contain some of the finest
products of civilization and her interiors
are frontiers of the widest, where men
are struggling to conquer nature here
are civilization in the making ana the
striking ruins of civilizations that were
before history. Here are every variety
of climate and natural scenery IRON the
frozen plains of Patagonia to the Anna
zonian jungles. from hot fertile valleys
to the highest mountain tops in the
world.
We have been accustomed to think OF
our own country as containing ,l'
greatest natural wonders of the worio.
In point of fact we nave lit'ie i au
tase over South America in that regard
aycept that we have been better adNer-
tiSed
Every one knows that Niagara rails
is the greatest cataract in the western
hemisphere, but few
Niagara Falls have heard of the Falls
of Iguassu, which arc
is ouTpasSeu' three miles long, just
trac lower than Niagara and hun
dred times more beautiful. For Niagara
has been tanned and harnessed. but
Igusssu. set in a semi-tropica1 forest,
with focks of wild parrots bathing IN
its sunlit spray, is thing of we'll nigh
perfect beauty.
situated on the boundary between
Brazil and PARAGUAY. through both of
these countries railroads are being ouiit
toward this great fall of the Iguassu
river, and it will soon be easily reached
from either direction.
Reyond a doubt there are more great
peaks in the Andes mountains than In
all the other mountains or the %orio
put together. Mount MIST, in Peru'
with its crest 10000 feet above sea lever,
is one of the better known, though oy
no means one of the highest. Harvard
University has an observatory haif way
to the summit of this peak. and by
rude trail those who are hardy enough
to endure the rarefled atmosphere can
reach the summit and enjoy what Is un-
doubtedly one of the most splendid
views in the world. Through the clear
air of that altitude one can look across
almost 200 miles of the most spectacu-
lar wilderness in the western heml-
sphere.
Our great American desert. so-called,
is really waste of greasewood and cac-
tus AS a desert it cannot compare with
the Desert of Islay. in southern Chile,
a sheet of pure sand. wr1nkied oy the
wind into innumerable eVer-mov1ng,
crescent-shaped dunes.
The archeologist in search Of the
relics of prehistoric peoples finds rich
field in various parts
Miuhfv Race of Latin America, for
before the Incas,
Before Incas. whom Pizarro con.
quered, there was a mighty race in
South America whose walls and aque-
ducts Of massive masonry were so per-
fectly built that imposing fragments
Of them are still standing today. Per-
haps the most perfect of these are the
ruins of Tihuanaco. In Bolivia
But the peoples of Latin America to-
day are far more interesting than either
it's natural wonders or its relics of the
past. The Latin American countries
are Inhabited by a cultivated people,
descended from some of the best stock
in Europe. who are striving nightly
to build up civilization that accords
with their traditions and ideals. No
where in the world is civilized man more
directly in conflict with primitive ma
ture: nowhere are such great problems
in sanitation, engineering and agricul-
ture being met and solved.
The conversion of the great South
American cities from veritable plague
spots, where ships often lost half their
crews from yellow fever, into some of
the most wholesome and beautiful
triumphs of modern sanitation. Now
that they have made their cities hab-
liable the Latin American people are
turning to the development of their
natural resources. The wild rubber
forests of Brazil. to mention but one
of these. are perhaps the greatest nat
ural source of wealth in the world that
is waiting to be developed. 1t is es-
timated that there are now 50.000.000
rubber trees in the Brazilian forests
ready to be tapped. and the whole
world Is in need of rubber.
In addition to the cultivated people
who are the dominant class in Latin
America, there are
Largest People numerous native
r. 4h vy.-1a tribes that are full
Al VIZ oAo' of interest for the
student, and have great possibilities of
development. In North America the
aborigines have been corralled on res