The sun., 1917-05-27
SOME NEW BOOKS.
British Ventures and Adventures IN
South America.

NE nature and extent Of the meaning
ef the common noun in w. H. kOEBEL's
Drtttsh Erptotts IN South America
(Century): "A History Of British Ac-
tivfties in Exploration, Military Ad-
venture, Diplomacy. Science and Trade
IN Latin America" In Part l., The
Navfga.ors." we have "the romantic
period" the stories Of the first English
mariners who sailed the Spanish Main;
stories Of the buccaneers and the be-
ginnings Of trade. Part II. is con-
cerned with Colonial South America"
and tells Of eighteenth century voy-
ages, Of the British expedition to the
River Plate, British Guiana and the
Talkland Islands, and of British par
ttcipation in the struggle for South
American independence. South
America in the Early Part Of the
Nineteenth Century" Part III, mar
rates principally the doings Of the
British in Brazil and the fourth and
Anal part criticises Englands relations
with the Latin American continent In
tho last century, concluding with a
"To-day and Tomorrow Chapter" AS
. whole the book is full Of information.
Trustworthy in substance and most
pleasingly presented.
Mr.. Koebei is not a historian Of the
anatomical school, rafting the dates.
which are the dry bones Of history.
He begins on the frst page Of his text
70 clothe the skeleton with flesh. For
four centuries the promise of the new
and rich lands has drawn adventurers
from the north to compete with each
other and with the descendants OF
those Iberian conquistadores who first
set foot on the neck Of a wondering
continent" The stony Of the Spanish
voyagers OF discovery Is a common
place of conventional history; the
schoolboy in the grades" knows Of
the search for the Northwest Passage,
and how. when America was found to
impose 50 broad a barrier In the way
Of seafaring ventures in quest Of
short line to the East Indies. the nayi-
gators shifted from the due west route
to q southwark attempt at Cathay by
way Of the Cape Of Good Hope. But
how ala England get mixed up In
South American exploitation?
Mr.. Koebel blithely bids us look all
the way back to the twelfth century.
In l147 English Crusaders, bound for
tho Holy Land. halted by the Tagus.
and by way Of keeping in trim helped
the Portuguese take Lisbon from the
Moors. "The men Of the oak and the
men Of the olive" 90 poetic a narrator
is the author. became friendly. Gill
bert of Hastings Is Bishop OF Lisbon
in 1148. In 1877 apother army Of Cru
saders from Britain helps Portugal
against the Moorish invader. Out Of
such military copartnership grew COM
mercial alliance. The red wine began
to flow north: British wool to be worn
In tho south. Tho little ships bore
rich cargoes In and out Of dreaded
Biscay: the hulls were never empty.
In 1885 the friendly relations were
confirmed by treaty.
A year later they were more strong
ly confirmed by royal marriage. John
Of Gaunt led 1000 British lances and
5000 British bowmen into Portugal.
and bis daughter Philippa (by his
first wife. Blanche Of Lancaster) was
married to King John. Perhaps II 30
many Englishmen, men Of war and
merchants, had not been SO much
Interested In Portugal, England's re-
gard for the commercial possibilities
Of the Southern America would have
been awakened too late for such fruit
fulness as It has had. Tho son Of
John and Philippa was Prince Henry.
called the Navigator. "Thus the friend
and patron Of the Portuguese sea cap
tains was Of English blood on his
mothers side. It was under his aus
pices that central and southern
Africa, India and Brazil were discov-
cred, and that Lisbon became the
western gate Of Europe. while decay
ing Venice bewailed the loss of her
monopoly Of the overland trade route
to India" Mr.. Koebel may take the
long way round. but as a cicerone ne
10 never dull.
While the north Of Europe heard
and marvelled at the travellers tales
Of the time. those Englishmen who
happened to be In Portugal saw with
their own eyes 'the return OF the
deeply laden galleons as their painted
bows breasted the rapid tide Of the
broad Tagus" (The Koebelian style
constantly commanders approbatory
quote marks) They not only heard
the mariners stories but saw the rich
. booty. We may be sure that when
they passed the news along 1t lost
nothing as II went. But before Eng
lish sail made for the new continent
Spain had begun to lay the founda-
tions of the greatness which her
short sighted methods caused her so
soon to run through. For the story
of the British hearts of oak who
made England acquainted with South
America the author goes to the rec
ords Of William Hawkins and the
greater Hawkins, Sir John; Of Drake
and Cavendish and Walter Raleigh
and the captains who sailed under
these high hearted admirals.
What Mr.. Koebel does to these old
narratives is interesting. He weaves
them. with nice regulation OF values
and relation, into a history Of an i'm
portant intercontinental intercourse.
Incidentally. a critical eye will observe
that the familiar form "buccaneer"
applies only. and as II accidentally. in
the list of contents. In the chapter
assigned to these interesting gentle
men the author calls them buccaneers,
deriving the name from the word
"boucane," denoting the wood fire over
which these grim amphibious be-
ings," planters, rievens of island cat
tic and plunderers of Spanish ships
and towns. smoked their meat.
Thanks to the watchfulness Of the
Spanish governors. English records
IN the early colonial period OF South
America are scant. But there were
English Jesults whose history has