New-York tribune., 1921-10-09


companion piece to his "Vaga-
bonding Down the Andes" In
his new book the author describes his
northward return journey, and his
story of his wanderings from Patagonia
to Venezuela by rail- boat, foot and
horseback is fully as colorful and live
ly rs anything that has yet come from
his pen.
The author does not follow in the
footsteps of the complaisant tourists
who mulmur banal eulogies about every
country they visit. He very pointcdly
dislikcs certain features of Latin
American life, among which may be
noted the hotels. the food and the pre-
dominance of the negro clement in the
official life of such countries as Brazil.
Hc is too much of Northerner to be
altogether sympathetic with the lei
surely tempo of Latin America
In fact, Mr.. Franck plays a sort of
Aunt Ophelia TO the Topsy OF the South
American countries. At times he gives
them a good shaking on such questions
q. sanitation and cleanliness. But, like
Aunt Ophelia, he ends by liking them
in spite OF their defects. On quitting
Brazil, with vivid rccollections of ''its
grating politicians and its untrounced
mon and boys" he admits that he
often longs for cts magnificent palms,
its Incompatible capital. its marvellous
days and luminous nights
The authors appreciation Of tho bad
qualities Of Brazilian national charac-
ter was considerably stimulated by his
experience as advance agent and pub
Lefty manager for tour of the Edison
kinetophonc. The Brazilian is not al
ways punctual and precise in his bus-
ness relations, and Mr.. Francl was
much incensed by the common practice
of admitting large numbers of indvid-
uals, armed with the flimsest of pre-
texts, free of charge.
The authors trip with the Kincto-
phone was accompanied by several cX-
citing incidents. Once wrathful
negro threatened him with a sinister
looking knife in train. On another
occasion he called a local magnate
rcbbcr, whereupon that individual pro
proclaimed in loud tones his intention
to vindicatc his honor in the most di-
rect possible fashion. However. he
emerged from these adventures un-
scathcd and his constitution survived
the assaults Of the food and the climate
without even succumbing TO touch
Of fever.
Starting out from Bucnos Ayres as
base. Mn Franck crossed the Andes
into Chile His account Of the tlip is
characterized by some very fine pas
sages of descriptive writing, of which
the following. picturing the approach
to the great mountain chain, is per
haps the best:
"Tho vast pampa sank gradually be
low us IS We turned away toward tho
mountains The irrigated green patches
grew almost imperceptihle. Slowly tho
plain itself was succeeded by plains
of loose rocks, OH which veectated
few gaunt, defoimcd trees, spiny
busnes. 2narlcd and Grabbed clumps of
brush scattered in unnciehbolly isola-
ton. The sun flooded the barren,
fantastic, million rldged and valcvcd
foothills Of many colors, rolling up to
tLc base Of abrupt mountains that
climbed, ragged and unkemot and in
dependent Of Mi law and order, Ike
somc stEpcndois stairway 10 heaven.
TO the clouds in which their tops dis
appeared Cliffs washed into cvorv
Imaginable shane By ccrtp',es Of hail.
snow and mountain winds for there
is no rain IN this region cast dense
biock shadows which N the narrow
valleys and tiny scoops and hollows
contrastcd with the thousand sun
flaming soicnt knobs and points and
~ ircs and hilfocNs lifelcsa tom.