Current Literature [pp. 484-487]

1871.] CURRENT L
of the Sibyls. On every page will be found
something desirable to know, especially in
visiting the old cities of Europe.
The third division of the book is entitled,
"Legends of Place." These relate almost
entirely to German "places;" and we are
sorry that the range is so narrow. Italy,
France, Switzerland, Spain, and, not least,
England, have their "legends of place,"
waiting to be put into a like accessible form.
But these German stories are of surpassing
interest, and will help to make the Rhine
region still more enchanting.
Lastly, we have a brief summary of "Ancient Myths which have been illustrated in
Art." This is, of course, a valuable portion
of the book to one who wanders among the
European galleries. NVe think Mrs. Clement
has made this section of her work disproportionately small, and it lacks in classical perspective. Bacchus and Bellerophon get more
space than half a dozen more distinguished
personages. But we have no right to quarrel with Mrs. Clement's judgment on points
so unimportant. If we do not like her work,
we can make another to suit ourselves. We
do not propose to make another, and shall
urge no friend to do it, as aforesaid. This
is so thoroughly good, that we heartily recommend it to two classes of our readers:
those who are going to Europe, and those
who, without going, would learn all they can
of the immense treasures of European art.
The book is illustrated with representations of various masterpieces of painting and
sculpture.
TRAVELS IN CENTRAL AMERICA: Including
accounts of some Regions unexplored since
the Conquest. From the French of the
Chevalier Arthur Morelet. By Mrs. M. F.
Squier. New York: Leypoldt, Holt &
Williams.
The most important facts contained in this
book were read by the author before the
French Academy of Sciences. It does not
lessen the interest of the work that most of
the explorations were undertaken to collect
such facts as were of interest to naturalists;
the author seeking a fresh field, and appar ently making the most of it. His eyes and
ears are open for all kinds of information.
Instead of a book of dry details, we have not
ITERA TURE.
485
only so much as would be of special interest
to scientific men, but we have graphic descriptions of scenery, sketches of manners
and customs, with clear statements of the social, political, and commercial character of
the people. The naturalist is now an antiquarian, then a humorist, sometimes a historian; and this skillful blending of facts
constitutes the chief attraction of the book.
We are persuaded that he has seen nearly
every thing worth seeing, and that the best
substitute for our own eyes is to use those of
the author.
A very good illustration of tropical wealth,
and of the author's way of describing what
he sees, are contained in the following paragraph. Stopping at Ortega, on the confines
of Yucatan, for a night, he notes the first
incidents:
"From the first step I took, I fancied myself on
enchanted ground. I was surrounded by palm-trees,
a strange and monstrous vegetation, vines trailing in every direction in the wildest disorder, old
branches of trees covered with bulbous plants, like so
many aerial gardens-in a word, I found myself in a
scene of splendor, richness, and diversity, exceeding
in its beauty the wildest dreams of the most vivid
imagination! A few stray gleams of sunshine streaming through the foliage revealed all this beauty immediately before me, but beyond was a profound darkness, impenetrable even to t# sun. I stopped, bewildered and dazzled, like one who in a dark night
suddenly sees a meteor flash before his eyes. I was
so ecstatically absorbed that I did not even feel the
bites of the mosquitoes which swarmed around me!
But as the shades of evening were falling, I feared
to pursue my walk farther, standing always in wholesome dread of serpents and wild animals.
"I had taken but a few steps backward, toward the
skirts of the forest, Wvhen a species of fig fell at my
feet. In stooping to pick it up, what was my surprise
to find it rapidly followed by others, some of which
struck me in their descent. There was not the least
breath of air to stir the trees, and the figs were far
from being sufficiently ripe to have fallen from matu rity. I looked up and fancied that I perceived a
black form perfectly motionless, but partially con cealed by the foliage. I could not feel satisfied to
leave my doubts unsolved, so discharged my gun at
the object, which immediately fell, then caught itself,
fell a little lower, caught itself again, and finally dis appeared in the thicket."
In an appendix we have an enumeration
of the specimens in the animal and vegetable
kingdom which the naturalist sent to France.
These explorations were not unattended by
hardships; but the results, as set forth in this
account, are an important contribution to