South America. Painted by A. S. Forrest, described by W.
H. Koebel. (Same publishers. 20s. net.)-It was bold to attempt to include the whole of South America in one volume of Messrs. Black's series of descriptive books. Naturally the letterpress must be superficial, but so far as it goes it is all interesting. Mr. Koebel tries his best to impress his readers with the amazingly rapid advance of the ,Argentine, closely followed by Uruguay ; and with the fine attributes of the Chilians and the enormous undeveloped possibilities of the rest of the continent, particularly perhaps of Paraguay and Colombia. It is disappointing to learn bow little development has taken place in British Guiana, which hungrily awaits capital and enterprise. The history is lightly touched upon ; the fascinating story of the Incas is very shortly told, and there is no speculation upon the earlier races or how they came there. Nor is the religion or irreligion of the peoples dealt with except in a very brief account of the Jesuits in Paraguay. It would have been interesting to hear the latest views not only upon the industrial advance, but on the effect of the prevalent immorality and gambling among the people of these parts in their new prosperity, and also upon the pro- spects of a Roman Catholic continent. Neither the author nor the artist seems to have faced the Horn, for there is no attempt to describe Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, or the
IFalkland Islands. However, a vast extent of coast and a considerable internal area are described. Mr. Forrest's seventy-five illustrations are above the average in boldness of drawing and picturesque colouring. They make up an alluring picture-book. There is also a useful sketch-map of the continent.
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