GLOBE-TROTTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 231, 1 October 1935, Page 9

GLOBE-TROTTER.

FRENCH EXPLORER.

OURNEY UP THE AMAZON.

VISITOR BY THE MARAMA.

Globe-trotter, wanderer, photographer, writer, any or all of these would describe M. Louis Bouvier, who arrived by the Marama this morning, for he has been through most of the countries of the world, and into corners of it that to the average man are legendary names. Perhaps a brief account of where M. Bouvier has been since he left France in October, 1029, would give the best idea of what ho has done. From France he went to Africa. He travelled over

inucli of equatorial and western Africa, and. when he left there it was with the object ot exploring other jungles in the other hemisphere. He went to Brazil. He has been up the whole of the Amazon lliver; he has crossed the Andes Mountains 011 his way to Lima, the capital of Peru, ascending to more than 17,000 ft. From Lima AT. Bouvier went by land to the United States border by way of Equador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, 151 Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. After that he returned home to Prance—but not for long. He soon started on foot for Spain, crossed to Morocco, and set out 011 the long journey to China by land. He passed on his way through Algeria, Tunisia, Tripoli, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq,] Persia, British India, Burma, Siam and through Preach Indo-Cliina. He crossed into China over the Yunnan Province, and went down the upper Yangtse Kiang, one or China's great rivers, to Shanghai. Prom Shanghai lie went 011 to Ilarbin, in Manchuria. New Zealand Programme. Afterwards lie went to Korea, Japan and came back to French liulo-China, across upper Tonkin and down to the coast by the river MeTiong. From Saigon lie took boat to Singapore, Batavia, crossing Java, Bali and Borneo. Now he is in Auckland, and he left this afternoon for New Plymouth 011 his way to Wellington, via Wanganui and Palmerston North. He will lecture 011 liis way and show a film of his journeys; and when he leaves New Zealand lie will go to Papeete 011 his way to the West Indies via the Panama Canal. From the West Indies he will go back to France.

To tell of M. Bouvier's adventures would be to Write a book. He travels alone and with no other weapon than a camera. Except for the trifling incident when in China he was nearly hanged by a 1110b, lie lias never been in danger from man or beast. When it conies to making long journeys over country where water is scarce, he joins up with a caravan, if possible. If not, lie goes bv himself. He has no fear of wild animals or of natives. Before lie began to roam lie was for seven years in the Congo, where lie learned a lot about animals and the way to handle natives.

He lias a theory that wild animals j do not attack unless they .ire first | attacked, and so far his theory has been borne out. In some parts of Indo- | China he was warned not to travel, j because of the danger of animals, particularly tigers, but he did not sec any. He has been warned against natives. Ho has had no trouble, even going up the Amazon. Tale From The Photographs. To see his photograph album is perhaps to realise better where M. Bouvier has been. He must have thousands of | pictures taken in the four corners of j the earth. He shows an Aztec temple in Central America; he shows an, cnor- ] mous fresh water fish caught in the | Amazon; there arc pictures of elephants workinar in India; there arc others of the! wild men of Malaya. He has walked through the wild gorges of Persia. He has talked with the learned men of the temples of Buddha. He has a nodding acquaintance with the men who live on the slopes of the Andes, and those who seldom emerge into the bright daylight from the eternal twilight of the forests of Africa. Outside his tent he has heard lions cough and roar. lie has heard elephants trumpet and beasts he did not see pass softly close outside. Yet he was never molested.

One of his photographs shows a tiger killed, not with the modern hiirh sports rifle but with a sort of primitive crossbow. That was in Indo-China, where the natives do not attack the tiger unless the beast develops a taste for imman flesh. Then they go to the hunt in a body—and they kill with bows and arrows.

Unless directly questioned, M. Bouvier has little to say. He takes his wanderings as a matter of course. Assuredly few men- pass' through Auckland who have travelled as far as he