IN SOUTH AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 41, 12 November 1936, Page 12

IN SOUTH AMERICA

Mr. J. C. Andersen’s Travels

Air. Johannes Andersen, librarian of the Turnbull Library, AVellington, lias much Lo reveal as the result of his recent tour of South America. He left Hie beaten tourist: routes to visit southern Chile and the southern parts of Hie Argentine Republic, where be found people and things that gave a zest to every day. "I beard it said that the Argentine Republic was built upon French culture by Italian labour ami British capital,” lie said, "and I don’t think it is very far out. 1 cun only speak of my experiences and say that everywhere we went we found tlie peoples of the South American countries kind, cultured and courteous. There are only 4 per cent, of British people in the Argentine, ami 1 per cent, in Chile. People told us in I-lnglaiid that we would have no difficulty iu getting through witli our English, but such was hardly tlie case. Spanish and Italian tire tlie languages most generally spoken. Even though most of the people of these countries other than the native Indians were Spanish in origin, they utterly repudiated Spain as their country. They were intensely Argentines, Chileans or Peruvians as the ease may be.” Air. Andersen said that, being a member of tlie Numismatic Society iu Wellington, lie bad made a point of gathering coins of all Hie countries he bad visited. It seemed almost strange to find that every coinage system tints encountered was based upon Hie decimal system, except those of Hie British Empire. Air. Andersen is interested in tlie bird-life of every country. He found a remarkable absence of bird life in the Argentine, due to tlie scarcity of trees. The country greatly reminded him of Hie plains in tlie Aiackenzie Country in tlie South Island. It looked rather arid and was featureless, but nevertheless they were able to raise wonderful beef cattle all over the great State. There were plenty of pigeons about Buenos Aires. They were encouraged by tlie people, presumably, he thought, as Hiey wore emblematic of Hie dove of peace—the desire of all nations, it was as a symbol of peace between the Argentine and Chile that the great statue of Christ was erected i n the border of the two countries on the crest: of the Andes. Chile, Mr. Andersen thought, particularly Southern Chile, was more like New Zealand than any other country lie had visited. it was ar Esenada. in Chile, that his wife had brought him a leaf to classify, and he had recognised it as the kowliai. He afterward found a whole grove of the golden kowliai. which in Chile is called the pein. When a cultured Santiago Chilean, who was travelling along Hie coast witli Mr. Andersen. was asked about Hie pein, he said it was his favourite shrub, anil quoted its Latin mime, sopbora tetr:i|)h torn, upon which lie had recalled that the kowhai was a native of New Zea land ami Chile. The celery palm and tree ferns of sent hern Chile were also very uiueli like our own variel les.