Through the Land of the Aztecs. By "A Gringo." (Sampson
Low and Co.)—The anonymous " Gringo" gives us a very fair,
observant, and interesting description of the life and manners of the Mexicans, from the standpoint of a kindly though critical traveller. We presume the " Gringo" to be an American, for he has the acuteness and intelligent observation peculiar to the in-
habitants of the States. He sums up the Mexicans as having a " little of everything," a definition certainly as accurate as any
we are likely to get. The Mexicans, perhaps, have the various qualities of the Spanish Americans in a rather more concentrated form than any of their neighbours, and this doubtful individuality, now that they have quieted down, may yet make a people of them.
The " Gringo " admired the scenery and was struck with the great wealth of the country, but he has naturally much more to say about the life of the towns. On the whole, though there is too much of the guide-book about the descriptions, the reader will get a distinctly favourable idea of Mexico, its people, and its resources.
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