ABSTRACT
Of course the instructive portions of Mr. Clements's book are of a general rather than particular character, and the reader gets as travel very little besides series of personal adventures and impressions; he is taught next to nothing about the population of the cities and the character of the rocks in the different localities. Y ct the man who can be honest enough to let himself see the realities of human life everywhere, or who has only seen Americans as they are abroad, has not travelled in vain and is far from a useless guide. The very young American who told the English officers that a couple of our gunboats could come and knock Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Se;;l; the American who at a French restaurant 'talked very loudly and coarsely, and laughed boisterously, where all others were so quiet and well behaved,' and who ordered 'wine, sir!' adding, to raise admiration in a country where wine is as much a matter of course as soup, 'I never dine without wine, sir'; the American who had to be addressed several times as Gordon, being so accustomed to hear the name pronounced Gorrdong, and who had forgotten most English words during a three months' sojourn in Paris; the Americans who pitilessly made a three days' journey in Palestine within two days, cruelly overworking the poor beasts they rode, and overtaxing the strength of their comrades, in order not to break the Sabbath; the American Pilgrims who travelled half round the world to be able to take a sail on the Sea of
Galilee,andthenmissedtheirsoleopportunitybecausetheyrequired theboatmantotakethemforonenapoleonwhenhewantedtwo;- theseareallAmericanswhoarepaintedtopeculiaradvantagebyMr. Clements,andwhowillbeeasilyrecognizedbysuchashavehadthe goodfortunetomeetthemabroad.
