THE GOLD OF THE RIVER SEA

This is a novel of adventure, atmosphere, character, intrigue and fantasy which, while not inspired, is fairly successful in integrating all these elements. During the '30's Julian Tate, of Wall Street, is sent to investigate some gold mining digs on the Upper Amazon. On shipboard he falls in love with the American wife of a sinister Brazilian aide to a dictator governor and the carnal outcome of this affair is suspended over the entire novel. Tate, while asked to switch his allegiance to the interests of the governor, goes off to inspect the gold fields. First, however, he sees the fleeting apparition of a beautiful girl and fruitlessly attempts to find her. Once at the gold site a thousand miles upriver, Tate succumbs to gold fever and is saved by the girl, Feicita. She is a wisp of a witch with healing powers and magical intuition. She is also a copy of Rima the Bird Girl of Green Mansions and meets a similar fate... Novelist Ogburn's fancy is reinforced by endless jungle descriptions in shocking pink and primary green, and the characterization is good. On the whole, good escape reading inclined toward a masculine market.