124 To the River Plate and Back 



command of the English language, and is keenly alive 

 to the play of wit and humor. Seated beside me at 

 table on the occasion of our first meeting, he began to 

 apologize for his defective English. "My dear Doctor 

 Alvarez,' I ventured to say, "you should make no 

 apologies. You speak English perfectly. But should 

 you even now and then make a slip, what would that 

 signify? Water in a cracked glass tastes as sweet to 

 the thirsty as if proffered in one without a flaw. The 

 purpose of language is to convey ideas/ He turned 

 and said: "Experience teaches me that language is 

 not always a vehicle for ideas. Some men, who have 

 a vast command of language, fail altogether to impart 

 ideas. Loquacity without sense is a common phe- 

 nomenon. ' I shall always remember this keen, quick- 

 witted gentleman. It is a goodly company of brainy, 

 high-minded men who have been brought together to 

 form the Faculty of this new university of the south. 

 I had the pleasure of meeting them all, and was greatly 

 impressed with their attainments and their earnestness. 

 It augurs well for Argentina that such men are in 

 charge of the education of her youth. 



I had been but a few days in La Plata when my kind 

 host, Dr. Hussey, informed me that he had been in- 

 structed to repair to Rio de Janeiro to observe, on 

 October loth, a total eclipse of the sun, and insisted that 

 I should remain where I was. In effect he turned over 

 the residence of the Observatory to my care, bidding me 

 make myself at home during his absence. I am sure 

 he will testify that I did not interfere with the instru- 

 ments, or meddle with the signal -service, which he 

 left under the care of his assistant, Senor Chaves. His 

 major domo cared for my wants, which were not many, 

 and Mrs. Colliau with unfailing kindness attended to 



