296 To the River Plate and Baek 



about the barrancas of Mar del Plata. There was 

 Dr. Walter G. Davis, whom everybody loves for what 

 he is and for what he does. There was my amiable 

 host, Dr. Hussey, who had come to bid Godspeed to 

 his parting guest. There were scores of others, friends 

 who had been made on the outward voyage, or whom 

 we had learned to know since we had come into the 

 land. I confess that after such display of cordiality I 

 felt a little tugging at the heart-strings, even though 

 I knew I was " going home.' 



At last the bugle sounded. The visitors on board 

 slo\vly departed, passing in a long stream down the gang- 

 plank. The hawsers which bound her were one by one 

 cast off. Slowly and carefully she was jockeyed in her 

 narrow berth, now going aside, now astern, now creep- 

 ing this way and that, until at last her prow pointed 

 straight for the open gateway of the dock, when she 

 began majestically to glide away into the broad river, 

 which is the gateway to the ocean. As I looked back 

 Dr. Hussey and Dr. Alvarez were still standing on the 

 pier waving their handkerchiefs. 



The morning of the following day found us lying 

 at anchor at Montevideo. The swift Mihanovitch 

 steamer, which had left Buenos Aires eight hours after 

 we had sailed, came gliding into the harbor, and from 

 it were brought to us letters and newspapers sent by 

 friends from whom we had parted the morning before. 

 At Montevideo the passenger-list received a number 

 of recruits. The day was cloudy and rainy and we 

 resolved not to attempt to go ashore. As we looked 

 about us at the busy harbor and the noble city the 

 reflection could not fail to arise that time has wrought 

 wonderful changes here as elsewhere. The story of the 

 metropolis of Uruguay is a long one, full of elements 



