92 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL 



May 2Sth, Rio. To-day is Mr. Agassiz's birthday, 

 and it has been so affectionately remembered here that it 

 is difficult to believe ourselves in a foreign country. The 

 Swiss citizens gave him a dinner yesterday on the eve 

 of the anniversary, where everything recalled the land of 

 his birth, without excluding the land of his adoption. The 

 room was draped with the flags of all the Cantons, while 

 the ceiling was covered by two Swiss national flags, united 

 in the centre just above his own seat by the American flag, 

 thus recognizing at once his Swiss nationality and his Ameri- 

 can citizenship.* The Brazilian flag which gave them all 

 hospitality and protection had also an honored place. The 

 fete is reported to have been most genial and gay, closing 

 with a number of student songs in which all bore their 

 share, and succeeded by a serenade under our windows. 

 To-day our room is festive with flowers and other deco- 

 rations, and friendly greetings on every side remind us that, 

 though in a foreign land, we are not among strangers. 



June 14^. Since our return from Tijuca we have been 

 almost constantly in town, Mr. Agassiz being engaged, often 

 from early morning till deep into the night, in taking care 

 of the specimens which come in from every quarter, and 

 making the final preparations for the parties which he 

 intends sending into the interior. The most important of 

 these, or rather the one for which it is most difficult to 

 procure the necessary facilities, is bound for the upper 

 course of the San Francisco. At this point one or 

 more of their number will strike across the country to 



* Though a resident of the United States ror nearly twenty years, Mr. 

 Agassiz was only naturalized in 1863. At the moment when a general 

 distrust of our institutions prevailed in Europe, it was a satisfaction to him 

 to testify by some personal and public act his confidence in them. 



