72 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



Our (lays pass somewhat after this fashion. Break- 

 fast at half-past eight, and we linger over it talking for 

 an hour or so ; then I study Portuguese for a couple of 

 hours and then write out the lecture of the previous 

 day. After that comes lunch; then the lecture at two 

 o'clock. After that I indulge myself with a little light 

 reading till dinner at five o'clock. This important 

 matter over (and the table is excellent), we sit on the 

 guards and watch the crimson and golden sunset and 

 the moonlight on the water, and so the evening passes 

 till ten o'clock when we all retire. 



I find our party very pleasant. Mrs. Thayer's son is 

 a very amiable boy and always most kind and atten- 

 tive to me. He is not very fond of study, but he joins 

 me in my Portuguese lesson every day, and I think he 

 is inclined to make the time of our absence profitable 

 as well as pleasant. WilHam James has always been 

 an interesting fellow to me, bright, thoughtful, well 

 informed, and a perfect gentleman; his companion- 

 ship will always be a pleasure. 



Rio de JaneirOy May 1, 1865 

 I THINK I finished my last letter to you just when 

 Agassiz had gone on shore Sunday, the tw^enty-third, 

 for his first visit to the Emperor. Agassiz was very 

 much impressed with his intelligence, his very various 

 information and keen discrimination of the men and 

 books and subjects they discussed. When he came 

 home he said, in giving an account of the interview, 

 "To speak of this sovereign in the ordinary terms in 

 which good monarchs are spoken of w^ould be trite 



