LETTERS FROM BRAZIL 85 
who sat near the door in reserved seats, it was almost 
impossible to breathe, the people were standing in 
great part, and yet for an hour and a quarter there was 
absolute silence; if any one made the least noise they 
were hissed down at once. After the lecture we went 
into an adjoining room where we had been received, 
and where we passed nearly another hour, while the 
Emperor rehearsed the lecture with Agassiz, question- 
ing him on very many points. The man is greedy of 
knowledge, and I suppose the fact that he has such rare 
occasions for intercourse with scientific men makes 
him the more anxious to profit by the chances that 
fall in his way. Meantime I talked with his wife and 
daughter. They asked me a great deal about my travels 
and seemed to look with envy on any one who was 
free to go about the world. The Empress cannot leave 
the province of Rio Janeiro without permission from 
the government. 
Monte Alégre, August 25, 1865 
We arrived here yesterday in the heat of the day, 
but I waited till nearly evening to go on shore, and then 
as Agassiz was busy with his fishes I took one of the 
young men (I have always plenty of beaux) and took 
a walk. On my return I met Major Coutinho [an offi- 
cer of the Brazilian engineer corps detailed to the ex- 
pedition by the Emperor], who had been on shore all 
day and who told me he had just sent out to the 
steamer for Agassiz and myself to pass the night at 
the house of a friend, as by all accounts the mosqui- 
toes might be expected to swarm at the place where 
