ETIQUETTE 
the policeman, as I was still some fifteen yards from the 
door. 
I really began to feel rather nervous* with all those 
orders grunted at me. I wondered at the strange people 
who must visit the palace to have to be instructed to 
such an extent before entering. I also stopped for a 
moment to ponder whether I had taken off all that 
was necessary to enter a palace where so much etiquette 
was required. 
The moment I entered things were different. I was 
ushered into an ante-room* where I had to go through a 
short cross-examination by some police officers. Then, 
when they had made sure of my identity, they imme¬ 
diately led me before the Presidente. 
The Presidente greeted me with effusion. He was a 
most polished and charming gentleman from Rio de 
Janeiro, had travelled extensively in Europe, and could 
speak French and English. He roared heartily when I 
told him of my experience outside his palace. 
“ They are all savages here/' he told me; “ you must 
not mind. The sentry has orders to keep everybody 
away from the palace, as people come in the afternoon 
and squat under my windows to jabber, and I cannot 
sleep. Those orders, I assure you, were not meant for 
you. You will be my guest all the time you are in the 
city, and I can accept no excuse." 
The Presidente placed a small house near the palace 
at my disposal, and insisted on my having all meals with 
his family —a most refined, handsome, exquisitely polite 
wife and daughters. 
I presented the credentials I possessed from the 
Minister of Agriculture in Rio and the Brazilian Ambas¬ 
sador in London, requesting the Presidente to do all in 
his power to further the success of the expedition — I, 
of course, paying all expenses. The Presidente, like most 
other Brazilians of a certain age, was blase beyond words. 
91 
