rest. So, on the White Star Liner _Athenic_, I hastened to England.
It may be remarked here that though Buenos Ayres and Santiago claim, and
offer, wonderful displays of horsed carriages in their parks, if one
watches them critically he will seldom see a really smart turn-out. The
coachman's badly-made boots, or a strap out of place, or a buckle
wanting, or blacking needed, all detract from the desirable London
standard.

January 24th.--We entered beautiful Rio harbour. In the town the
temperature was unbearable. The city is in the same transformation
condition as Buenos Ayres; the streets are narrow, except the very
handsome new Avenida Central. The esplanade on the bay is quite
unequalled anywhere else. Surely a great future awaits Rio! A trip up
Corcovada, a needle-like peak, some 2000 feet high, overlooking the bay,
should not be missed. We sailed again for Teneriffe to coal, which gave
us an opportunity to admire the grand peak and get some idea of the
nature of the country. Thence home.

Perhaps a short note on the great historical personages of Central and
South America may be of interest. Among these the greatest was Simon
Bolivar, who with Miranda, the Apostle of Liberty, freed the Northern
States of South America from Spanish dominion. It was Bolivar who in
1826 summoned the first International Peace Congress at Panama. San
Martin, an equally great man, born in Argentina, freed the southern half
of the Continent. Lopez, president in 1862 of Paraguay, has secured
notoriety for having had the worst character in all American history.
Petion, almost a pure negro, deserves also a prominent place. He was
born in 1770, was a great, good and able man, and freed Haiti; he also
assisted and advised Bolivar. May I also remind you here that Peru is
the home of the Peruvian bark tree (cinchona) and the equally valuable
coca plant, which gives us cocaine. Paraguay is the country of the
yerba-mate, universally drunk there, supplanting tea, coffee, cocoa and
coca. Like coca it has very stimulating qualities. El Dorado, the
much-sought-for and fabulous, was vouched for by Juan Martinez, the
chief of liars, who located it somewhere up the Orinoco River.

The Spaniards, and also the Portuguese, were wonderful colonizers and
administrators. Just think what enormous territories their civilization
influenced, and influenced for good. Certainly the torch of the
Inquisition accompanied them; but even under that dreadful blight thei