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April 25 - Montevideo

     After two days at sea, we were late getting into Montevideo, and instead of reaching it in the morning, pulled in about eight in the evening.  The Dawsons (he is now Minister here) had invited us to lunch, but when we were so late we didn't know whether we would see them or not, so we had dinner on board at the usual time, and then were mortified to find that they had kept dinner waiting for us.  They took us and the Shippens off in their car, and sent us for a drive around the city and out to the beach while they ate their dinner.  At night, one gets only the impression of a brightly lighted, thoroughly modern city, and the miles of beaches, where the surf was pounding on the sand, were certainly tempting.  The very new houses, and elaborate hotels, give the place a Florida or California look.

     Both the Dawsons are very fond of Montevideo, and we had a pleasant visit with them.  I think that although it is a promotion for him to have been made Ambassador to Panama, they will hate to leave this place.

April 26 - Buenos Aires

    We sailed from Montevideo at nine in the morning, and spent all day long on La Plata, an ocean of mud, stretching from horizon to horizon.  The day was cold, with a high wind, and the brown expanse of water was somehow infinitely dreary.  Toward evening the setting sun turned it into a muddy purple.  The river is so wide that no land is visible all day, and the general effect is of a seaman's limbo - unreal and depressing.

     B. A. was ablaze with lights when we finally got in, and the skyline looked as skyscrapery as New York.  Bill was interviewed by a dozen reporters, and Monnett Davis and Mr. Copley the Vice Consul, were both down to meet us.  As soon as we could get ashore and through Customs, we went out to the Davises very lovely modern apartment, where we met, to our great surprise, Sidney and Dorothy Browne, formerly of Medan.  It seemed like a real East Indian reunion, and we even got to talking Malay!  Other guests were Dr. and Mrs. M. J. Henry, and as I had lost a filling out of a tooth we were pleased to find that he was an American dentist.  Frances was sitting next to him at dinner, and lost a double crown in the soup, so we both knew we should be seeing him soon again!  Pearl has just had her appendix out, and this was her first evening up and dressed, but she looks well, and it was grand to see her again.  Tom is at boarding school, so we did not see him.

     Shortly after midnight we came back to the City Hotel (16 pesos for double room and bath), and went wearily to bed.  Nothing exhausts one more than the last day on board ship, when you wander restlessly about, with all the packing done, and hating to give up the leisurely life and the many friends that you make during such a long voyage.