232 FROM THE ALPS TO THE ANDES 
commissioned by the Swiss Minister, M. Emile 
Rodé,* to let him know when I left Mendoza 
for Buenos Aires. We reached the latter 
place in two days and on our arrival, a great 
crowd assembled at the station, curious to 
see the man they believed to be quite a pheno- 
menon. I may here mention that it was very 
difficult to find lodgings for the porters, 
through fear of their giving themselves up 
  
to indiscriminate merry-makings. 
| I soon obeyed M. Emile Rodé’s summons, 
and he welcomed me like a brother. Our ] 
interview that day was not a long one, busi- 
ness Calling him away, but it was arranged 
for me to go to his office on the following day 
and give him a more detailed account of my 
climb. The next day, I again saw M. Emile- 
Rodé who put me au cowrant with everything ' 
of interest and invited me to a dinner that 
was to come off in a few days’ time. Mean- 
while, we had to wait eight days for the 
| steamer that was to take us to Genoa. 
it The Swiss Minister, who cherished the 
deepest affection for his country and spoke 
of it with the warmest enthusiasm, showed 
me the utmost courtesy and kindness ; indeed 
his greatest delight was to talk with some 
* M. Rodé died last winter.