in months in summer, the sun, in passing to
the zenith, darted its perpendicular rays there. There was, therefore,
an enormous quantity of imprisoned heat in this earth, of which the
subsoil preserved the damp. Also, nothing could be more magnificent
than this succession of forests, or rather this interminable forest.

Meanwhile, Dick Sand had not failed to observe this--that, according to
Harris, they were in the region of the pampas. Now, pampas is a word
from the "quichna" language, which signifies a plain. Now, if his
recollections did not deceive him, he believed that these plains
presented the following characteristics: Lack of water, absence of
trees, a failure of stones, an almost luxuriant abundance of thistles
during the rainy season, thistles which became almost shrubby with the
warm season, and then formed impenetrable thickets; then, also, dwarf
trees, thorny shrubs, the whole giving to these plains a rather arid
and desolate aspect.

Now, it had not been thus, since the little troop, guided by the
American, had left the coast. The forest had not ceased to spread to
the limits of the horizon. No, this was not the pampas, such as the
young novice had imagined them. Had nature, as Harris had told him,
been able to make a region apart from the plateau of Atacama, of which
he knew nothing, if it did not form one of the most vast deserts of
South America, between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean?

On that day Dick Sand propounded some questions on this subject, and
expressed to the American the surprise he felt at this singular
appearance of the pampas.

But he was quickly undeceived by Harris, who gave him the most exact
details about this part of Bolivia, thus witnessing to his great
knowledge of the country.

"You are right, my young friend," he said to the novice. "The true
pampa is indeed such as the books of travels have depicted it to you,
that is, a plain rather arid, and the crossing of which is often
difficult. It recalls our savannahs of North America--except that these
are a little marshy. Yes, such is indeed the pampa of the Rio Colorado,
such are the "llanos" of the Orinoco and of Venezuela. But here, we are
in a country, the appearance of which even astonishes me. It is true,
it is the first time I have followed this route across the plateau, a
route which has the advantage of shortening our journey. But, if I have
not yet seen it, I know that it presents an extraordinary contrast to
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