e 12,000 people,
was situated at a slightly lower elevation--only 2,700 ft.

[Illustration: The Station and Shed of the Goyaz Railway, Araguary.

Mr. Luiz Schnoor and his two engineers.]

[Illustration: Typical Trees of the Brazilian Forest, Goyaz.

The stem devoid of branches and foliage up to a great height.]

Uberaba was perhaps the most important distributing centre in the western
part of Minas Geraes, for many trails branched from that place to various
distant points in the farther interior. The most important trail was the
one to Sta. Rita do Paranahyba, thence to the capital of Goyaz Province
via Marrinhos and Allemao; whence a second trail went to Fructal via
Conceicao das Alagaos; a third, to Sant' Anna do Paranahyba, going on the
whole almost due west, but with great deviations, went almost across
South America as far as Pulacayo, in Bolivia, crossing first the State of
Matto Grosso in its southern and narrower point via Coxim and Corumba,
then all Bolivia, eventually joining the La Paz-Antofagasta Railway line
at Uyum (Pulacayo is connected by rail to Uyum), and ending at the
Pacific Ocean. Another trail led to Monte Alegre; yet another to
Uberabinha--although the railway had already connected that town with
Uberaba. This last trail continued, making great detours, to Bagagem,
then to Patrocino, from which place it deviated due north to Paracatu,
where three ramifications occurred: one to Sta. Lucia, Pyrinopolis, and
Goyaz (capital); the second to Jamarria, Jocare (on the San Francisco
River), and Carrinhan (on the Carinhaha River, a tributary of the San
Francisco), and eventually by water to the Atlantic Ocean; the third
trail proceeded due east--across the S. Francisco River to Montes Claros
and Grao Mogol; a fourth in a south-easterly direction led to Curvelho
and Sta. Lucia, where it met the railway to Rio de Janeiro. Another route
proceeded south to Sta. Rita do Paraiso.

The price of land--which was excellent in the valley of the river--in the
vicinity of Uberaba was from 30 to 150 milreis per alqueire--each
alqueire being reckoned at 10,000 square bracas, and a braca being about
61/2 ft., or a little over two metres.

After leaving Uberaba the scenery was magnificent, especially when a
storm approached as we were steaming over the Serra de Caracol. Dense
black clouds collected and capped the dark green forest of the Serra,
while down, down below on our right the endless gently undulating plain
o