and hands.

The heat was not unbearable in that region--89 deg. Fahrenheit in the shade,
105 deg. in the sun. There was a breeze blowing that day from the north-east,
with a velocity of 200 metres a minute by anemometer.

A good portion of the following day was wasted trying to recover four
animals that had escaped. In order that they might graze properly it was
necessary to let them loose. They sometimes strayed away long distances.
Occasionally they hid in the shade of the _matto_ (forest and shrub), and
it was easy to miss them while looking for them. Luckily, two of my
men--Alcides and a man called Antonio--were excellent trackers, and
sooner or later they were generally able to bring back the animals, which
was not at all difficult, as one only had to follow the marks of their
hoofs to find where they had gone.

We departed late in the afternoon through thick shrub, over marked
undulations--in some spots quite steep. From the highest point that day
(elev. 1,900 ft.) we obtained an extensive view of flat tablelands in the
distance to the east, with a low hill-range standing in front of them. It
was scenery quite typical of Central Brazil, with no irregular, striking
mountains; but everywhere we had plenty to study in the effects of
erosion on that great continent.

I tried to make up for time lost by marching at night--a most trying
experience, as my men, unaccustomed to the work and frightened at every
shadow, let the mules stray in all directions. I unfortunately had to
hand over to my followers a few cartridges each, or else they would not
come on. Every now and then that night they fired recklessly in the
dark--much to the danger of beasts and men alike--thinking they had seen
an Indian, or a leopard, or some other wild animal. I was glad when we
arrived in camp and ascertained that no one had been wounded.

That night-march demoralized animals and men alike. Most of the animals
strayed away during the night, as the grazing was bad where we halted. I
was compelled to halt for two days in that miserable spot, simply
devoured by flies and mosquitoes and _carrapatos_, in order to recover
them.

If you do not know what a _carrapato_ is, let me tell you. It is an
insect of the order of Diptera and the genus _Mosca pupiparas_, and is
technically known as _Melophagus ovinus_. Its flattened, almost circular
body varies in size from the head of an ordinary nail to the section of a
good-sized pencil. Like the _carra