matter how kind--without the prospect of a long argument or a row. It was
quite beyond them to be civil, and, like all ignorant people, they always
imagined that they could teach others everything--including good manners!
They were ridiculously courteous to one another--a muleteer talking to
another always addressing him as "Sir," and referring to his comrades as
his "colleagues."

We travelled that day nearly altogether over finely powdered reddish
earth of volcanic origin. I had so far not met with a single fossil, not
a shell, not a petrified bone of any animal, nor, indeed, impressions on
rock of leaves, twigs or other parts of plants. The farther one went on,
the more one had proof that that portion at least of the American
continent had never been submerged in its entirety.

Some rocks displayed on the surface peculiar perforations such as would
be produced by incessant water dripping over them, but these were caused,
I think, merely by water falling over them while they were in a molten
state; other rocks were thoroughly polished on the surface, as if sand or
other gritty substance had flowed with great force over them, mixed with
water--perhaps during a period of volcanic activity and torrential rains.

Geological research was somewhat difficult for a passing traveller in
that region, for everything was smothered in vegetation. Only here and
there in the cuts of rivers was I able to judge a little better of the
actual formation of the land.

We camped on the stream Agua Limpa, which duly deserved its name of
"clear water" (elev. 1,470 ft.). It flowed south. On May 4th, going
through forest again over a hill (elev. 1,650 ft.), we obtained a
glorious view of the immense expanse to the west and to the south-west--a
great stretch of greenish, long sweeping lines with a plateau in the
background. A somewhat taller hill rose at one end of it. We then
descended to another deliciously clear river, which deserved as well as
the previous one the name of Agua Limpa (elev. 1,450 ft.), but this one
flowed north into the Rio Claro. The land was fine, sparsely wooded all
the time, absolutely flat, but getting slightly undulating beyond that
stream. It seemed wonderful land for agricultural purposes.

After passing the Indain River, the Bom Successo, and another stream, all
three flowing south, we swerved more to the north-west, rising up on an
elevated spot, from which we obtained another glorious panorama, a high
Serra t