nearer to us, were on the south-west.

We had reached the River Corgo Fundo (elev. 1,250 ft.), along the banks
of which the laminae of red-baked rock could be observed with thin white
layers between. Above was a lovely green pasture with a tuft of deep
green trees, which looked exactly like a bit of a well-kept English park.
We mounted up again to 1,430 ft., then went down another descent into a
large plain with campos, upon which grew merely a few stunted trees. We
were still travelling over deep deposits of sand.

The range to the north of us extended, to be accurate, from north-east to
south-west, and at its south-westerly end possessed a dome not dissimilar
to the one already described on our previous day's march. This one was
perhaps more rounded and not quite so tall. It rose above the plateau in
two well-defined terraces, especially on the north-east side, but was
slightly worn and smoothed to the south-west. On the terminal
mound--clearly separated from the range by erosion--seven distinct
terraces could be counted, with some less defined intermediate ones.

In the bed of another stream flowing south--it was impossible to
ascertain the names of these streamlets, for there was no one to tell,
and none were marked on existing maps--another great flow of red lava was
visible. This stream flowed into the Rio das Garcas or Barreiros, only
500 metres away--an important watercourse, throwing itself eastward into
the Rio das Mortes, one of the great tributaries of the upper Araguaya
River.

CHAPTER XIII

The River Barreiros--A Country of Tablelands

THE Rio Barreiros was about 100 metres wide. It was reached through a
thick belt, 100 metres in width, of trees and bamboos of large diameter,
which lined both its banks. The river flowed swiftly where we crossed it,
over a bed of lava and baked rock, red and black, with huge treacherous
pits and holes which rendered the job of crossing the stream dangerous
for our animals. There were rapids lower down in the terraced mass of
rock forming the river bottom. The rock, worn smooth by the water, was
extremely slippery. It was only after we had all undressed and taken the
baggage safely across on our heads--the river being too deep for the
loads to remain on the saddles--that we successfully drove the animals
over to the opposite bank.

On the banks I collected some specimens of the laminated red rock, which
had no great crushing resistance when dry. It could