o pleased they seemed
with the powerful vibration of their own voices.

To the north-west another lovely sight was before us--another huge
plateau in dim greyish blue--barring the horizon. In front of it was one
more table-land, more broken up, and sloping on the south side.

When we reached the north-east edge of the plateau we were travelling
upon, we were treated to a fresh marvellous scene. Straight in front of
us, on the opposite side of a deep depression--at 30 deg. bearings
magnetic--there stood one of the characteristic two-tiered table-lands
stretching from east to west. Below us in the depression was an
undulating line from north to south of great bosses or domes of
exquisite grassy land, resting upon a kind of spur or peninsula jutting
out from our plateau--but at a lower elevation--of which it formed part.

A formidable crack in the earth's surface extended from north to south on
the east of the chain of domes, whereas to the east again of the giant
crack was another row of domed hills, forming--when taken as a mass--an
undulating terrace; then a vertical wall, above which rested the sloping
side of the plateau on which we stood. It may be observed that the strata
in the split vertical wall on our side was absolutely horizontal. On the
summit of this rocky stratum lay a deposit, 30 ft. thick, composed of red
earth and sand over yellow sandstone and ashes, and, lower, grey ashes
compressed and consolidated. The lowest stratum visible on the face of
the wall was of bright red-baked rock.

The great depression, taken in its entirety, extended from south-east to
north-west. The huge crater was to the south-east. To the south-west
there was an immense basin.

CHAPTER XXIII

The Jangada River--Demented Descendants of Slaves--Appalling
Degeneration--Giant Monoliths--The River Roncador--Gigantic
Natural Gateways--The Discovery of Fossils

WE had reached the end of the comparatively flat plateau, which varied in
elevation on its summit from 2,530 ft. to 2,570 ft. above the sea level.
We were next faced by a most precipitous descent in order to go down to
the Jangada River--which eventually flowed into the distant Rio Cuyaba.
There was, of course, no trail of any kind, and the course of the descent
before us was not unlike trying to take our animals down the almost
vertical wall of a fortress. With picks and spades we cut a narrow path
for a short distance in order to start the reluctant