nd step, at its western end. This plateau stood out, a
brilliant mass of cobalt blue with great projecting spurs, like a
half-section of a cone surmounted by a semi-cylindrical tower along the
southern wall of the plateau. Then a strange hill mass of four distinct
composite domed heights with minor peaks stood between the plateau and
us--and extended, like most of the other ranges, from south-east to
north-west.

CHAPTER XXV

The Blue Mountains--The Cuyaba River--Inaccurate Maps--A
Rebellion in Camp--Infamy of Author's Followers--The Lagoa dos
Veados and the Seven Lakes--Falling back on Diamantino--Another
Mutiny--Slavery--Descending from the Tableland

WE had gone 96 kil. in four days' marching since leaving the Rio Manso.
We were only a few kilometres from the Serra Azul, or Blue
Mountains--truly mountains of the most vivid and purest cobalt blue I had
ever seen--quite a wonderful spectacle.

We made our camp in a prairie with good grazing for our animals. Although
we were at a comparatively low elevation--1,150 ft. above the sea
level--the minimum temperature of the atmosphere was 56 deg. Fahr. during the
night.

On leaving camp--still proceeding north--we descended to 1,100 ft. into a
lovely stretch of magnificent grass with a lagoon. The level of the water
was low, as we were then at the end of the dry season. On the flat grassy
land were curious semi-spherical mounds, 4 to 6 metres in diameter and
from 2 to 6 ft. high. On each of these mounds were a few stunted trees.
No trees whatever existed except upon these small mounds, the explanation
being, I think, that the mounds had formed around the trees while these
were growing, and not that the trees had grown upon the mounds.

As we were getting nearer, the Serra Azul to the north was most
impressive. I think that it was partly due to the bluish foliage of the
vegetation upon it that the range, even close by, appeared of so vivid a
blue, and also to the deep blue shadows cast by the spurs which
projected, some to the south-east, others due south--that is, it will be
understood, on the southern face of the range.

Thick deposits of cinders lay in the valley. On approaching an
intermediate and lower range we cut our way through scrub--chiefly of
_sciadera_ trees, seldom growing to a greater height than 7 ft. The domed
hills showed through the grass great blocks of volcanic rock, while at
the foot of the hills could be noticed huge b