396 Russian Natural Historic Expedition in Brazil, 



of Campinas, Itu, Sorocaba (Surucava), and Ypanema. In 

 the year following, our traveller took his course to the 

 southern parts of that province, in the progress of which he 

 passed Itapitininga, Fachina, and Castro. As soon as he had 

 crossed the tropic of Capricorn, he observed a gradual change 

 in the vegetation. The country began to be more bare ; the 

 shrubs were few and scattered ; and the ground, being covered 

 with Gramineae and other low-growing plants, had, at a dis- 

 tance, the appearance of cornfields or meadows. A few round- 

 ish little woods (capao) sometimes limit the almost infinite 

 plains. The tropical vegetable productions, such as sugar, 

 coffee, bananas, &c., here cease to be cultivated; even the 

 mandiocca {Janipha Mdnihot) is seldom successfully planted ; 

 the inhabitants pay more attention to cattle-feeding, in con- 

 sequence of which animal food is in general more plentiful 

 than in the beforementioned places. The European hus- 

 bandry might be practised here with great success, if the 

 people would but be more industrious. Farther still to the 

 south, great forests of the Araucd?'ia brasiliensis begin to 

 predominate in the country. At the time of ripening, various 

 animals, particularly birds of many descriptions, are seen in: 

 great numbers feeding on the seeds upon these lofty trees ; 

 and even the Joyanazes Indians partly subsist on the pinhaes 

 (pine nuts). Amongst the Gramineae, in the campos or plains, 

 Lantanae, H^ptides, Polygalae, Ferbenae, 7i]fyperica, ^ryngia, 

 Plantagines, &c., are frequent. On the shores of all the 

 rivers and rivulets grows the ilex paraguaiensis, from which 

 the famous matte tea is obtained. Although this tree belongs 

 to a cooler region, it is here abundant. In the valleys, pro- 

 tected from the severe winds by the high mountains, tropical 

 trees are still to be seen, intermixed with beautiful tree ferns. 

 The short stay of M. Riedel did not allow him to pursue his 

 enquiries toward the south ; and circumstances obliged him to 

 return to St. Paul by the way that he came. 



In April of the same year, he again passed Ypanema, and 

 arrived at Porto Felix; where he joined M. Langsdorf in 

 the month of July, and embarked with him and the whole 

 expedition upon the Tiete, the banks of which are magnifi- 

 cently ornamented with immense native forests. A number 

 of dangerous cataracts obliged them very often to have the 

 boats carried by their negroes some distance even beyond the 

 waterfalls ; under such circumstances they could advance but 

 slowly, and it was not till after a two months' voyage that the 

 expedition reached the more navigable river Parana, w^hich 

 takes its rise in the province of Minas Geraes, not far from 

 S. Joao d'el Rey. They now directed tlieir course to the 



