Russian Natural History Expedition in Brazil, 397 



great cataract Urupupunga (Salto de Viubu-Pungu), one of 

 the largest they ever met with ; its total breadth is more than 

 an English mile. M. Riedel was fortunate enough to find 

 there several kinds of that most singular water-plant Lacis, 

 growing alongside of the rocks near the cataract, in shallow 

 water. The prevailing trees on the shores of the fall are 

 Triplaris, Heliocarpus, Hermesia, and two kinds of Xylopia. 

 The huge rocks of the cataract are partly overgrown with 

 Psidia, Phyllanthi, and Cnemidostachys. Thence the travel- 

 lers went down with the stream until they came to the river 

 Pardo, one of the tributaries of the Parana; and, leaving the 

 Parana, they rowed with much difficulty against the current 

 of the Pardo. Coming gradually up into the more elevated 

 country, the large woods disappeared by degrees, and the 

 landscapes changed into open campos, exhibiting a rich vege- 

 tation on a dry sandy soil. Here were chiefly, but in a dwarf 

 state, Bauhin/<^, Byttnerz>, Simariibce., Turner*^, Gomphiae, 

 Cord/^, Celosiae, a species of Jatropha, Janlpha^ and some 

 creeping iliyrtacese. After a successful voyage of two months 

 against the stream of the Pardo, they arrived upon the ridge 

 of the mountain Camapuam. This ridge divides the Pardo, 

 which takes its course to the south into the Parana, from the 

 river Cochim (R. Cuchu, Cuchim), which runs to the north 

 into the Taquari. Though these two rivers in their beginning 

 take their course in opposite directions, they subsequently 

 unite with the Paraquay ; after which this mighty stream, under 

 the name of La Plata, empties its waters into the Atlantic 

 Ocean. The ridge of the Camapuam extends itself into large 

 sandy plains, on which grow in a dwarf state, generally not 

 above two feet high, but with most perfect and large flowers, 

 such plants as, Lecythis, Anacardium, Ephielis, Caryocar, 

 Copaifera, and Aspidospermum. The lower damp and marshy 

 places are covered with palms, chiefly Mauri ti« vinifera. The 

 Indian tribes, Cayapos, Guaycurus, and Guaxis, inhabit, in a 

 nomadic state, several hundred miles of these elevated coun- 

 tries ; hunting being their principal exercise, and wild fruits 

 their chief nutriment. 



After a month's stay in the interesting environs of the 

 Camapuam, where M. Riedel found a very rich collection of 

 plants, he embarked upon the river Cochim, and came, after 

 a fortnight's very tiresome travel, on account of many cata- 

 racts, into the river Taquari. Arrived there, he visited the 

 Xarayas (Lacunes das Xarayes), low plains of great extent, 

 which are inundated by the overflowing river in the time of 

 the heavy rains, something like the shores of the Nile ; after 

 which, when dried up again, they have the appearance of 



