OF THE SEUt.'irE-ALAtti^AS IJASIX OF BIIA/.IL. 401 



time when the gold and diamond diggings of Brazil were at the height of their suc- 

 cessful operation, extensive explorations were carried on in these mountains. Even 

 during the last twenty years such exi)lorations have not entirely ceased, though the}" 

 have never given any promise of success. 



There is nothing in the geologic structuic, as ftir as it is known, to lead one to 

 expect deposits of economic value in the mountains of Sergipe and Alagoas. 



It is possible that from the soft chalky beds at Andorinhas and Sapucary com- 

 mercial chalk could be manufactured, though I have nothing beyond the general 

 appearance of the rock to lead me to this supposition. It may be worth testing for 

 this purpose. The tertiaiy beds would yield mineral paints of vaiious red, yellow 

 and brown colors, but owing to the absence of demand for such paints in Bi-azil, they 

 would have no value at piesent. 



The last member of the tertiary beds, the conglomerate which is scattered far 

 and wide over the region, yields some limonite iron ore, but this ore has not been 

 found in any considerable quantity as yet, and in view of the vast deposits of excel- 

 lent iron ores in Sao Paulo and Minas Geraes, it is scarcely possible that a limonite 

 ore could be profitably handled in this part of the Empire. 



There were the usual reports through the province, at the time of my stay, of 

 the discovery of coal, silver, copper, lead, etc., but in no case did I find such reports 

 well founded or worthy of serious attention. The coal said to have been found at 

 Campo Redondo was the charred I'cmains of a tree buried in the tertiary clays, while 

 the copper discovered in the same neighborhood was a piece of the manufactured 

 metal. 



Building Stone. — The time will doubtless come when the beautiful oolitic lime- 

 stones of the Kio Sergipe will be utilized for architectural purposes. This stone 

 resembles the famous oolitic limestones of Indiana, so highly ])rized and extensively 

 quarried and used in the United States for building jiurposes. 



The ease with which the Sergipe rocks can be quarried and sawed and cut into 

 blocks of any size and shape, its hardening upon exposure, its rare beauty, its pleas- 

 ing tints of green, gray, brown, and cream color, its convenience to transportation by 

 water to Aracaju and thence by sail and steamer to all parts of the Brazilian coast, 

 may yet make it a successful rival of the beautiful crystalline rocks of Kio de 

 Janeiro. 



A. p. s. — vor. 



