IN THE DESERT 



her leave her life-long hcjme, she makes her way downstream to 

 the sea, and after a six months' journey, during which she takes no 

 nourishment, she reaches the western Atlantic, and there, sinking 

 into the depths, meets the male fish, who has also found his way 

 thither, unites with him, and lays her eggs. But even as they glide 

 from her body the mother dies, and the young, transparent elvers 

 must find their way alone to the rivers of Europe, without guid- 

 ance, without knowledge of their course, indefatigably wandering 

 eastward. I 



But the train goes on, and the landscape, now more and more 

 individual, claims all our attention. Here is an undulating country, 

 overlooked by ranges of low hills. Here are wide open spaces, which 

 have never known the plough ; and there extensive areas of scrub 

 or bush, which might well be called "jungle" after their Indian 

 prototype. Here the foliage of the trees is like that of our European 

 woods ; willow-like leaves are common, but on dying they assume a 

 vivid red colour, and hang like corals amidst the rest of the foliage. 

 The undertone of this landscape is grey, since the trunks and branches 

 of the trees are its predominating feature, but above them the light 

 greenish-yellow crowns of the shade-trees float like foam, and once 

 more one is reminded of Europe, when the inflorescence of the 

 maple breaks out upon the grey boughs. Now fleshy cacti make their 

 appearance, tall as trees, attracting the eye by their singular shape, 

 while their bright red fruits, as big as a man's fist, enliven the mono- 

 tone of the landscape with spots of splendid colour ; and the stony 

 slopes of the railway-embankment are covered with regiments of 

 the Melon Cactus. 



The train stops at the small town of Caruarii, which has a repu- 

 tation as a health resort, for it lies i,6oo feet above the sea, and 

 although it is scorchingly hot so long as the sun is shining, it is cool 

 at night, so that one sleeps comfortably in a warm bed. In August 

 the temperature is sometimes as low as 54° in the small hours of 

 the morning, and it is said to fall as low as 50°. There is even a 

 Grand Hotel in Caruarii, with very good Brazilian cooking, but the 

 internal arrangements are characteristic of the country : the bed- 

 rooms have no windows, but are lighted from above, since there 

 is no ceiling, and a common roof covers all the rooms ; and this 

 at least has one advantage, for there are no flies in the dark rooms. 

 The beds, as usual in Brazil, have no upper sheet. 



' For further details see my book. Das Tierleben unserer Heimat, Freiburg i. Br. 



1923- 



117 



