362 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 



house of Senhor Manuel. Mr. Agassiz and Mr. Coutinho 

 have gone on a geologizing excursion to the Serra d Erere*, 

 that picturesque range of hills bounding the campos, or 

 open sandy plain, to the northwest of the town. They took 

 different routes, Major Coutinho, with Captain Faria and one 

 or two other friends, crossing the campos on horseback, 

 while Mr. Agassiz went by canoe. They will meet at the 

 foot of the Serra, and pass two or three days in that neigh 

 borhood. Little is as yet known of the geological structure 

 of the Amazonian Serras, those of San tare m, of Monte 

 Alegre, and of Almeyrim. Generally they have been con 

 sidered as prolongations either of the table-land of Guiana 

 on the north, or that of Brazil on the south. Mr. Agassiz 

 believes them to be independent of both, and more directly 

 connected with the formation of the Amazonian Valley itself. 

 The solution of this question is his special object, while 

 Major Coutinho has taken barometers to determine the 

 height of the range. In the mean time, I am passing a few 

 quiet days here, learning to be more familiar with the scen 

 ery of a region very justly called one of the most picturesque 

 on the borders of the Amazons. Not only are the views ex 

 tensive, but the friable nature of the soil, so easily decom 

 posed, combined with the heavy rains, has led to the forma 

 tion of a variety of picturesque dells and hollows, some of 

 which have springs running into them, surrounded by rocky 

 banks and overhung with trees. One of these is especially 

 pretty ; the excavation is large, and has the form of an am 

 phitheatre ; its rocky walls are crowned with large forest- 

 trees, palms, mimosas, etc., making a deep shade ; and at 

 one side the spring flows down from the top of the cliff, with 

 a pleasant ripple. Here the negro or Indian servants come 

 to fill their water-jars. They often have with them the chil- 



