THE TEOPTCAL ZONE. 245 



so beautiful a flora as Brazil ; and we are desirous of ex- 

 tending our acquaintance with it, with a view to ascertain 

 whether further experience will confirm this impression. 



Nearly the whole of the province of Minas Geraes lies in 

 this tropical zone, some part at least of which we must ex- 

 plore ; it is divided from north to south by a mountain-chain, 

 in which lie the gold and diamond mines ; to the east side 

 of this chain the country is mostly covered with primeval 

 forest, whilst that to the west is lower, and consists chiefly 

 of pasture-lands. As we have lately seen so much of forest 

 scenery, we mean, by way of contrast, to make our journey 

 through the more open country on the western side of the 

 mountain-range, and will now bend our steps towards the 

 City of Diamonds. It will not be our object to tarry where 

 cultivation has altered the face of the country ; neither will 

 we spend our time on those tracts of land which, having 

 been formerly cleared and cultivated, have been again 

 abandoned and suffered to relapse into a half wild state, till 

 now they are completely overgrown with a kind of Brake 

 (Pteris caudata), very much resembling the species which 

 is so common in England. 



The first wild part of the country we pass through is a 

 wooded marsh, and the first thing which here arrests our 



