164 



RF.MARKS ON DESEKTS. 



Plains of 

 different 

 couciuuutJ. 



CHAP. XV. of their summits, tlie view of a very elevatofl range is 

 perhaps not so striking as that of a boundless phiin, 

 spread out like an ocean^ and on all sides mixing with 

 the sky. 



It has been said tliat Europe has its heaths, Asia its 

 steppes, Africa its deserts, and America its savannahs ; 

 and tliese great divisions of tlie globe have been charac- 

 terized by these circumstances. But as the term heath 

 always supposes the existence of plants of that name, 

 and as all the plains of Europe are not heathy, the de- 

 scription is incorrect. Nor are the steppes of Asia 

 always covered witli saline plants, some of tliem being 

 real deserts ; neitlicr are the American Llanos always 

 grassy. Instead of designating the vast levels of tliese 

 different regions by tlie nature of the plants which they 

 produce, it seems proper to distinguish them into deserts, 

 and steppes or savannahs, by which terms would be 

 meant plains destitute of vegtation, or covered with 

 grasses or small dicotyledonous plants. The savannahs 

 of North America have been designated by the name of 

 prairies or meadows ; but the phrase is not very appli- 

 calile to pastures which are often dry. The Llanos and 

 Pampas of South America are real steppes, displaying a 

 beautiful verdure in the rainy season, but during great 

 droughts assuming the aspect of a desert. The grass is 

 then reduced to powder, the ground cracks, and the 

 alligators and serpents bury themselves in the mud, 

 where they remain in a state of lethargy till they are 

 roused by the showers of spring. On the borders of 

 rivulets, however, and around the little pools of stag- 

 nant water, thickets of the Mauritia palm preserve a 

 brilliant verdure, even during the driest part of the year. 



>s Alii (I iiiUs. 'J^'ii^ principal characteristic of the savannahs of South 

 America is the entire want of hills. In a space extend- 

 ing to 300 square miles, there is not a single eminence 

 a foot high. These ])lains, however, present two kinds 

 of inequalities: the buncos, consi-sting of broken strata 

 of sandstone or limestone, which stand four or five feet 

 above the surface ; and the mesas, composed of small 



Prairies. 



