E 
BRANNER: THE STONE REEFS OF BRAZIL. 45 
readily dug into with the sharp end of a geological hammer. Excellent 
examples cover much of the beach just north of Bahia Formosa, where 
the views reproduced in the plates were taken. 
The examples mentioned as having been observed at the south end 
of the Cunhaht reef are the only ones seen upon a stone reef. 
The Traição stone reef. — The Traição reef lies in front of the Bahia 
de Traição in the State of Parahyba. This and the Mamanguape reef 
to the south of it really form, or rather they appear once to have 
formed, one single and continuous reef, and to have been separated by 
the breaking down of what may now be called the southern end of the 
Traição reef. 
The topographic features of the country back of the Traição reef are 
of rather more than usual interest, and what is said here upon this sub- 
ject, in so far as it bears upon the origin, form, and history of this reef, 
is equally applicable to the Mamanguape reef. 
То the west is a table-land of Tertiary sediments from twenty to 
forty metres high, of pretty even elevation and sky-line, but notched 
here and there by streams. This plateau, where it comes down to form 
the coast bluffs north of Traigäo, is shown in Plates 29 b and 30. 
The sky-line at this place is noticeably less even than it is further 
South along this coast; the field notes on the locality remark that north 
of this place outlines of the coast hills have the appearance of sand hav- 
ing been blown over them. Where Plate 30 was taken the bluffs end 
abruptly as beach bluffs, and, swinging westward and northward with 
Somewhat gentler slopes, pass along the east side of a long narrow 
marsh (for several kilometres, I was told), then return southward along 
the west side of this same marsh or lake and continue nearly due south 
until they approach near the Rio Mamanguape. Here the river makes 
a wide gap through these hills, but south of the stream they come to 
an end as inland hills at the Miricf red bluffs at the south end of the 
Mamanguape reef, 
West of the village of Traigáo the church of Sáo Miguel dos Milagros 
Stands on the top and edge of this Tertiary plateau. Between the 
bluffs of São Miguel and the town of Traição the hydrographic chart 
Shows a lake, known here as Lagóa de Sinimbú.* By courtesy it may pass 
аз a lake, but strictly speaking it is little else thau a fresh-water marsh 
With a sluggish stream flowing through it. 
The Lagóa de Sinimbú is separated from the ocean by a low bank of 
1 The name 
called Sinimbir, 
given on the chart may have been its name formerly, but it is now 
