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BRANNER: THE STONE REEFS OF BRAZIL. 155 | 
quartz sand; some of the sand grains are аз big as peas. No shells | 
were found over the surface save recent land shells. | 
A hundred and fifty metres north of the terrace a small fragment of | 
soft sandstone, in texture very like the sand of the terrace, lies against 
the schists of the hill at about the same elevation as the terrace. The 
photograph of the terrace was made from this point (Plate 69). 
This Opába terrace is the only one examined at Ilheos, but there are 
other terraces in the vicinity at about the same elevation as this one, 
and probably of the same age. These are mentioned here rather for the 
purpose of putting them on record for future observers than as evidence 
that can be trusted without further examination, 
About three kilometres north of Ilheos, on the beach at a place called 
Vellosa, is a terrace apparently about the same height as the Opaba ter- 
race. The Vellosa terrace is a noticeable feature when seen from the 
sea as one approaches Ilheos from the north. It appears to be about 
half a kilometre long, is perfectly flat as seen from the front, and has 
the drainage from behind it coming round its south end. It stands 
across the mouth of an embayment and is covered with coco palms. | 
A photograph was taken of this terrace from one of the rocky points а | 
kilometre to the south (вее Plate 70). P 
Southwest of the town of Ilheos, on the opposite side of the river, is 
a hill shown on Mouchez’ chart of this port. At the extreme northern 
end of the hill there seems to be a remnant of a terrace, while half a 
kilometre further south on the side of the same hill traces of the same 
terrace are visible. I do not doubt but that if they were uncovered 
these terraces might be traced a long way up and down the coast, but 
the jungle-covered, uncultivated condition of most of the region makes it 
impossible to get more than a mere glimpse of them here and there. 
Lagoa de Itahype. — Spix and Martius mention what appear to be 
elevated beaches in the vicinity of Ilheos.! 
“ Banks of sea-mussels appear not only on the mainland, but to greater 
extent on the sea-coast. The shells belong to none but living marine 
mollusks, as Ostrea edulis, species of Tellina and Fasciolaria. They are 
usually only slightly altered. Often the cement or sea-sand so predom- 
inates that this still constantly growing formation can be used as build- | 
ing material ; if, however, lime predominates, lime is burned from it. 
. . . The presence of these mussel banks, as well as the coral distant so 
many miles from the coast, and the entire formation of the land on this 
1 J, В. Spix u. С. Е. Р. von Martius, Reise in Brasilien. Vol. IL, note on 
р. 710. München, 1828. 
