TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 65 



appears in a still more striking manner, when we 

 consider the country immediately adjacent. About 

 half a mile * to the north-west of it, rises another 

 mountain called by the English, " The Queen of 

 Spain's Chair," which extends for many leagues 

 almost directly from north to south. On both its 

 sides, which are very gently sloped, it has in some 

 places verdant pastures, in others, a scanty vege- 

 tation of heaths and cistus roses, and on the ridge 

 chiefly bare blocks of rock. This mountain con- 

 sists of a coarse-grained, red, and yellowish red 

 sandstone. In general it seems not to be regularly 

 stratified ; the rare strata run from north-east to 

 south-west, and incline in many different angles to 

 the south-east. Towards the sea, the mountain 

 gradually sinks to the flat sandy tract on the sea- 

 shore. Most of the mountains which run west- 

 ward of the Queen's Chair appear to have the 

 same direction. Behind the latter mountain, a 

 hilly country extends, which is adorned with all 

 the charms of luxuriant vegetation and industrious 

 cultivation. The httle town of St. Roque, stands 

 on an eminence opposite the western foot of the 

 mountain j avenues of noble American aloes, and 

 flowering bushes of oleander ornament this plea- 

 sant hill, the summits of which are crowned by the 

 fortifications of the place, which were once consi- 

 derable. A low sandy beach not only occupies 



* It is not stated whether we are to understand a German 

 mile, which is about four and half English miles. Trans. 

 • VOL. I. F 



