TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 155 



were just opening their blossoms in the grass at our 

 feet. Rhexias, melastomas, declieuxias, Usianthus, 

 composites, &c., of the most diversified forms, stood 

 all round us. We had ascended to a considerable 

 height up the side branches of the Serra de Con- 

 gonhas, which rose to the west in beautiful outlines, 

 when the fog gradually sunk under us, and the 

 varied tops of the mountains, reddened by the first 

 beams of the sun, appeared above the grey ocean 

 of vapour. A number of anus-brancos uttered 

 their shrill notes in the campos nearest to us. 

 This morning offered us a delightful pleasure ; we ' 

 here enjoyed a sunrise like that upon our Alps, but 

 rendered more beautiful by the luxuriance and 

 charms of the tropical nature. From the highest 

 point of the mountain the way led us down into a 

 deep and narrow valley, in which we crossed the 

 little river Congonhas, which flows from that place 

 westward to the Paraopeba. A much steeper 

 mountain, the Morro de Solidade, rose directly 

 across our road, which the mules ascended with 

 great difficulty, by a narrow slippery path. From 

 its summit, a magnificent prospect lay before us of 

 an extensive country, intersected by high and low 

 mountains, covered, for the most part, with pastures, 

 but here and there with dark forests ; the Arraial 

 das Congonhas do Campo, surrounded with its red 

 lavras, lav solitary at our feet. The basis of this 

 massy mountain is the same granular quartzy mica- 

 slate which we have already frequeutly mentioned ; 



