94 



J. C. BRANNEK — GEOLOGY OE NORTHEAST COAST OE BRAZIL 



been seen. North of Sao 

 Jose the plateau is flat. 

 The country in sight is 

 all Tertiary and is cov- 

 ered with a thin forest. 

 The highest elevation 

 reached by the railway 

 on the divide between 

 Cajupiranga and Sao Jose 

 is 80 meters. 



From the Sao Jose Pa- 

 rada one looks down on 

 the Sape valley — a wide 

 and very flat valley with 

 low hills here and there 

 through it. Sape station 

 is on the east side of 

 the low valley land. 

 Through this valley flows 

 the Trahiry river, but 

 most of the valle}^ espec- 

 ially during the rainy sea- 

 son, is covered by a shal- 

 low freshwater lake or 

 marsh 2 kilometers wide 

 and k n o w n as Lagoa 

 Mipibu. It is, however, 

 a network of lakes and 

 marshes rather than a 

 single lake. It is said 

 that the tides are not felt 

 in this lake. At some 

 places the topographic 

 break between the val- 

 ley floor and the hills is 

 sharp and well defined ; 

 at others there is no great 

 contrast, but the hill 

 slopes and valley bot- 

 tom merge gradual]}' to- 

 gether. 



