iC See E 
1884.] The Naturalist Brazilian Expedition. 467 
pastures, though the horses and cattle are often obliged to pass 
many days with their feet in the water. The flowering herbs of 
these meadows were very interesting; but botanizing on them 
and in the fachinal forest was rendered difficult by spiny brome- 
lias, which covered the ground in many places. Ditches lined 
ka these plants were generally used by the colonists in lieu of 
ces. 
To the north of São João the fachinal and meadows disappear- 
almost entirely, and the whole country is covered with lofty for- 
est, This is continuous with that which clothes the whole coast 
range, but on the northern table-land it is broken by large tracts 
of grass-land. 
Passing south-west from Sao João, about three miles, the forest 
all - once disappears, giving place to rolling prairie like that 
which we saw at São Jeronymo. The change is very sudden and 
striking, and coming as it does unexpectedly, the effect is almost 
magical. Riding out of the silent woods, a new world leaps into 
TR; a world of great open landscapes, óf rippling light, ot 
glorious sweeping winds ; a world where every animal and every 
Api is different from those of the forest which we left behind. 
ie nan the fauna and flora go, this is, in fact, the end of Brazil. 
"eee point the prairies extend, with hardly a break, away to 
x pri de la Plata, and beyond it almost to Cape Horn. Only 
eas w favored places the forest reappears in small patches, Bra- 
islands in the pampean ocean. 
rs ag of the São Joao district is rather uninteresting. 
3 “i the north and west of the village are composed of 
aie e, reddish-brown sandstone, which by intrusions of 
“c and other igneous rocks has been thrown into irregular 
apace The lower portions are soft and often shaly, and as 
left in more readily washed away the harder upper layers are 
Picturesque cliffs. These sandstones and sandy shales 
s assag of at least 800 feet, and probably they are much 
* On the Serra de Sao Joao, near the village and else- 
k Soa harder upper layers are quarried, the stone being used 
re for sidewalks and for facings ; it is, however, too 
ka much value. 
: this hill the Strata dip north-east at an angle of about 15°; — 
tion, moy present almost every possible strike and inclina- 
tew information which I have, it would appear that the 
i “NO. V, 30 
Soft to be of 
