OR, PLAIN TEACHING. 



55 



rest trees are of the most magnifi- 

 cent description, including palms, 



seconds, there comes from each 

 crater a strong rush of gas, which 



4 



1, pines, the mira-tree, the pine- 

 apple, guava, marmalade fruit, 

 plantain, banana, etc. The shrubs, 



2, are remarkably luxuriant, and 

 amid the flowers, the magnifi- 

 cent water-lily, the Victoria Ee- 

 gina, may be seen displaying its 

 white and pink flowers upon 

 the rivers. Among the animals 

 of these torrid regions are the 

 jaguar, tapir, armadillo, ant-eater, 

 sloth, deer, alligators, monkeys, 

 parrots, macaws, humming-birds, 

 and many others. 



New Granada (formerly Co- 

 lombia) forms another important 

 division of South America, extend- 

 ing through nearly 10° of latitude 

 from 1° 40' to 11° 30' K, and 10° 

 of longitude, 68° to 78° "W. In 

 New Granada, there are several 

 air volcanoes, 4, displaying a very 

 curious phenomenon. They are 

 situated in the midst of a thick 

 forest, where a kind of central 

 plain is formed. In the midst of 

 the plain there are several cones, 

 5, 6, 7, 8, formed of a blackish 

 gray clay, and a small basin, filled 

 with water, on the top of each. 

 On approaching these, there is 

 heard at intervals a hollow but 

 distinct noise, and, after a few 



26S. 



is uninflammable. In the dry 

 season, the grass of the savannahs, 

 135, crumbles into dust, the clay 

 on the margin of the swamps is 

 sometimes seen to blister and 

 rise slowly in a kind of mound ; 

 then, with a violent noise, like 

 the outbreak of a small mud vol- 

 cano, the heaped-up earth is cast 

 high into the air, and forth issues 

 a gigantic water-snake or a scaly 

 crocodile. There are more than 

 thirty volcanoes in South America 

 belonging to the mountain system 

 of the Andes. 

 In the Pam- 

 pas of South 

 Brazil, there 

 grows an ex- 

 traordinary 

 description of 

 grass§{Gyne- 

 rium argente- 

 um) ; it is cha- 

 racterized by 

 the most re- 

 markable lux- 

 uriance and 

 beauty, the 

 flower stems, 

 10, attaining a 



height of twelve to fourteen feet. 

 There is a striking resemblance 



