TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 285 



rounded by woody mountains, we passed the first 

 ni^'ht in the open air. The uraponga had ceased 

 his strangely sounding notes, the swarms of grass- 

 hoppers commenced, as night set in, their mono- 

 tonous chirp, at intervals interrupted by the notes 

 of a large frog, resembling a drum, the lament of 

 the capueira, and the dull cry of the goat-sucker. 

 Affected by the constantly returning impressions, 

 we felt ourselves in a strange and solemn mood in 

 the lonely wilderness, which was farther increased 

 when the firmament, with all the splendour of the 

 southern constellations, beamed on the dark forest, 

 and millions of shining beetles fluttered in lumin- 

 ous circles through the hedges, till at length a 

 heavy rain veiled all in darkness. The woody 

 ridge of mountains through which we had hitherto 

 travelled is the highest part of that branch of the 

 Serra do Mar, which, in general about three 

 thousand feet high, runs towards the sea- coast 

 from the principal chain, which runs to the north. 

 The next mountains over which we passed are 

 lower, and rise at longer intervals. The road is 

 sometimes cut very deep in the soil, which consists 

 of red clay, is very narrow, and when two troops 

 of mules meet, as it often happens, dangerous. 

 This kind of road is, however, welcome in luxuri- 

 ant forests, because the confining all travellers to 

 one narrow path, prevents it from being quickly 

 overgrown, as would otherwise happen. Paved 

 roads and bridges are, of course, to be found no- 



