TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



187 



the direction of hour S of the miner's compass, 

 and have an incHnation of 60° to 70°. In the valley 

 below we first met with a similar blue talc-like 

 quartz^slate. Being overtaken by a storm on the fol- 

 lowing day near the Capella de S. Antonio, we took 

 shelter in the Fazenda de Parapitinga, half a league 

 from the Corrego dos Pinheiros. It lies at the foot 

 of the Serra Branca, a high mountain of mica-slate, 

 the bold outlines of which had formed for some 

 days the boundary of our prospect. From this 

 place, we ascended that mountain, over the ridge 

 of which the road led for several miles. The ex- 

 tensive view which we enjoyed from it afforded us 

 an opportunity of forming a just notion of the prin- 

 cipal mountains of this district. On our left we had 

 the mountain of Capivary, on our right the Serra de 

 Ingahy, both of which run parallel with the Serra 

 Branca, from S. S. V/. and S. W. to N. N.E. and N. F., 

 and all branch out, almost in right angles, from the 

 Serra de Mantequeira, the main stem of the moun- 

 tains in Minas. These mountain chains, mostof them 

 covered to the very summit with pleasant campos, 

 have a level, far-extended ridge, from which, side 

 branches stretch into the valleys, and connect the 

 sino:le chains. Here are no fria;htful clefts or ei- 

 gantic rocky sunmiits, rent into threatening forms ; 

 the eye, on the contrary, reposes in the view of not 

 very deep valleys, and of beautifully rounded hills, 

 adorned with pastures, down the gentle slopes of 

 which clear streams here and there descend. The 

 trayelier does not here meet with the impressions 



