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From the good corporal, who was commanding-officer here, we 

 received every attention, and much more civihtj than we had reason 

 to expect from the experience we had of the unaccommodating dis- 

 position of the people in Santos, in much better circumstances than 

 himself. He procured us a good breakfast, and furnished us with 

 saddle mules for our journey, at the rate of ten shillings each, the 

 distance being eight leagues. Having obtained a guide we mounted, 

 and proceeded about half a mile, when we reached the foot of the 

 stupendous mountains we had to cross. The road is good and well 

 paved, but narrow, and on account of the rugged acclivities is cut 

 in a zig-zag direction, with very frequent and abrupt turnings con- 

 tinually on the ascent. The trains of loaded mules which we met 

 on their way to Santos rendered the passage disagreeable, and at 

 times dangerous. In many places the road is cut through the solid 

 rock for several feet, in others along the perpendicular sides, and it 

 leads frequently over the tops of conical mountains, along the edge 

 of precipices, down which the traveller is liable to be thrown into 

 an impervious thicket full thirty yards below. These dangerous 

 places are secured by parapets. After ascending for an hour and 

 a half, during which time we made innumerable turnings, we ar- 

 rived at a resting place, near which, at a spot a little lower than the 

 road, we found water. This place, as our guide informed us, was 

 only half-way to the summit; we were astonished at the intelligence, 

 as the clouds were already so far below us that they obstructed our 

 prospect. During our progress hither, we observed that the mules 

 travel as quick on an ascent as on level ground ; they much excel 

 the horse in uneven roads with sharp turnings, and still more so in 

 bad roads. 



To attempt the geology of mountains so covered by vegetable 

 matter would be a difficult task ; the component parts of those 

 along which we passed appeared to be granite, and frequently 

 §oft crumbling ferruginous sand-stone. Some picturesque streams 

 bursting from their high sources form fine cascades, and in crossing 



