1850.] the serra i)e cobati. 219 
we readied a curious rock — a huge table twenty or 
thirty feet in diameter, supported on two points only, 
and forming an excellent cave; round the outer edge 
we could stand upright under it, but towards the centre 
the roof was so low that one could only lie down. The 
top of this singular rock was nearly flat, and com- 
pletely covered with forest-trees, and it at first seemed 
as if their weight must overbalance it from its two small 
supports ; but the roots of the trees, not finding nomish- 
ment enough from the little earth on the top of the rock, 
ran along it to the edge, and there dropped down verti- 
cally and penetrated among the broken fragments below, 
thus forming a series of columns of various sizes sup- 
porting the table all round its outer edge. Here, the 
boys said, was to be our abode during our stay, though 
I did not perceive any water near it. Through the trees 
we could see the mountain a quarter or half a mile from 
us, — a bare, perpendicular mass of granite, rising ab- 
ruptly from the forest to a height of several hundred 
feet. 
We had hung up our redes and waited about half an 
hour, when three Indians of om^ party made their ap- 
pearance, staggering under the weight of a fine hog they 
had killed, and had slung on a strong pole, I then found 
the boys had mistaken our station, which was some dis- 
tance further on, at the very foot of the Serra, and close 
to a running steam of water, where was a large roomy 
cave formed by an immense overhanging rock. Over 
our heads was growing a forest, and the roots again hung 
down over the edge, forming a sort of screen to our cave, 
and the stronger ones serving for posts to hang our redes. 
