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PURE-PIAPA. 
on his journey. It appears, that whatever Makunaima touched was converted into stone, and thus the trees were changed into this 
substance. Every rock among these mountains, which is of more than ordinary size, or fantastically shaped by nature, is compared to some 
bird, animal, or tree, and is supposed to have been petrified by the powerful wish of Makunaima. 
After having taken a sketch of this remarkable mass from the north, where it stood in the most advantageous point of view, 
we met with some delay in returning to our camp. The Indians had set the savannahs on fire, and we found it difficult to make 
our way through the columns of dense smoke, which for a time separated us from our companions. 
The Pure-piapa is no doubt of equal interest to the lover of the picturesque and to the geologist. An almost perfect column 
(for as such it would be taken if seen at the distance of a mile, and if the architectural skill of the Indian permitted the idea that it 
were the work of art) crowns a hillock of inconsiderable height. Shall we adopt for its origin the theory of elevation, or has the 
ground which once surrounded it been washed away by tropical rains? Both theories will leave their doubts, while its picturesque 
appearance and the tropical vegetation which surrounds it, only tend to increase our admiration of the wonderful works of God. 
