ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
dislike to the place that I was glad when eleven o’clock 
came and Mr. Schnoor conveyed me to the special train 
— an engine and one car. I inspected the new station of 
the Goyaz Railway, which was already finished, a useful, 
well-constructed building, quite sufficient for its needs. 
In the company of Mr. Schnoor, his chief engineer, Mr. 
Schirmer, and Mr. Bertoux, we left Araguary — oh, what 
a relief! — for the end of the line, 45 kilometres away. 
I had decided to wait there, in the open country, the few 
hours which would be necessary to collect the men who 
were to accompany me, and the mules. 
The work on that portion of the Goyaz line which was 
already laid had been well and quickly done. Mr. 
Schnoor assured me that in four or five months more they 
expected to run trains to Catalao. An iron bridge will 
eventually be built across the Paranahyba River, within 
a short distance of which the line had already been laid 
when I was there. Some delay had been experienced in 
making a deep cut on the south side of Paranahyba Hills, 
where the strata had been found much harder than 
expected. 
I camped for a day and a half at Morro da Meza, a 
lovely spot at an elevation of 2,850 feet, from whence an 
immense panorama could be enjoyed. What a relief this 
heavenly place was after Araguary, and how everlastingly 
grateful I shall be to my friend Mr. Schnoor for having 
deposited me there! 
I took the opportunity of the solitude to rearrange my 
baggage. On April first my good friend Schnoor re¬ 
appeared to see that all arrangements were satisfactory 
for my departure. 
Morro da Meza will ever remain present in my mind, 
for it was my jumping-off place into the wilds. It was 
from there that the actual marching on horseback and on 
foot began, and it was there I last saw a railway train for 
the best part of a year. 
52 
