ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
to the eye, and the landscape had suddenly become more 
rugged and barren, except near water. Some nine kilo¬ 
metres from the farm Maria Alves the Uru or Oruba River 
(elevation 2,550 feet) flowed north; there it is merely a 
picturesque torrent among rocks and overhanging vege¬ 
tation on both banks. 
The wonderful effect of erosion was noticeable on the 
mountain sides to the north of us, where it had left a top 
terrace with deep corrugations in the lower sides of the 
mountain. A miserable-looking farmhouse could be seen 
here and there — quite as miserable as the country in itself 
was rich. Some shaggy policemen, in rags and bare¬ 
footed, passed us, guarding an ox-cart conveying treasure 
to the capital. Only the oxen and some cows which were 
about looked at us with interest, and sniffed us — it is 
wonderful how quick animals are at detecting the pres¬ 
ence of strangers — but the people took no notice of us. 
Here and there a tumbled-down tree blocked the way. 
There were tracts of pasture land. My men were 
considerably excited on seeing a poisonous snake crawl 
swiftly towards our mules. It was perhaps an absent- 
minded or a short-sighted snake, for no sooner did it 
realize our presence than it quickly veered round to escape. 
My men killed it. 
At an elevation of 2,500 feet we met a limpid stream 
of most delicious water. At that particular spot it flowed 
south. 
We were now confronted with a range of actual 
mountains. The trail took us over wonderful, rugged 
scenery, masses of pillar-like, grey rock of granitic 
formation. On the summit of the pass we passed over 
strata of half-solidified tufa in sheets — or foliated — 
easily crumbled and finely powdered between one’s 
fingers. The strata were at an angle of 45°, showing that 
they had undergone some disturbance. They had been 
subjected to great heat, for in some places they had been 
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