CHAPTER XIX 
The Paredao Grande — A Canon — A Weird Phenomenon — 
Troublesome Insects 
W E had reached a spot of most amazing scenery — 
the Paredao Grande — a giant hill mass display¬ 
ing a great crater in its north side. Two high 
cones stood above the immense, red-baked wall at its 
eastern end where huge blocks stratified in thicknesses 
varying from fifteen to twenty feet each. In that eastern 
section the strata were perfectly horizontal. On the west¬ 
ern side of the crater was a colossal, quadrangular moun¬ 
tain of red-baked rock, a solid mass of granite with a 
narrow band, slightly discoloured, all along its summit. 
There — above — we also perceived a slight, grassy slope, 
and above it again a great natural wall in layers six feet 
thick. From the bottom of the mountain this upper 
natural wall resembled the defences of a great castle built 
on the summit of the giant rock. In approaching this 
strange sight we had gone over extensive deposits of ashes 
and yellow lava pellets and balls. 
The elevation at the foot of this immense block was 
1,970 feet, the summit of the rock 660 feet higher — so 
that the reader can easily imagine how impressive this 
quadrangular block of bright red rock was, several 
hundred yards in length on each side and 201 metres 
high. 
As we reached camp rather early, I went to examine 
the block from all sides. On the southern side Alcides 
and I climbed up to within thirty feet of the summit, and 
from that high point obtained a stupendous panoramic 
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