ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
To the west we perceived a marvellous view of three 
immense dykes of red rock, like walls, stretching from 
southwest to northeast; then two more great perpendic¬ 
ular dykes of granite were disclosed close by. 
Going over domes 2,550 feet and 2,450 feet above the 
sea level, we obtained a vast and immense view of the 
serraddo (wild country) before us, a regular ocean of 
deep green undulations rising quite high to the south; 
whereas to the north there extended a long plateau, with 
a deep ravine on its southern aspect. 
We descended through scrub (elevation 2,400 feet) — 
what the Brazilians call serraddo — and through a growth 
of stunted trees (elevation 2,450 feet) to so low an altitude 
as 2,800 feet. Going along a rocky cliff, we passed a 
strange, volcanic vent-hole with a pyramid of granite of 
large proportions on each side of its aperture. 
We arrived at the Roncador, a picturesque torrent 
flowing over a bed of lava moulded in the strangest possi¬ 
ble shapes, hollows, terraces, and grottoes. Most peculiar 
were the great, concave hollows, circular, oval, and of 
irregular form, which were innumerable and of all sizes 
along that extensive flow of lava. 
We had travelled thirty kilometres that day. That 
was such a picturesque spot that I made camp on the 
right bank of the torrent. We were all amazed to find an 
immense block of rock resembling in size and form the 
Sphinx of Egypt balanced to a nicety over the edge of 
a conical, rocky hill. It was, of course, the work of 
nature. Why that rock remained there at all and did not 
tumble down, was more than we could understand. There 
was also a giant monolith and other strange-looking rocks 
of great size standing up at all angles, close by. On 
climbing the hill where the Sphinx-like rock stood, I dis¬ 
covered a circular crater of great beauty, 300 metres in 
diameter. The western wall of the crater had been 
knocked down, but on the eastern inner side, in the central 
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