ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
little farther we were encircled by basaltic columns of 
great height, many of them fractured, forming a fantastic 
sky-line. Some resembled the spires of a cathedral; groups 
of others had the appearance of the ruins of an ancient for¬ 
tress ; others stood up like giant obelisks; while accumula¬ 
tions of others formed more or less regular pyramids. 
After leaving that strange basin, we were once more 
travelling across patches of clean chapada and dirty 
chapada, according to the soil and quantity of moisture; 
then over arid campos spreading for fifteen kilometres 
without one single drop of water. 
At sundown, after having gone over several undula¬ 
tions varying from 850 to 900 feet above the sea level, 
we went over a hill slightly higher—-950 feet —with a 
summit of ashes, red earth, and yellow, lava pellets, as 
well as great sheets of foliated lava. 
Under a most wonderful effect of light to the west — 
three superposed horizontal bands of luminous yellow, 
violet, and brilliant vermilion, over the deep cobalt moun¬ 
tain range in the distance — we arrived, my men being 
thirsty and tired, at a little rivulet. We had marched 
forty-two kilometres that day. 
I My men felt the cold intensely during the night; the 
minimum temperature was 48° Fahrenheit, with a high, 
cutting wind. Yet we were at a low elevation, merely 
750 feet above the sea level. There were, as usual, moans 
and groans all night, more toothache and rheumatic pains 
and aching bones in the morning. The discontent among 
my men had reached a trying point. They worried me 
continuously to such an extent — indeed, as never in my 
life I had been worried before — that I was within an ace 
of breaking my vow of never losing my patience and calm. 
In my long experience of exploring I have always had to 
deal with the most troublesome types of men imaginable, 
hut never with any quite so unpleasant as those I had in 
Brazil. 
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