. on ourmules. The taller trees and shrubs gradually ceased,and we had to make our way with much difficultythrough low bushes. In the white quartz-slate,large spots of which were often bare, we observednarrow veins and fragments of a compact shiningquartz, in which kyanite and rhaeticite occur, andhere and there casual pieces of common shorl. * On several parts of the mountain we heard thenoise of subterraneous waters, which penetrate be-tween the crevices and clefts of the rock, and at lastissue out below, in cool streams. From the
. on ourmules. The taller trees and shrubs gradually ceased,and we had to make our way with much difficultythrough low bushes. In the white quartz-slate,large spots of which were often bare, we observednarrow veins and fragments of a compact shiningquartz, in which kyanite and rhaeticite occur, andhere and there casual pieces of common shorl. * On several parts of the mountain we heard thenoise of subterraneous waters, which penetrate be-tween the crevices and clefts of the rock, and at lastissue out below, in cool streams. From the top ofthe mountain, we saw the rocky summit of theItacolumi in the S. E.; and in the E. and N. E.,several low mountain chains, through which the RioPercicaba and the Rio de S. Barbara flow to jointhe Rio Doce. On the eastern side, the declivityof the Serra do Cara9a is so steep, and the narrowpath covered with so many loose fragments ofrock, that the descent into the valley is extremelydangerous. We at length happily reached Inficio- * See Note 3. page y- < -a !! 0. 14 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 287 nado, where our people were impatiently expectingus. Immediately at the foot of the Serra do Ca-ra9a (in Cata Preta), we visited several other mines,formerly very rich, in which the metal obtainedfrom the stones by stamping, is remarkable for itsgrey yellow colour, and when properly smelted,may be purified to the fineness of three-and-twentycarats. The same evening, we set out for theAri-aial de Bento Rodriguez, and passed the nightin a rancho, where we again enjoyed a prospectof the beautiful Cara9as mountain. The ranchowas full of Mineiros from Minas Novas, who weregoing to Rio with cotton, and gave us a verylively image of the wandering caravans. Gold iseverywhere found about Bento Rodriguez in redclay, which is incumbent on quartz-slate. As themode of working these mines did not differ fromthose we had already seen, we did not delay totake the main road which leads to the city
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