Across Unknown South America | Page 5

260
BORORO WOMEN 260 ISOLATED CONICAL HILLS WITH
TOWER-LIKE ROCKY FORMATIONS ON SUMMIT 268 THE
ENDLESS CAMPOS OF MATTO GROSSO 268 GEOMETRICAL
PATTERN ON THE SURFACE OF A FLOW OF LAVA (CAUSED
BY SUDDEN CONTRACTION IN COOLING) 272 THE
OBSERVATORY AT THE SALESIAN COLONY. (PADRE
COLBACCHINI IN THE FOREGROUND) 280 BORORO WOMEN
AND CHILDREN 280 STRANGE FORMATION OF VOLCANIC
ROCK 288 VOLCANIC CAVITIES (MATTO GROSSO) 288 A
VERTICAL MASS OF SOLID ROCK OF A BRILLIANT RED
COLOUR 292 THE PAREDÃO GRANDE (MATTO GROSSO)
(Coloured Plate) 294 THE PAREDÃO GRANDE, SHOWING
VERTICAL ROCKS WITH GREAT ARCHES 300
MUSHROOM-SHAPED ROCKS OF VOLCANIC FORMATION 308
A GREAT EARTHQUAKE FISSURE IN THE TERRESTRIAL
CRUST (MATTO GROSSO) 308 STRANGE GEOMETRICAL
PATTERN OF LAVA OVER GIANT VOLCANIC DOME 316
AUTHOR'S TROOP OF ANIMALS WADING ACROSS A
SHALLOW STREAM 324 CENTRAL CLUSTER OF TREES AND
PALMS IN A CUVETTE (MATTO GROSSO) 332 A GIANT WAVE
OF LAVA 332 STRANGE ROCK-CARVINGS OF MATTO
GROSSO 336 WEIRD LUNAR EFFECT WITNESSED BY AUTHOR
(Coloured Plate) 340 A GIANT QUADRANGULAR BLOCK OF
ROCK 344 ROCK-CARVINGS IN MATTO GROSSO 344 A
PICTURESQUE WATERFALL ON THE S. LOURENÇO RIVER 352
A CAÑON OF MATTO GROSSO 356 HOW AUTHOR'S ANIMALS

ROLLED DOWN TRAILLESS RAVINES 360 HIDEOUS TYPES
CHARACTERISTIC OF CENTRAL BRAZIL. TWO WOMEN (LEFT)
AND TWO MEN (RIGHT) 364 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN
MARCHING ACROSS TRAILLESS COUNTRY 368 THE
RONCADOR RIVER 368 FOSSIL SKULL OF A GIANT ANIMAL
DISCOVERED BY AUTHOR (SIDE VIEW) 376 FOSSIL SKULL OF
GIANT ANIMAL (SEEN FROM UNDERNEATH) 376 A GRAND
ROCK ("CHURCH ROCK") 384 CHURCH ROCK (SIDE VIEW) 384
QUADRANGULAR ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONNECTED BY
NATURAL WALL OF ROCK WITH THE VERTICAL-SIDED
RANGE IN BACKGROUND 388 QUADRANGULAR ROCKY
MOUNTAIN SHOWING ROCKY WALL CONNECTING IT WITH
THE NEIGHBOURING RANGE 392 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN IN
THE HEART OF MATTO GROSSO 392 A GIANT DOME OF
LAVA 396 CAMPOS AND CHAPADA OF MATTO GROSSO 396
MARVELLOUS SCENERY OF THE CENTRAL BRAZILIAN
PLATEAU. "CHURCH ROCK" STANDING IN THE CENTRE
(Coloured Plate) 400 A STREET OF DIAMANTINO 404 THE DOGS
OF THE EXPEDITION 404 MATTO-GROSSO GIRL, A MIXTURE
OF PORTUGUESE, INDIAN AND NEGRO BLOOD 412
BRAZILIAN CHILD, A MIXTURE OF PORTUGUESE AND
NEGRO 412 MAP SHOWING AUTHOR'S ROUTE 432 MAP
SHOWING THE ARINOS AND ARINOS-JURUENA RIVERS 432
CHAPTER I
The Heart of Brazil--Brazil, its Size and its Immense Wealth--Rio de
Janeiro--Brazilian Men of Genius--São Paulo--The Bandeirantes--The
Paulista Railway
"MORE than three months to reach the spot?" asked the cinematograph
man in amazement. "Then perhaps Monsieur is on a journey to Mars or
the moon! There is no spot on earth that takes so long to reach."
(Hearty laughter at his own wit.)
That exclamation, and wise words that follow, came from the assistant
of one of the largest firms of cinematograph appliances in Paris, where

I had called in order to purchase a moving picture apparatus and 10,000
metres of film to be used on my forthcoming journey across the South
American continent.
The shop assistant had very honestly warned me that if the films were
to be used in a damp, tropical climate, they must be exposed and
developed within three months of their manufacture. After that time
they would become so perforated and fogged as to be quite useless. I
had remarked that it would take me more than three months to reach the
spot where I should begin to take cinematograph pictures.
"Will Monsieur please tell where is the spot where he would be likely
to use the films?" continued the assistant, still overcome with surprise.
"In the heart of Brazil."
"In the heart of Brazil ... in the very heart of Brazil?... Oh, mon Dieu!
mon Dieu!" (More laughter and a look of compassion at me.) "Mais
nous avons une de nos maisons tout à fait près de là!" (Why, indeed,
we have one of our factories quite close to there.)
It was then my turn for hearty laughter and the look of compassion.
"Pray," I inquired, "tell me more exactly. Where is your factory close to
the heart of Brazil?"
"It is quite, quite close. It is in Montreal, Canada.... You will send your
films there ... two or three days' journey.... It will take us a week to
develop them ... two or three days for their return journey. In a fortnight
you will have them back again."
Quite close, indeed: only a distance of some 65° of latitude--or some
7170 kilometres as the crow flies--with no direct communication by
land or water!
That was the Frenchman's knowledge of geography; but I find that the
average Englishman, unless he is directly interested in those countries,
knows little better, and perhaps even less. Time after time I have been

asked in London if Brazil were not a province of Mexico, and whether
it is not through Brazil that the Americans are cutting the Panama
Canal! There