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Show 1832-3. MALDONADO. 52 . B . d the Sierra de las Ammas. y in the mormng we ascende was almost picturesque. the aid of the rising sun the scenedryd over an immense level d th iew exten e 'f 0 the westwar e v M t Video and to the east-th ount at on e ' h Plain as far as e m ' t of Maldonado. On t e 'll ted coun ry ward, over the mammi .a h ere several small heaps of . f th ountam t ere w M summit o em d l . there for many years. y stones, whl·C h evi· d en tly ha amt h were the work of t h e . ed me that ey compamon assur . . Th heaps were similar, but on a Indians in the old time. e ommonly found on the 1 to those so c much smaller sea e, Th d . e to signalize any event, on . f W les e esir . mountams o a · . hb ring land seems an um- . 1 'nt of the ne1g ou ' the hig lest pOl . . d At the present day, not a l · with mankm · . f versa passwn . 'li d wild exists in this part o I d. · ther ciVl ze or ' · single n. mn, ei m I aware tha t the former inhabitants the provmce; nor a e permanent records, than have left behind them any mor 't of the Sierra de las these m. si.g m'f ic an t p ile s on the summi Animas. . of the country is very simple. The geological struc~re anitic or ancient schistose rocks On the crest of every hill, gr . led by a great . . spaces bemg concea protrude; the mtervem~g th This at first sight . f d argillaceous ear · thickness o a re d' detritus . but on closer ex-would be mistaken for or Itn~ry all co~cretionary balls of . . · t · f d to con am sm . ammatwn ~ IS oun l d to possess other pecuhar a friable limestone or dmar ' anthe whole province, and in ch arac t ers. I t exten s over t · · n the remam. s some places is very. remar~abie, fr~i~o:~I~~r~hy substance ?f sevetraolfgr::: e~~::~i~~m;h:~h composes those imme~se IS par . d h p For Its plains of Buenos Ayres, deno~mate t e h amptas.ry of the . . t look to a penod when t e es ua ongm, we mus . . . red all the surround- Plata, occupying far Wlder limits, .cove s· s of the · 1 countries with its brack1sh waters. Ign d' mg ow ' . an places be IS-gradual elevation of the lana can m m . Y. b ble that covered on the shores of the riv~r ; and It ~s pro a no very the red earthy mass is, geo}oglCally speakmg, of , ancient date. 1832-3. ABSENfSE OF TREES. 53 The general, and almost entire absence of trees in Banda Oriental is remarkable. Some of the rocky hills are partly covered by thickets, and on the banks of the larger streams, especially to the northward of the Las Minas, willow-trees are not uncommon. Near the Arroyo Tapes I heard of a wood of palms ; and one of these trees, of considerable size, I saw near the Pan de Azucar, in lat. 35°. These, and the trees planted by the Spaniards, offer the only exceptions to the general scarcity of wood. Among the introduced kinds may be enumerated poplars, olives, peach, and other fruit-trees : the peaches succeed so well, that they afford the main supply of firewood to the city of Buenos Ayres. Extremely level countries, such as the Pampas, seldom appear favourable to the growth of trees. This may possibly be attributed either to the force of the winds, or the kind of drainage. In the nature of the land, however, around Maldonado, no such reason is apparent ; the rocky mountains afford protected situations, enjoying various kinds of soil; streamlets of water are common at the bottoms of nearly every valley; and the clayey nature of the earth seems adapted to retain moisture. It has been inferred with much probability, that the presence of woodland is determined by the annual amount of moisture; yet in this province abundant and heavy rain falls during the winter; and the summer, though dry, is not so in any excessive degree.* We see nearly the whole of Australia covered by lofty trees, yet that country possesses a far more arid climate. Hence we must look to some other cause. The trees of Brazil cannot travel so far southward, on account of the colder climate ; nor does there exist any other wooded country whence a migration could take place: we are therefore driven to the conclusion that herbaceous plants, instead of trees, were created to occupy that wide area, which within a period not very remote, has been raised above the waters of the sea. • Azara says, "Jc crois que Ia quantite annuelle des pluies est, dans toutes ces contrees, plus considerable qu'en Espagne."- Vol. i., p. 36. |