d to an extensive and beautiful view to the west,
south-west and north-west. The elevated sky-line formed by the plateau
and mountains was quite straight, barring three much eroded mountains
standing quite isolated and at a great distance from one another.

One of these solitary elevations was to the south-west, another--the
castle-like mountain of great height we had already observed--stood due
west. Then came the long flat line of the plateau but for a gentle
convexity at each end. The plateau, dressed in thick forest, stood in the
middle distance to the west-south-west. Campos of great beauty were
prominent on its slopes and in the two hollows in the immediate vicinity.

As we wound our way forward we found masses of ferruginous black rock,
black debris, and beautiful crystals.

The silence of that wonderful landscape was impressive. The tinkling of
my mules' neck-bells was the only cheering sound breaking that monotonous
solitude--except perhaps the occasional harsh voices of my men urging on
the animals with some unrepeatable oath or other.

Filippe, the negro--to be distinguished from the other Filippi in my
employ, a mulatto--was mounted on one of my best mules. He carried a
regular armoury on his back and round his waist, for not only did he
carry his own rifle but also mine, besides a pistol and two large knives.
He rode along, slashing with a long whip now at one mule then at another.
Occasionally he treated us to some of his improvised melodies--not at all
bad and quite harmonious, although one got rather tired of the incessant
repetitions. Filippe was a pure negro, born in Brazil from ex-slaves. He
had never been in Africa. His songs interested me, for although much
influenced naturally by modern Brazilian and foreign airs he had heard at
Araguary, still, when he forgot himself and his surroundings, he would
relapse unconsciously into the ululations and plaintive notes and rhythm
typical of his ancestral land in Central Africa--that of the Banda tribe,
which I happened to have visited some years before. I identified him
easily by his features, as well as by his music and other
characteristics.

Filippe did not remember his father and mother, nor had he known any
other relatives. He had no idea to what tribe he had belonged, he did not
know any African language, and he had never to his remembrance knowingly
heard African music. It was remarkable under those circumstances that the
Central African character