1832.] The Diamond District of the Serro do Frio. 421 



would have taken fire had we passed near it without paying our re- 

 spects, we resolved on gaining the rancho on the Rio Milho Verde by a 

 forced march. 



The moon was just rising when we reached the summit of the lofty 

 Sierra that surrounds the Diamond District ; the scene that suddenly 

 burst upon us will, to the last day of my existence, be green in the 

 memory : it was one of Alpine magnificence, and one which forcibly 

 recalled to the recollection the glowing descriptions of the Arabian 

 tales. 



On every side arose, high on the blue expanse of the heavens, the 

 peaks of gigantic mountains, of almost perpendicular elevation, down 

 the bare sides of which rushed impetuously into the valley beneath, 

 innumerable torrents, glittering in the moon-beams like liquid silver. 

 A thick mist hung over the valley, beneath whose surface lay hid those 

 precious gems, the noblest ornament of the monarch's diadem, the pride 

 of beauty, the universal object of research in every age ; on the value 

 of which the caprices and vicissitudes of fashion have been powerless. 

 I stood, gazing on the wild scenery around, till the cold mountain blast 

 reminded me that I should find much more comfortable quarters on the 

 Rio Milho Verde. We reached, about the middle of the ensuing day, 

 Tejuco, the capital of the District, in the very centre of which it is 

 situated. It contained about five thousand souls ; but so barren was the 

 soil in its immediate vicinity, that every thing necessary for the sub- 

 sistence of its inhabitants was brought from a considerable distance. I 

 met with a most hospitable reception from the Commandante das Armas, 

 who insisted on my making his house my home. My host was a man 

 of superior intelligence, and he appeared to think that his country was 

 not yet politically ripe for a revolution. He entertained the most ex- 

 alted idea of the power of England. " Grande nacao sao os Inglezes," 

 said he, " porem bebem muito/' (the English are a great people, but 

 are very hard drinkers). This opinion of the gallant commandant's is 

 general throughout both Spanish and Portuguese America. The late 

 king of Portugal, though extremely fond of the English, looked upon 

 us, nevertheless, as a nation of drunkards. 



When the congreve rockets were first introduced into the navy, the 

 admiral on the Brazil station proposed to exhibit to the King Don 

 Juan VI. the effect of these formidable projectiles. His majesty con- 

 sented, and the whole court were accordingly assembled in the balco- 

 nies of the palace at the Rio, for the purpose of witnessing the spec- 

 tacle. By some mishap, of very frequent occurrence in the early his- 

 tory of these missiles, at the moment of firing the tube veered round, 

 and the rocket, instead of flying over to Praia grande, took the opposite 

 direction, and fell and exploded in the great square, almost beneath the 

 windows of the palace. The consternation of the king was only 

 equalled by the mortification of the admiral, who immediately dis- 

 patched an officer on shore to explain the cause of the contretemps 

 to his majesty ; and offering to let off another, but the terrified monarch 

 would not hear of it. "I have a great respect," said he, "for my good 

 allies, the English, but after dinner they are absolutely fit for nothing ;" 

 an observation which clearly indicated to what cause his majesty attri- 

 buted the unfortunate result of the exhibition. Two days after my 

 arrival at Tejuco, I rode out to the principal diamond works in the Com- 

 marco, on the Rio Jigito?ihonka. The operation of working for these 



