244 MM. Martius and Spix's Excursion to the "^"^ 



years, and for a second offence for ten years. The same pun- 

 ishment was inflicted on the master whose slaves attempted to 

 search for diamonds. All these laws, the object of which was 

 to secure to the king the exclusive working of diamonds, sub- 

 sisted at the time that MM. Spix and Martius visited the 

 district of Tejuco. 



It is in the gravel of the rivers that the diamonds are found ; 

 and the labour necessary for finding them is performed by 

 slaves belonging to individuals, to whom the government pays 

 weekly from two to four francs for each slave. As the places 

 where they work are often far remote from any habitation, 

 and in uncultivated districts, the slaves erect for themselves 

 cabins of bulrushes, and the diamond Jwwto provides them 

 weekly with the necessary provisions. The number of slaves 

 employed in this operation varies greatly. In 1775 it amount- 

 ed to 5000. From that time it has constantly diminished ; 

 and in 1818 it was little more than 1000. In order to en- 

 courage the negroes to work, small entertainments were given 

 them whenever they found a stone of any considerable size. 

 Whoever found a diamond weighing above 17| quilots or 

 carats, was purchased by the administration and set at liberty. 

 If the value of the diamond vvas inferior to the price of the 

 slave purchased, he was kept to work for the administration 

 till he was completely liberated ; and, on the contrary, if the 

 \alue of the diamond exceeded his value, he received, with 

 his liberty, a sum of money in addition. 



The slaves are watched by Feitores or inspectors, who are, 

 for the most part, whites, and whose duty it is to make the ne- 

 groes work, to see that they deliver up the diamonds which 

 they find, and to keep them from excess during their holidays. 

 Other superior inspectors have a control over the Feitores, and 

 receive the diamonds which are obtained, and which they put 

 into a girdle fixed round their body, till they are carried to 

 Tejuco. They direct also the necessary works for drawing 

 from the rivers the cascalhao, or gravel which contains the 

 diamonds. 



In spite of all these precautions, there is a considerable con- 

 traband trade in diamonds. The diamond-searchers, called 

 Grirapeiros, search in secret the gravel of the rivers and 



