266 Discovert/ of the Province of Minas Geraes. [March, 



An-ail do Arasualiy. Arrail do Siicurugu. Arrail do Milho Verde. 



— da Serha de Franca. — de St. Domingos. — dosCorregos. 



da Piedade. ' — de Toscayaz. — do Giro Fine. 



_ da Chapade. — do Rio Pardo. — da Gar^a. 



— de St.Joao Baptista. — dasFormigas. — de Formigas. 

 cIo Agoa Siija. — dos Morrinhos. — da Capella. 



— da Zta-cambira. 



The Comarca do Pyracatu do Principe. 



Villa do Pyracatu. Julgado d'Araxas. Arrail da Carinhanha. 



Julcado de St. RuniaG. Arrail de Fariiiha Podra. — dc Santa Maria. 

 Arrail do Brejo Grande. — do Salgado. 



The Comarca of Rio de St. Francisco, which belonged to Pemam- 

 buco has been annexed to the province of Minas Geraes, but as there 

 is no mining in it I shall pass it over. 



The entire population of the whole province amounts to a million 

 of inhabitants — white, black, civilized aborigines, and mongrels of all 

 these colours. But it chiefly abounds in white people, being the pro- 

 vince which received the greatest number of European emigrants, who 

 preferred it to all the others from its producing the most gold, and 

 on account of its excellent climate. It is watered by the rivers of 

 St. Francisco, das Velhas, Pardo, Preto, Zuguitinhonha, Arasuahy, Pa- 

 rauna, Turro, da Malta, do Peixe, dos Fcrros, Vermelho, Dace, Ztamar- 

 andimba, Faniado, Abacihe, Andaya, Para, Gabara, Bromado, Tonque- 

 arande, Capijvarij, CapijvariJ-grande, Verde, Bacpendi, Negro, das 

 Isiortes, Parahyba, Parahybuna, Guarapyzanga, Itacamhirosii, Gallinas, 

 Vacaria, Carandahy, Pomba, Xopoto, Bacalhao, Pyracatu, Terros, Alberto 

 a<roarij, Paraipeba, and St. Matheiis, Besides the above there are many 

 mers of a second order, also a number of smaller streams and rivulets, 

 difficult and unnecessary to enumerate. They all have their source in 

 the province I am speaking of, which is the most elevated in Brazil, and 

 in which the Rio da Prata rises. Very few of them are navigable 

 without hydraulic works ; that of St. Francisco is very favourable to 

 navigation above the fall of Paulo Aftbnso.* Most of their beds are 

 rich in gold, but especially those that originate in the high mountains 

 and chains of mountains : their riches increase in proportion to the 

 smoothness of their waters, because, where they run rapidly they cannot 

 deposit the gold they bring from the mountains in the plain. Gold is 

 continually drawn from the rivers in cascalho ; f but the mining of the 

 rivers is too expensive to be undertaken by a private individual, since as it 

 depends on the shifting of the beds of the waters during the dry season, it 

 is necessary to employ great capitals, which exceed the means of the 

 capitalists of the province. % Hence it is that this sort of mining is 

 generally relinquished, as the place attempted has very frequently less 

 cascalho than was supposed. Sometimes the rivers change their course, 

 as already observed, in subterranean places, where cascalho and large 

 pieces of wood have been found ; and this particularly in the vicinity of 



♦ There is a great fall from the mouth of this large river, which is 1080 yards (bracas) 

 perpendicularly high. 



f Cascalho is the deposit that takes place in the beds of rivers, and is formed of 

 vegetable substances and stones, that roll from the mountains with the river, which, 

 forming a compact and agglomated matter, assume a hard consistence. 



\ There are not three miners in the whole province who possess 200,000 crusados 

 (^ISjllC. 18s ) in money ; and not twenty who have this amount in goods. 



