404 Discovery of the Province of Minus Geraes. [April, 



indispensable that the directors of this company should apply to the Emperor 

 to enlarge the grant, by permitting them the faculty of purchasing the lavras 

 they might find suitable to their object, as, without employing all their capital, 

 the association cannot become of consequence, except, indeed, they found 

 manchos doiro (gold in grain) every day. This concession is, at present, become 

 of the first importance. 



There is no doubt that his Imperial Majesty will accord any thing asked by 

 the companies, that is not in controvention to the law enacted for his own 

 subjects, which law includes permission to buy, farm, and mine all the lavras 

 suited to the companies, by making arrangements with the masters, and in pay- 

 ing a duty of 10 per cent, according to the statute. 



Tills permission obtained, the company should proceed to buy lavras, or 

 make agreements for mining those of others ; preferring such as are in filons 

 rind formations to the rest, from their long duration and constant produce, 

 and farming those which are covered with water, or which can be so. 



A central house of administration in Minas is indispensable (the best place for 

 which is at Villa do Sahara, because it can be the centre of mining), which 

 should have ramifications with six or seven others, that would direct the mining 

 in the most extreme points of the province. 



The wants of the mining companies from abroad are, persons skilful in 

 mechanics, hydraulics, geology, and chemistry. People of this kind would find 

 their account in making what was required of the materials produced by the 

 country, which would often prove much cheaper than procuring them from 

 England.* 



Above all, labourers are wanted. Six thousand men would scarcely corres- 

 pond with the present capitals. Europeans are much better than negroes ; 

 the work of the latter is at least one-third less than that of the former. 

 Moreover it requires two years to make the slaves capable of working properly : 

 if old, they soon die; their labour is not voluntary, and their great deficiency 

 of intellect considerably diminishes their utility. 



The climate of the province is always fresh and salubrious ; endemical 

 diseases are unknown ; there arc many persons of a hundred years old. The 

 water is excellent, and there is an extraordinary abundance of various kinds 

 of cattle, fish, and game for hunting and shooting. Besides the fruits of the 

 country, there are several congenial to those of Europe and Asia, &c. The 

 orange-tree and banana are in continual production. Living is very cheap — a 

 workman is well fed at the rate of 100 rees {Id.) per day. 



Brandy from the sugar cane, wine from oranges, and other liquors are very 

 plentiful. Grapes are abundant, but the Portuguese government allowed no 

 wine to be made from them. 



Finally, the companies might enlarge their views to many objects besides 

 mining, and which would prove very profitable ; for instance, a foundry, or 

 more, for iron engines — the distillation of quicksilver — a glass manufactory for 

 all the undertakings, &c. ; and they might assure themselves that the wise and 

 enlightened policy of the Emperor would grant them every thing requisite for 

 furthering the success of their speculations. 



cannot profitably employ more than 100,000,000 rees. Will be be so fortunate in his 

 mining as to find the interest of all the capital advanced ? No, it is impossible ! — 

 Besides all the lands are not equally auriferous ; it sometimes happens that many dattas 

 are obliged to be united in order to encompass a single^/o« .• hence it is that there are 

 persons who have many in a single direction ; they are teimeddattas no do i;iero— dattas 

 on the ridge of filons. It is evident that the lands granted at the rate of two miners 

 cannot correspond to the capital of the company, when it is acknowledged that the 

 richest miners are not wortli a hundred thousand crusadas. 



• The road made by Garcia Rodriques has been very little improved — consequently 

 carriage is very dear to and from the interior of Minas ; eveiy thing is carried on the 

 backs of beasts of burthen, as carts cannot travel tlirough the comitry, the roads being 

 extremely mountainous. The Emperor, it is true, has already improved them, but 

 not in proportion to his wishes and their want of improvement. 



