634> ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



vered to the owners, with a certi- 

 ficate to render them current. For 

 the greater convenience of trade, 

 gold-dust was likewise permitted 

 to circulate for small payments. 

 Notwithstanding these strict regu- 

 lations, a considerable quantity of 

 the precious metal in its original 

 state found its way to Rio de 

 Janeiro, Bahia, and other ports, 

 clandestinely, without paying the 

 royal fifth, until government, ap- 

 prized of this illicit traffic, esta- 

 blished registers in various parts for 

 the examination of all passengers, 

 and stationed soldiers to patrole 

 the road<. By these means, gold 

 in immense quantities was seized 

 and confiscated ; the persons on 

 whom any was found foiftited all 

 their property, and, unless they 

 had friends of great influence, 

 were sent as convicts to Africa for 

 life. The greatest disgrace was 

 attached to the name of smuggler ; 

 and such was the rigour of the law 

 against offenders of this descrif)- 

 tion, that every person quitting 

 the district was olaliged to take a 

 certificate stating whither he was 

 going, and what he carried with 

 him. This regulation is still in 

 force, and is rigorously observed. 



Villa Rica soon enjoyed a con- 

 siderable trade with Rio de Janeiro ; 

 the returns were negroes, iron, 

 woollens, salt, provisions of vari- 

 ous kinds, and wine, all which at 

 that time bore amazingly high 

 profits. 



About the yfear 1713, when 

 Dr. Bras de Silvia was appointed 

 governor, the quantity of gold 

 produced was so considerable that 

 the royal fifth amounted to half a 

 million sterling annually. The 

 mountain became pierced like a 

 honey-comb, as the miners worked 



every soft part they could find, 

 and penetrated as far as they could, 

 conveying the ca^calhao which they 

 dug out to a convenient place for 

 washing. In rainy weather the 

 torrents of water running down the 

 sides of the mountain, carried away 

 much earthy matter containing de- 

 licate particles of gold, which 

 settled in the ground near its base. 

 When the waters abated, this rich 

 deposit gave employment to num- 

 bers of the poorer sort of people, 

 who took it away and washed it at 

 their convenience. 



Antonio Dias, the person already 

 mentioned as one of the leaders of 

 the Paulistas, who discoveied the 

 place, having become extremely 

 rich, built a fine church, and dying 

 soon after, bequeathed to it con- 

 siderable funds. It still bears his 

 nimie. Five or six others were 

 begun and soon finished, as neiiher 

 wood nor stone was wanting, and 

 the inhabitants wete all ready to 

 contribute a share of their pro- 

 perty, and to employ their negroes 

 in furtherance of these pious works. 

 A law highly creditable to the 

 wisdom of the Portuguese govern- 

 ment was now enacted, to pro- 

 hibit friars from entering the terri- 

 tory of the mines. What treasures' 

 were thus saved to the state, and 

 what a number of persons were 

 thus continued in useful labour, 

 who would else have become bur- 

 thensome to the community 1 



The town now underwent many 

 improvements ; its streets were 

 more regularly built, and some 

 parts of the side of the mountain 

 were levelled to afford more con- 

 venient room for the construction 

 of houses, and the laying out of 

 gardens. Reservoirs were formed, 

 from which water was distributed 



