6S6 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1SI2. 



they did, ha vi ng permission from the 

 court to see every place I wished, 

 wliich they were directed to show 

 me. He then told me that, in ex- 

 pectation of my arrival, he had de- 

 layed a journey to the greatest of tlie 

 diamond works, called Mandanga, 

 situated on the river Jigitonhonha, 

 •which employs about a thousand 

 negroes, and on particular occa- 

 sions double that number. He 

 was desirous that I should see this 

 great work with all the machinery 

 in operation, which would be very 

 speedily removed, the late rains 

 having swoln the river s-o much as 

 to render working more impracti- 

 cable. He therefore kindly in- 

 vited me to breakfast at his house 

 on the following morning, when 

 he would have all in readiness for 

 a journey of about thirty miles to 

 the place above-mentioned. 



At an early hour I arose; and, 

 though so unwell as to be scarcely 

 more than half alive, I could not 

 resist the favourable opportunity 

 now offered me of gratifying the 

 curiosity which had so long occu- 

 l)ied my mind, by visiting the dia- 

 mond mines, in company wiih the 

 principal offirer in the administra- 

 tion of them, who was therefore 

 qualified to furnish me with the 

 amplest information. A fine horse 

 ■was waiting for me at the door, 

 and I rode up to the house of the 

 governor, who introduced ine to 

 his amiable lady, daughters, and 

 family, with whom I had the ho- 

 nour to take breakfast. Several 

 ofiicers of the diamond establish- 

 ment arrived on horseback to ac- 

 company us, their presence being 

 required on this occasion. 



At nine o'clock we set out, and 

 crossed the ravine, watered by the 

 •mall rivulet of St. Francisco, which 



separates Tejuco from the opposite 

 mountains. The road was very 

 rough and uneven, continually as- 

 cendin" or descendintr mountains 

 of considerable extent, the strata 

 of which were ijrit alternating: 

 with micaceous schistus, and pre- 

 senting an immense quantity of 

 rude masses, composed of grit and 

 rounded quartz, forming a loose 

 and friable kind of (ludding-stone. 

 The country appeared almost des- 

 titute of wood, presenting occa- 

 sionally a few poor shrubs ; there 

 were no cattle to be seen, yet some 

 of the tracts would certainly main- 

 tain sheep in great numbers. Hav- 

 ing halted at a place about half 

 way, we descended a very steep 

 mountain, full a mile in the decli- 

 vity, and entered a ravine where 

 we crossed a very good wooden 

 bridge over the river Jigitonhonha, 

 which is larger than the Derwent 

 at Derbj\ We rode along its mar- 

 gin, where the land appears much 

 richer, presenting a good vegeta- 

 ble soil covered with underwood; 

 and, proceeding about a league, 

 arrived at the famed place called 

 Mandanga. The habitations, which 

 are about one hundred in number, 

 are built detached, and are gene- 

 rally of a circular form, with very 

 high (hatched roofs, like African 

 huts, but much larger. The walls 

 are formed of upright stakes, in- 

 terwoven with small branches and 

 coated with clay inside and out. 

 The houses of the officers are of 

 the same materials, but of much 

 more convenient form, and white- 

 washed within. Near some of the 

 houses we observed inclosures for 

 gardens, which in some degree en- 

 livened the prospect, and gave an 

 air of comfort to these rude and 

 simple dwellings. 



I remained 



