212 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



trenches by the side of the road, which conduct 

 the water for gold-washing, there is nothing in 

 this solitude to put one in mind of the vicinity of 

 the labours of man. We enjoyed, with delight, 

 the cool shade of the forest, which offered us 

 abundance of treasures, that were doubly agree- 

 able to us after we had been so long in the campos. 

 After a journey of two leagues, we at length de- 

 scended into a luxuriant valley watered by the Rio 

 Mainarde, which flows into the Rio Doce. This 

 river was so much swelled, that it threatened to 

 carry away the decayed and trembling bridge, and 

 we had reason to congratulate ourselves on having 

 reached the opposite bank, where we found good 

 accommodation in the lonely venda belonging to 

 Padre Manoel. On the western side, the valley is 

 bounded by a steep declivity, on the eastern are 

 rocky hills, adorned with ferns and gay flowers, 

 over which a footpath conducted us to a gold- 

 washing. The clay containing the gold was 

 thrown up into heaps, and many negro slaves were 

 employed in washing it. Gold- washing is become 

 so customary in Minas, that even the most un- 

 prejudiced landowner believes that he must at 

 least employ some slaves in it. The weekly wages 

 of a workman are reckoned at 600 rees. 



Our road on the following day led over a moun- 

 tainous country, close to deep ravines, wildly over- 

 grown with shrubs and ferns, shadowed with thick 

 wood, till we at length descended into a solitary 



