274 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



They form rather obUque four-sided prisms, with 

 sharp beviled ends, and agree in the chief charac- 

 teristics with the Siberian. The more precise de- 

 terminations of the crystals, among which there 

 are probably most of the varieties described by 

 Hauy, must be reserved for a future occasion. In 

 the vicinity of the red crystals, there is not unfre- 

 quently an earthy coat of yellowish green lead-ore, 

 which we oftener found in reniform pieces on the 

 debris among numerous magnetic iron-stone octa- 

 hedrons. As the fossil is so very scarce, we 

 thought it would be interesting to collect a great 

 number of specimens, in which we succeeded dur- 

 ing our two days' stay, but with much difficulty 

 on account of the crumbly nature of the quartz, 

 and of the scaly lithomarge. 



Senhor Monteiro wished very much to take us 

 to Capella de Mattozinhos near Congonhas do 

 Campo, which the Mineiros admire as a master- 

 piece of architecture ; but he at length gave credit 

 to our assurance, that we had seen similar works 

 in Europe, and the following morning at day- 

 break, led us back into the road to Villa Rica, 

 where we with regret took leave of this hospitable 

 man. We then proceeded to Chapada, which we 

 had already visited on our journey hither from S. 

 Joao d'El Rey, and hoped to reach our old quar- 

 ters at Lana, but night overtaking us on the road, 

 we solicited admission at a neighbouring fazenda, 

 where, though the door of the court-yard was 



