V I L 



V I L 



ftrong tafte of fulphate of iron, which the natives confider 

 as ferviceable in the cure of cutaneous difeafes, and in which 

 they often bathe. 



The town is divided into two parifhes, and contains a 

 population of about 20,000 inhabitants, of whom there are 

 more whites than blacks. The climate is delightful, and fup- 

 pofed to be equal to that of Naples ; and though the latitude 

 i» only 20* 3', yet on account of its elevated fituation, the 

 temperature of the air is generally moderate. The ther- 

 mometer never exceeds 82° in the fhade, and is rarely below 

 48° ; but its ufual range is from 64° to 80° in fummer, and 

 from 48° to 70^ in winter. The greateft heats prevail in 

 January. Here are frequent fhowers of rain, and thunder- 

 ftorms are common, but not violent. The fun is fometimes 

 clouded by dews and mill fo denfe, as not to fubiide until 

 the forenoon is far advanced. The gardens in the vicinity 

 of the town are laid out with great tafte, and prefent a 

 curious fpeftacle, by their arrangement on the declivity of 

 the mountain. They furnifli an ample fupply of vegetables 

 of every kind, as artichokes, afparagus, ipinach, cabbage, 

 kidney-beans, and potatoes. The peach, which is the only 

 exotic fruit hitherto introduced, flourifhes in an aftoniftiing 

 degree. 



The town is of confiderable extent, but not fo well 

 peopled as when the mines were rich. The (hop-keepers 

 are a numerous clafs, and they are plentifully fupplied with 

 all forts of Englidi merchandize, except earthenwaie, hams, 

 porter, and butter, which arcicles are dear. The market is 

 ill fupplied, notwithftanding the fertility of the furrounding 

 diftrift. Poultry might be had at a moderate price, from 

 3^. 6d. to 4r. 6a. per couple ; beef was tolerable ; pork 

 »ery fine ; but mutton utterly unknown. When Mr. 

 Mawe vifited this town in the year 1809, fome of the 

 inhabitants told him that it ought now to be termed " Villa 

 Pobra," inllead of " Villa Rica." Of above 2000 habita- 

 tions which the town contained, a confiderable proportion 

 were untenanted, and the rents of the reft, were continually 

 lowering. 



The mountain on which the town ftands appeared to be 

 eight or nine miles in length, narrow and almoft infulated, 

 being furrounded by deep ravines. It is compofed of argil- 

 laceous fchiitus in almofl every gradation, migrating from 

 the compaft blue date into micaceous fchiftus. The firft 

 difcovery of this once rich mountain was owing to the entcr- 

 prifing ipirit of the Paulids, who, of all the colonies in 

 Brafil, retained the largell portion of that ardent and inde- 

 fatigable zeal for difcovery which charafterized the Lufi- 

 tanians of former days. They penetrated from their capital, 

 St. Paul's, through impervious woods, and difputed every 

 inch of their progrefs with the barbaroua Indians. Follow- 

 ing the courfe of rivers, they occafionally found gold ; till 

 arriving at this mountain, its riches arreitcd their progrefs, 

 and cretling temporary houfes, they began their operations. 

 They were foou joined by other adventurers from St. Paul's 

 and other places. Their wealth proved the occafionof con- 

 tefts between the firll fettlers and new adventurers. When 

 tranquillity was re-e(lablifhed, a regular town began to be 

 formed in 1 7 1 1 , and a code of laws enafted for the regulation 

 of the mines. A fifth in weight of the gold-dud that was 

 found was taken for the king, and the remainder purified, 

 Imeltcd into ingots at the expence of government, then 

 allayed, marked according to their value, and delivered to 

 the owners, witlr a certificate to render them earnell : and 

 for the convenience of trade, gold-duft was allowed to cir- 

 culate for fmall payments. Smuggling, however, gained 

 ground, and new regulations and provifions were adopted 

 for rcftraining it. ViUa Rica foou enjoyed a confiderable 



trade with Rio de Janeiro : the returns were negroei, iron, 

 woollens, fait, provifions of various kinds, and wine, wliich 

 then bore very high profits. About the year 1713, the royal 

 fifth amounted to half a million fterling annually. Antonio 

 Dias, the leader of the Paulifts, who difcovered this fource 

 of wealth, and became very rich, built a fine church, and at 

 his death endowed it with confiderable funds : it ilill bears 

 his name : five or fix others were begun and foon finiflied. 

 The town alfo underwent many improvements ; its ilreets 

 were more regularly built, and the fide of the mountain le- 

 velled for the fcite of new houfes and gardens ; refervoirs 

 and fountains of water were conftrufted in different parts ; 

 and the mint and fmelting-houfes were enlarged. Tht num- 

 ber of inhabitants at this time amounted to 12,000, or up- 

 wards. Between the year 1730 and 175c, the mines wejc 

 in the height of their profperity ; the king's fifth, as it is 

 faid, amounting to at lead a million fterling. 



At the prefent day. Villa Rica fcarcely retains a ftiadow 

 of its former fplendour. Its inhabitants are unemployed, 

 and the culture of the adjacent country neglected. Almoft 

 every trade is now occupied either by mulattoes or negroes, 

 both of which claffes feem fuperior in intcUeft to their maf- 

 ters, becaufe they make a better ufe of it. However, the 

 vicinity furniflies the means of acquiring wealth by its mines 

 of gold, iron, and porcelain clay, Sec. if the inhabitant* 

 had underftanding or application to convert them into real 

 value. 



At the diftance of eight miles from Villa Rica is Mari- 

 ana, feparated from it by a tremendous and almoft impaflable 

 road, along a ridge of mountains. The Rio del Carmen 

 runs through this town. This was made a bilhop's fee about 

 the year 17 15, and called Cidade de Mariana, in honour of 

 the then reigning queen of Portugal. This is a fmall, neat, 

 well-built town, containing from 6000 to 7000 inhabitants. 

 It has a college for the education of young men defigned for 

 the church. This place has little trade, and depends cliiefly 

 on the mines and feams in its vicinity. Mawe's Travels. 



Villa Rica, a town of South America, in the pro\ince 

 of Paraguay ; 100 miles N.E. of Affumption. — Alfo, a 

 town of Chih ; 60 miles N.E. of Valdivia. S. lat. 38° 50'. 

 W. long. 73° 10'. 



Villa Rodrigo, a town of Spain, in the province of 

 Leon ; 40 miles E. of Leon. 



Villa Rub'ia, a town of Spain, in New Caftile ; 6 miles 

 E. of Ocana. 



Villa Rubia dc las Ojos, a town of Spain, in New Caftile ; 

 12 miles N. of Calatrava. 

 Villa de Ins Santos. See Santos. 



Vh,la de Sapra, a town of Italy, in Friuli ; 15 miles W. 

 of Gemona. 



Villa Savary, La, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Aude ; 14 miles W. of Carcaffonne. 



Villa di: Sul, a town of Portugal, in the province of 

 Bcira ; 5 miles W. of Vifeu. 



Villa del FaUt, a town of South America, in the pro- 

 vince of Chiquitos. 



\%LLA de Folk Fertile, a town of South America, in the 

 province of Cuyo ; 80 miles S.E. of Juan de la Frontera. 



Villa yicchia, a town of the Ligurian Republic; 12 

 miles N. of Genoa. 



Villa Feja, a town of Soutli America, in the govern- 

 ment of Baiiia, at firft called St. Salvador. 



ViLfcA Fella dc Rodao, a town of Portugal, in Eftrcma- 

 dura ; 17 miles S.S.W. of Caftel Branco. 



Villa Ficento, a town of Spain, in the province of Leon ; 

 30 miles S. of Leon. 

 Villa Ftjofa, or Fitla Fizofa, or Filla Vide/a, a town 

 Z 2 of 



