PROVINCE OF MINAS GERAES. 



261 



northward to the extremity of the province, varying its direction, elevation, and 

 name, and extending- many branches from both sides of greater or less extent 

 and height. It bounds in part all the comarcas. 



Rivers. — None of the other provinces are so abundant in water, and the 

 greater part of its rivers have their origin in the Mantiqueira Serra, and their 

 egress in general by four channels ; two flowing eastward, namely the Doce and 

 the Jequitinhonha ; the St. Francisco northward ; and the Rio Grande westward. 

 The first irrigates the comarca of Villa Rica, the second that of Serro Frio, 

 the third that of Sahara, and the last that of St. Joao d' el Rey. 



Mineralogy. — Gold, platina, silver, and brass, iron, pewter, lead, mer- 

 cury, antimony, bismuth, amianthus, talk, calcareous stone, granite, black jas- 

 per marked with white ; amolar, or grind-stone, fossil-coal, saltpetre ; white, 

 red, yellow, grey, and black argils ; diamonds, rubies, emeralds, chrysolites, 

 topazes, sapphires, aqua-marinas, agates, amethysts, petrifactions, fjt?/w^05 dV/^wa, J 

 crystals, flint-stone, and pedra sabao, of a pearl colour, very compact and 

 heavy, but easily worked ; images, candlesticks, and vessels by the turner 

 are made of this stone. It affords excellent chalk, and its very fine dust is 

 sought after by travellers. Many profound caverns and excavations are met 

 with, from whence immense quantities of gold have been extracted. Some 

 rocks are perforated from one side to the other ; others have disappeared 

 entirely, in the course of withdrawing their rich contents. Many mountains 

 frequently reverberate, demonstrating that they are fully charged with minerals. 

 A great number of torrents have been diverted, for a greater or less space, from 

 their natural beds, to facihtate the extraction of gold and diamonds. 



Zoology. — All the species of Spanish domestic animals are bi-ed here; the 

 oxen and hog are tlie most numerous; the savage cjuadrupeds and birds met 

 with in the adjoining provinces are common in this. The population princi- 

 pally consists of negroes, the property of the miner and the agriculturist. 

 Indians exist only upon the eastern boundaries of the province. Many persons 

 of all complexions are met with of the age of one hundred years. 



Phytology. — Tlie soil produces in abundance the first year; the second 

 usually little, and in the third almost nothing ; it is therefore requisite, accord- 

 ing to the present mode of agriculture, to allow it to remain fallow for some 

 years, until it is covered with a strong brushwood, which is tlien burnt down to 

 form the first coat of manure. 



Here are cultivated mandioca, tobacco, sugar, (the greater part of which is 



