268 



PROVINCE OF MINAS GERAES. 



eight miles from the preceding, and the inhabitants are agriculturists, including 

 breeders of cattle and miners. 



Nine miles from Catas Altas is the large, flourishing, and commercial arraial 

 of St. Barbara, near the stream of the same name, having various religious 

 structures, and promising considerable augmentation. The occupations of its 

 inhabitants are similar to that of the last place. 



Ten miles from St. Barbara is the arraial of Cocaes, with rich mines of gold, 

 in the district of the parish of St. Joao do Morro Grande. 



Comarca of Rio das Mortes. 



The comarca of Rio das Mortes, so called from the river which washes it, 

 and equally known by the name of its head town, St. Joao d' el Rey, is 

 bounded on the east by the comarca of Villa Rica ; on the north by that of 

 Sahara, from which it is separated by the serra Negra, and by the rivers Lam- 

 bary and Andayha; on the west by the provinces of Goyaz and St. Paulo; and 

 on the south by the latter and that of Rio de Janeiro. It is computed to com- 

 prise one hundred and seventy square miles. This comarca has many portions 

 of land appropriated to the culture of mandioca, Indian corn, and legumes ; 

 likewise to plantations of sugar and tobacco, which are the most lucrative 

 articles of exportation ; in some places the cotton tree prospers, and in some 

 of the southern districts considerable quantities of rye and wheat are raised. 

 Cows are generally abundant, also sheep and hogs. Pork and cheese are im- 

 portant branches of export. There are auriferous grounds, which occupy a great 

 many people in the working of them. 



Mountains. — The principal are the serra of Lenheiro, in the vicinity of the 

 town of St. Joao d' el Rey ; of St. Joze, near the town of that name ; of 

 Lopo, not far from Cabo Verde; of Assump^ao, on the western part, between 

 the Rio Grande and the Pardo ; of Parida, which serves as a limit on the same 

 side from the Rio Grande northward. In the southern part there is the exten- 

 sive Mantiqueira, in parts bare and rocky, in others covered with wood. It 

 contains the Cachineze Indians, who are inconsiderable in number, stinted in 

 growth, and timorous, and confine their hostility to robbing the neighbouring 

 parishes of some cattle. The serra of Juruoca, which is a branch of the pre- 

 ceding, takes the name of a stone called ayuru, " parrot," and oca, " stone," 

 and which stands upon it where there is a cataract seventy yards in height. 

 The serra of Caryancas is situated between the Rio Grande and Verde. The 

 serra of Letras, (or Letters,) a branch of the preceding, derives its name from 



