270 



PROVINCE OF MINAS GERAES. 



Capivary are discharged into the Rio Grande, below the confluence of Das 

 Mortes. The Peixe and the small Das Mortes enter the large Das Mortes ; the 

 latter twenty miles below St. Joao d' el Rey, and the other still further. The 

 doirado, mandin, and pracatijuba are the best fish in those rivers. 



St. Joao d' el Rey, antecedently Rio das Mortes, is the head town of the 

 coraarca, and the residence of its ouvidor, who acts in other situations, and is 

 also crown judge. It is one of the largest, and the most abundant places in the 

 province, and is agreeably seated in a flat country, about two miles from the 

 river that gave it the primitive name till 1712, when John V. gave it the present 

 name and the title of a town. It has a church of the Lady of Pilar ; two 

 chapels dedicated to the Lady of Dores and Mercez ; one to St. Pedro ; others 

 to St. Antonio, St. Caetano, St. Francisco, administered by the blacks ; two 

 Terceira orders of the Lady of Carmo and St. Francisco. The chapel of the 

 latter is the finest in the whole province, and stands upon a large praca, or 

 square. It has also an hospital, and two bridges of stone over the small 

 channel of Tijuco, which divides the town into two portions ; a Juiz de Fora, 

 who is also head of the orphan establishment ; an attorney general ; a royal 

 professor of Latin ; a vicar-foraneo ; and a s melting-house, with the same appoint- 

 ments as that of Villa Rica, excepting the abridor dos cunhos, (engraver of coins.) 

 The judicial appointments are also the same. 



This town has tolerably good houses, with paved streets. All the neces- 

 saries of life of the country are cheap. There are here white tangerina oranges, 

 which are not met with in any other part. The road, which leads to the Rio das 

 Mortes, upon which there is another large bridge of wood, is bordered by 

 quintas, or country houses. About the middle of this interval is the arraial of 

 Matozinhos, with a chapel of Espirito Santo. In its suburbs are cultivated the 

 cane, much Indian corn, some rye, a little mandioca, and cotton; and at a 

 greater distance cattle are bred. Mining is the general occupation. 



There are twelve chapels in its extensive environs, generally provided with 

 chaplains, who are, with as many more coadjutors of the vicar, privileged to 

 administer the sacraments in his jurisdiction. This town is nearly eighty miles to 

 the south-west of Villa Rica, about the same distance south-south-west from 

 Sahara, and upwards of two hundred north-west of Rio de Janeiro. 



Eight miles to the north-north- west of St. Joao d'el Rey, and near the right 

 margin of the Rio das Mortes, is the middling town of St. Joze, with the 

 handsomest church in the province, dedicated to St. Antonio, a chapel of the 

 Lady Rozario, and another of St. Joao EvangeUsta : it abounds with the neces- 



