PROVINCE OF MINAS GEllAES. 



281 



north by the province of Bahia, which also with that of Porto Seguro confines 

 it on the east ; on the south by the comarca of Villa Rica ; and on the west by 

 that of Sahara. It comprises nearly three hundred miles from north to south, 

 and one hundred and eighty from east to west. The country is for the greater 

 part very mountainous, and watered by numerous rivers, with extensive char- 

 necas, or sterile lands, in the northern part, which only serve for the breeding of 

 cattle. There are, however, generally portions of land, more or less consi- 

 derable, appropriated to the culture of cotton, Indian corn, rice, mandioca, 

 legumes, tobacco, some rye, and sugar. It is the richest in precious stones ; 

 and has mines of all the metals. 



Mountains. — There is a grand cordillera, (a continuation of the Manti- 

 queira,) which does not always retain the same name, altitude, or direction, 

 breaking in many parts, and stretching out various arms at divers points, tra- 

 versing the comarca almost north and south. In the eastern part there is the 

 serra of Esmeraldas ; the serra Branca, which separates the comarca from that 

 of Sahara for a considerable space, and afterwards inclines to the north-east to 

 the limit of the province ; the serra of Gram Mogol ; that of Peixe Brabo ; of 

 Gurutuba, of Concei^ao, and of Almas. 



Rivers.— The principal are the Jequitinhonha, the Verde, the Pardo, the 

 Mucury, the Arassuahy, the Sassuhy, the Corrente, and the St. Antonio. 



The Jequitinhonha, so celebrated for the prodigious quantity of diamonds 

 that has been drawn from its bed, rises in the serra of Serro Frio. After having 

 described many windings, and watered an extensive country, it receives on the 

 left the Itucambyrussu, which flows from the west, and traverses the serra of 

 Gram Mogol. Having run for a considerable space, and inclining to the east, 

 its waters are increased by the Vaccaria, which enters on the same side, and 

 descends also from the serra of Gram Mogol, traversing certains* pastured by 

 cattle. A few leagues below it is joined on the right by the Arassuahy, which 

 is superior, and originates also in the Serro Frio, a little to the east of it, and 

 brings the waters of the St. Antonio, the Itamarandiba, and the Setuval, with 

 others smaller, whose heads are on the northern side of the serra Esmeraldas. 

 Some leagues below the confluence of the Arassuahy, the Piauhy enters, coming 

 from the south-west, through woods abounding with game that affords food to 



* Tlie interior districts of provinces arc so called. 



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