PROVINCE OF MINAS GERAES. 



285 



the small and agreeably situated arraial of Estrema, with a hermitage of Con- 

 cei^ao. It abounds with fish and meat. The fruit consists principally of 

 oranges. 



Within this comarca "s the mountainous diamond district, fifty miles in 

 diameter. The beautiful stones found here by Bernardo da Fonseca Lobo, in 

 1730, on being discovered to be diamonds, afforded this part of the comarca 

 its designation. The value of these stones not being at first known, the district 

 remained free till 1734, when an ouvidor of the province, who had resided at 

 Goa, and had there acquired a knowledge of this most precious article, coming 

 from Golconda, pronounced them diamonds. 



J. F. d' Oliveira and F. F. da Sylva had the diamond contract in 1741, for 

 three years, at the sum of nine hundred thousand crusades. By a letter of the 

 3d of April, 1743, the king ordered the provedor of the treasury of Villa Rica 

 to superintend the diamond contract, with a sum not to exceed two hundred 

 thousand crusades per annum. Some time having passed, the contract was 

 publicly sold to some persons of the name of Caldeyras, who, in their opera- 

 tions, met with copious and rich supplies. The opulence thus acquired, led 

 them to perpetrate crimes for which they were sent to Limoeiro, where they 

 ended their days, their property being confiscated by the crown. This contract 

 was granted anew, to J. F. d' Oliveira, with whom it remained till the end of 

 1771. 



On the 1st of January, 1772, the diamond district came under the immediate 

 management of the government. But diamonds alone do not constitute the 

 riches and celebrity of this district ; other precious stones concur in rendering 

 it important, such as sapphires, emeralds, aqua-marinas, chrysolites, topazes, 

 &c. All these stones are produced in the serras, from whence they descend to 

 the rivers, with the waters of the copious thunder showers. This district also 

 possesses mines of all the metals, the extraction of which is rigorously prohi- 

 bited on account of the diamonds. 



Around the diamond district there are various military detachments, to pre- 

 vent the plunder of those stones, or of gold ; and also to exact the duties paid 

 upon entrance. Amongst those stations may be enumerated, first, Milho Verde ; 

 and, next in rotation, Pirahuna, Gouvea, Rio Pardo, Chapada, Arraial, Hin- 

 hahy, Rio Man^o. The diamond demarcation, afar off exhibits a black per- 

 spective, swelling into a thousand rugged and uneven serras ; on one hand are 

 elevated mountains of one single stone, cut by nature into precipices that raise 

 their heads to the clouds ; on the other, are extended serras, composed of 



