TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



Ill 



they appear, indeed, to be more rare in the south- 

 ern liemisphere than in the northern. 



After two short stages from Atibaya we reached 

 the frontier of the capitania of S. Paulo, where a 

 custom-house is erected at the foot of the mountain, 

 at which the passports of travellers are examined, 

 the royal import duties on goods and slaves are 

 levied, and persons stationed to prevent the con- 

 traband trade of gold dust and diamonds. The 

 import duty on a new negro had lately been raised 

 so that the owner had to pay 10,000 rees (ten dol- 

 lars) ; a similar tax is paid at the frontier of every 

 capitania, which is a proof that this extensive king- 

 dom is not yet properly organised as one consistent 

 whole. We were treated with great politeness; 

 and, in deference to the recommendation of the 

 portaria, every service was offered. Here, as every 

 where in Brazil, it is customary not to countersign 

 the passports when, like ours, they contain a spe- 

 cial order of the king, a custom which is advan- 

 tageous to the traveller, because it leaves him at 

 ' the liberty to choose or to alter his route. The 

 frontier is formed by high mountains, which are, 

 for the most part, covered with thick wood, through 

 which only a few by-roads, impassable a great 

 part of the year, lead to Minas. Subordinate 

 layers of sienite are here and there contained in 

 the granite, which consists of reddish quartz, fel- 

 spar and small foliated black mica. After w^e had 

 passed the Morro Grande by a dangerous road, we 



