TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



119 



worth, according to the standard, a vintem of gold 

 (37i and not 20 rees), and are issued by the four 

 gold smelting houses in the capitania. The object 

 of this measure was partly to remedy the real 

 scarcity of copper coin, and it was partly an ad- 

 vantage to the government to get into its posses- 

 sion in exchange for such notes, the smallest 

 quantities of gold dust which were current as 

 small coin. The injury which this measure did to 

 private credit and morality, was soon doubled by 

 the appearance of a great quantity of forged paper. 

 The slovenly execution of these notes greatly fa- 

 cilitated the forging of them, which the hatred of 

 the inhabitants immediately ascribed to the Eng- 

 lish. The province is now deluged with these 

 notes, and suffers the more from it, because the 

 amount is not diminished either by being exchang- 

 ed by the smelting houses, or by being disposed 

 of in other provinces. 



The river Sapucahy*, which flows through these 

 countries before it unites with the Rio Grande, 

 opposed, towards the evening, invincible obstacles 

 to our progress ; at several places where we at- 

 tempted to pass through it, the bridge having been 

 carried away, it was so deep and violent, that it 

 was with the utmost difficulty we saved the first 

 mule that was driven in. We therefore gave up 

 our purpose of reaching the fazenda on the oppo- 



* Sapucaya pitcher tree, water, rivers 

 I 4 



