NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



421 



arranged for a credit in the principal towns, I had no business of this 

 kind to transact, and would advise future travellers to do the same. 

 Gold, being the produce of almost every part of the country, is seen 

 in great abundance, both in the shape of Dust and in Bars ; but to prevent 

 confusion respecting the royal claims, none is allowed to circulate as Coin, 

 and the Sraelting-Houses employ persons to collect the dust and give 

 paper in lieu of it ; by this means they secure a large quantity which other- 

 wise would be lost or smuggled off. This, however, is not the only 

 valuable production of Minas Geraes, it has lately been discovered that 

 the Province yields imtive Quick-silver and Cinnabar. Platina, copper, 

 tin, lead, cobalt, and bismuth have been long known to exist there. 



We lodged at St. Vincente, a small place situated upon a dry bank 

 in a part of the country which consists of a brownish clay shale, cut into 

 deep gullys. This change in the Soil was the more observable, as in the 

 early part of the day we had ridden through a country where the common 

 micaceous clay prevailed. It was cultivated in a style which would have 

 pleased even an English farmer, and the country, not only on this account is 

 richer and more pleasant than we have found it before, but the inhabitants 

 are more numerous and seem in a higher degree associated to each other. 

 Although the river, which is sensibly diminished, and rolls rapidly over 

 a rocky bed, yield no auriferous sands, the district bears the appearance 

 of wealth and comfort. Many roads branch off to the right and left 

 of our route, and exhibit the impression of wheels. The number of 

 mules which we have this day met going to the city, laden chiefly 

 with raw and manufactured cotton, amoimts to more than two 

 hundred. 



Near to the Register we noticed an unusual number of Parrots, 

 which filled the air with their noisy screams, and remarked that although 

 the country was so well cultivated, there were in it no Anus, a bird 

 which had hitherto been considered as the companion of tillage ; instead 

 of them Toucans had become common. The people as they came along 

 caught a large Armadillo, on which they dined, although the animal 

 appeared very old. His armour had become too small for him, or to 



