17^ 



A VOYAGE TO 



scattered over a prodigious extent of country, and are 

 found chiefly imbeded in the sands of rivers. >jot- 

 vrithstanding the wonderful enterprise and activity of 

 the Paulistas, who traversed so much of this country 

 during the seventeenth century, in pursuit of gold 

 mines and Indian slaves, it must be considered as still 

 but imperfectly explored. One of the most extraor- 

 dinary mines ever discovered in Brazil, remains at 

 this day a subject of curious speculation among the in- 

 habitants of that country; the discoverer, Buenos, an 

 enterprising Paulista, on his return to it vrith imple- 

 ments and negroes, was by various circumstances di- 

 verted from his course, when he accidentally fell on 

 the mines of Goyaz where he remained. His son 

 afterwards, with the assistance of his father's journal, 

 endeavored to find the place, but in vain. The pre- 

 sent produce of the gold mines is about five hundred 

 arrobas, the arroba estimated at thirty-two pounds, 

 each fourteen ounces, which may be considered equal 

 to about three millions and a half of dollars; one 

 fifth of which goes to the king. The diamond mines 

 are entirely under monopoly and severe I'estrictions, 

 being worked exclusively on account of government; 

 their produce is estimated at seven or eight hundred 

 thousand dollars. The diamonds of the king of Bra- 

 zil are valued at three millions sterling; he has in hi* 

 possession the largest in the world; but they are nol 

 supposed equal to those of the Indies in point of bril* 

 liancy. It is somewhat surprising, that no silvei* 

 mines of any great productions have yet been dis- 

 covered in his territories. Some silver, it is said) 

 was found at an early period, in the possession of the 

 Indians on the Parana, who being seen by the only 



