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CHAP. VIII. 



Journey to Cant a Gallo. 



gOME time after my return from Santa Cruz, a circumstance o( 

 a singular nature took place, which occasioned me to undertake 

 a journey to a district called Canta Gallo, distant about forty 

 leagues from the capital, and one of the latest discovered in this 

 part of Brazil. Two men reported that they had there found a. 

 mine of silver, and brought to the mint a quantity of earthy matter 

 reduced to powder, from which was smelted a small ingot of that 

 metal. This report being officially laid before His Excellency Don 

 Rodrigo, I was solicited to go to Canta Gallo and investigate the busi- 

 ness on the spot, the two men being ordered to meet me there. 

 Before I proceed to relate the result of my inquiry, I shall briefly 

 describe whatever I observed worthy of note in the course of the 

 journey* 



Being provided with a passport, and also a sketch of the route, 

 taken from a MS. map in the archives, I departed from Rio on the 

 ]Oth of April 3809, accompanied by Dr. Gardner, the gentleman 

 already mentioned as lecturer on chemistry at the college of St. Joa- 

 quim. Having to pass to the bottom of the harbour, towards the 

 north, we embarked in a small vessel, and being favoured with a 

 strong sea breeze, ran down to the entrance of the fine river Mac- 

 cacu, which we reached after a five hours' sail. The wind then 

 dying, our boatmen took to their oars, and proceeding up the river we 

 reached a house called Villa Nova, where numbers of market-boats 

 for Rio were waiting for the land-wind and the turn of the tide. 

 After taking some refreshment here, we rowed onward until the river 

 became so narrow that the vessel frequently touched the bank on 



