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In the afternoon I rode out to see the gold-washings. On the way 

 thither I observed a man training a horse, with a cord attached to 

 the bridle in one hand, and a whip in the other. Two pieces of 

 leather in the form of breechings were sewed to two iron rings ; one 

 part was put over the back of the animal, the other part slipped 

 down as a breeching ; the part on the back was to prevent its slip- 

 ping lower. To these rings were tied cords from the horse's fore- 

 feet, capable of being shortened or lengthened at pleasure. The 

 horse being put in motion, took very short fore-steps, somewhat like 

 those of the chargers in equestrian performances. Horses thus ' 

 trained are here called pacers, and are in great request among per*- 

 sons of distinction of both sexes, their gait being very easy and 

 graceful. 



On arriving at the washings I saw a great extent of ground 

 already worked, and immense heaps of quartzose stones. On the 

 margin of the river where they were then working, I found them 

 cutting away the bank, to the depth of at least ten feet, to get at 

 the cascalhao incumbent on the rock. The substance they had to 

 cut through was clay, so strong that, though falls of water were let 

 upon it, and negroes were constantly working it with hoes of various 

 kinds, it was with difficulty to be removed. This was not the only 

 impediment, for, by the constant precipitation of mud, the cascal- 

 hao was five feet below the bed of the river ; hence, when they had 

 sunk their pits, they had to use means for drawing the water from 

 them. The hydraulic machines employed for this purpose are con- 

 structed as follows : A trough or spout, made of four stout planks, 

 forming a cavity, say six inches square, is placed in an inclined po- 

 sition, with its lower end in the pit, where a roller is properly secured 

 to a pile driven into the ground : an iron chain, with peculiar links, 

 on every one of which is fixed apiece of wood, nearly answering the 

 interior dimensions of the spout, is passed through it, then under the 

 roller, and over the outside, up to the axis of a water-wheel, which 

 being put in motion, causes the discharge of a column of water e,qual 



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