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oxide of iron, and it appeared as if the hills were entirely covered with 

 that substance. Without any material occurrence, we arrived at a beau- 

 tiful rivulet, near which stood a miserable hut, where two women were 

 weaving cotton. This place, apparently so insignificant, proved one 

 of the most interesting, in a mineralogical point of view, which I had 

 hitherto visited. It is called Largos, and also bears the name of Oro 

 Branco (White Gold), in allusion to a granular substance, not unlike 

 gold in size and weight, found in a gold- washing in the bed of the 

 stream. This substance, which has since been proved to be platina, 

 was discovered many years ago in the cascalhao below the vegetable 

 earth, and incumbent on the solid rock, accompanied with gold and 

 black oxide of iron. From these circumstances the people judged it 

 to be gold united with some other metal, from which it could not 

 be separated ; and, as the quantity of real gold found v/as small, arid 

 the white gold, as they called it, was not known to be of value, the 

 work was gradually neglected, and at length abandoned. I procured 

 a specimen of the substance : it appeared accompanied with osmium 

 and iridium, and was in rougher grains than the platina brought from 

 the province of Choco ; which latter circumstance may be owing to 

 its not having been triturated with mercury. Now that the sub- 

 stance is known to be platina, it is doubtful whether the work might 

 be resumed with advantage, as the demand for that article is at pre- 

 sent so small, that the quantity sold would hardly pay expences. 

 Near this place is a work called Mata Cavalhos. 



The rivulet of Largos empties itself into the Rio de St. Antonio, 

 along which we rode a small distance, and, proceeding about four 

 miles farther, arrived at Concepcao, a large and tolerably handsome 

 village. I was conducted to the house of the curate, who kindly as- 

 signed to me an apartment for the night, and, perceiving that I was 

 unwell, gave me an invitation to rest a day, which I very gladly 

 accepted. 



I here received many visits from the villagers, whose curiosity had 

 been excited by the news of an Englishman having arrived : some of 



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