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other parts of the province. Its soil is in general very productive, 

 and the climate mild and salubrious. 



At a washing about six leagues distant, a lump of gold was found 

 of several pounds weight. From the same place I procured some 

 above two ounces, and obtained the large crystals now in my posses- 

 sion, one of which is considered as unique. 



I quitted Villa do Principe about noon on the day following, after 

 making my acknowledgments for the polite attentions of the governor, 

 who kindly sent a servant to attend me the first league of the road. 

 This man I commissioned, under a promise of pecuniary reconi- 

 pence, to collect for me land-shells and insects, against my return, 

 which I expected would take place in two or three months ; and, 

 from the aptness with which he received my directions, (joined to 

 the prospect of emolument,) I had little doubt that he would attend 

 to them. 



As Ave journeyed on, I perceived that the country bore an aspect 

 entirely different from that in the neighbourhood of Villa do Prin- 

 cipe : its surface, consisting of coarse sand and rounded quartz peb- 

 bles, was almost destitute of wood or herbage. One hillock near 

 the road exhibited perpendicular laminae of micaceous grit, which, 

 on alighting from my horse and examining, I found to be flexible. 

 My soldier, hearing me remark that the country bore characteristics 

 which I had never observed elsewhere, exclaimed, " Senhor, we are 

 in the Diamond District." This circumstance, which I had not be- 

 fore thought of, fully accounted for the change. We travelled over a 

 very sterile country for the first four leagues, and passed several high 

 mountains. Towards the close of the day we reached an eminence, 

 from which we beheld a most romantic cluster of dwellings, resem- 

 bHng a labyrinth, or a negroes-town in Africa. We descended the 

 hill, and approached the place ; when, it being nearly dark, I was 

 conducted to a house much larger than any of the others, where I 

 learnt that the establishment was a diamond-work called San Gon- 

 zales, the first which occurs in the Cerro do Frio. It has been some 



