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They then shewed me the gold, which was in large bars, weighing 

 from five to ten pounds each, the whole of which I estimated at full 

 150lbs. weight. It was found in the district of Cerro do Frio, and 

 was reserved to pay part of the expences attending the establish- 

 ment. 



An excursion was some days afterwards proposed to another dia- 

 mond work, called Rio Pardo, distant about twenty miles in a north- 

 west direction. After proceeding a third of the way, over a country 

 covered with a poor wiry sort of grass, we passed several fine falls of 

 water, and crossed a ridge of mountains. The land as we advanced 

 appeared much better, though still very naked, having only a few 

 poor crooked small trees, that rather increased than took from its 

 desolate appearance. 



We passed through Chapada, a little dirty village, once famous 

 for its washings, as were all the streams and ravines in the vicinity, and 

 proceeded over some good clay-land, and a considerable tract of 

 peat-moss, well watered by streams which burst in all directions from 

 the hills. The country was open, and had a most romantic appear- 

 ance, caused by a quantity of low rocks of soft pudding-stone, lami- 

 nated, which lay on the surface in the most irregular forms. These 

 lands were well calculated for pasturage, particularly in the sea- 

 son of abundance, but I was told that the cattle put to graze upon 

 them were frequently stolen by the negroes*, and that there were 

 many noxious plants in the herbage which proved fatal to the beasts 

 that ate them. 



We arrived at the houses of the establishment about eleven in the 

 forenoon, and walked four miles farther to the diamond works, on 

 which a full troop of negroes were then employed. Rio Pardo is a 

 dirty paltry-looking rivulet, which runs into the Rio Velho : in some 



* Probably fugitive negroes, whp subsist in this remote district by plunder and smug* 



