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surd practice is the cause of much unnecessary intercourse. There 

 are thousands of acres of excellent land in the vicinit}' of the diamond 

 works, having choice of situation, and fit -for the growth of every 

 species of produce. How well might a part of the force above-men- 

 tioned be occasionally spared for a few days only, to be employed 

 in the first operations of husbandry, which would be, to inclose a 

 sufficient quantity of ground in various parts for the maintenance of 

 the establishment. A certain number of negroes would be allotted, 

 in proportion to the land under cultivation, and on particular occa- 

 sions, as in harvest, an auxihary force would be always at hand. 

 This would be farming with double advantage ; the plough would 

 work instead of the hoe ; after-crops would be sown to be eaten off 

 the ground, which would thus be enriched and kept in good condi- 

 tion. Numbers of acres would be planted with artificial grass, sub- 

 ject to irrigation where that was practicable, and thus, contrary to 

 the general practice, the cattle would be provided with subsistence 

 in the dry season. Indian corn, wheat, mandioca, feijones, potatoes, 

 &c. would be cultivated, and, under proper management, would 

 yield crops equal to the most sanguine expectation. Store-houses, 

 with requisite conveniences, would soon be erected, in which the 

 grain might be kept without spoiling. Thus would the first princi- 

 ples of husbandry be introduced into the district, and prove a source 

 of more lasting benefit to the state than mines either of gold or dia- 

 monds, for when the latter were exhausted there would remain an^ 

 active and industrious population. It seems, indeed, to have been 

 the purpose of nature, in distributing these precious substances in 

 these remote and almost unknown parts, to allure civilized men to 

 settle upon them. 



From the circumstances which have been already explained, it 

 will appear that, under the present system, the Government pay for 

 all the diamonds that are found here, and probably receive little more 

 than one-half; therefore it is evident that those convened through 

 other channels can be sold to the public at a lower price than that 



