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entered a fine valley, through which ran a little rivulet, called 

 St. Antonio; — a more delightful place cannot be imagined: the 

 grounds, which lay in gentle elevations, were capable of every kind 

 of cultivation, and appeared calculated amply to repay the farmer 

 for any labour he might bestow upon them. In addition to these 

 advantages, and that of a fine climate, this vicinity yet contains 

 some places extremely rich in gold. At the end of this valley we 

 crossed the rivulet over a good stone bridge, and passed through a 

 pretty hamlet called Barra ; proceeding a league farther, we arrived 

 at the house of Captain Jose Alvarez, who received me with great 

 kindness. This being Sunday, many of the neighbours were on a 

 visit to his house ; a sumptuous dinner had been provided, and the 

 evening passed in very interesting conversation relative to the mode 

 of mining in that neighbourhood. Next day I went to visit the 

 gold-works belonging to this gentleman, the principal of which was 

 situated near the summit of a mountain of argillaceous schistus, 

 one part of which seemed to have slipped from the other, leaving a 

 cleft of twenty feet perpendicular. The face of this cleft appeared 

 of different colours, some much more ferruginous than others ; the 

 parts esteemed most rich in gold had the appearance of irregular 

 cavities, now filled by a substance not unlike ferruginous stalactite 

 in decomposition. This mountain has produced a great quantity of 

 gold, and continues yet rich : it may be truly called auriferous ; for 

 I directed negroes to bring me specimens of earth from every part of 

 the cleft, from the roots of the grass to the bottom, all of which I 

 found to contain gold. At this place stamps are used to reduce the 

 indurated substances, but they are so ill-constructed as to produce 

 but little effect. After a most pressing invitation to stay, and ad- 

 vantageous offers of land to a considerable extent, which 1 found it 

 expedient to decline, I took leave of the owner of this establish- 

 ment, and passed a very large house belonging to Captain-mor Penha, 

 a very o| ulent miner, who has a large establishment of negroes, 

 and extensive lands. I continued my route five leagues through 



