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Title: Travels in the interior of Brazil - with notices on its climate, agriculture, commerce, - population, mines, manners, and customs: and a particular - account of the gold and diamond districts.
Author: Mawe, John
Language: English
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.
—Superscript letter “o” has been rendered as text^o.
TRAVELS
IN THE
INTERIOR OF BRAZIL;
WITH NOTICES ON ITS
CLIMATE, AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, POPULATION,
MINES, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS:
AND
_A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT_
OF
THE GOLD AND DIAMOND DISTRICTS.
INCLUDING
_A VOYAGE TO THE RIO DE LA PLATA_.
BY
JOHN MAWE.
SECOND EDITION.
ILLUSTRATED WITH COLORED PLATES.
London:
PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,
PATERNOSTER ROW;
AND SOLD BY THE AUTHOR, 149, STRAND.
1822.
[Illustration]
_W. M’Dowall Printer, Pemberton Row Gough Square._
[Illustration: PALACE & GREAT SQUARE IN RIO DE JANEIRO.]
PREFACE.
SINCE the first appearance of this work, nine years have elapsed,
during which period translations of it have been published in France,
Sweden, Germany, and Russia, as well as in Portugal and Brazil, and
two editions of it have been given in the United States of America.
Encouraged by these unequivocal proofs of approbation, and by the kind
offers of assistance from several eminent persons in Brazil, and from
others attached to the Portuguese interests in this country, I have
at length, and I trust not prematurely, ventured again to submit it
to the notice of the Public. In its present form, it is divested of
some details, which however interesting at the period of its first
publication, have ceased to be so; and their place has been supplied by
matter of higher and more lasting importance, collected from official
documents relative to Brazil, and from private memoranda communicated
by persons well acquainted with the present state of that interesting
country. For the opportunity of making many of these improvements, I
have to offer my grateful acknowledgments to the Conde de Funchal,
late ambassador from Portugal at the British Court; and I have also
to express my sincerest thanks to A. F. J. Marreco, Esq. for the
access which he has afforded me to various authentic and valuable
sources of information, and for his kind and judicious suggestions to
me while preparing the present edition for the press. How far I have
profited by these estimable advantages, will best appear from the work
itself, which I now submit to the equitable judgment of the Public.
Conciseness, as far as is consistent with fidelity of description, has
been my principal aim; and I trust that the reader will not think that
I have trespassed too much on his time, when he compares this with the
more voluminous productions which have recently been published on the
same subject.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
_Voyage to Cadiz and thence to the Rio de la Plata.—Adventures
at Monte Video.—Character of the Inhabitants.—Trade.—Climate.
—Geological Remarks.—Recent Changes.—Monte Video under the
Portuguese.—Agriculture and Trade of the Rio de la Plata._ 1
CHAPTER II.
_Journey to Barriga Negra.—Geology of the Country.—Limestone,
and mode of burning it.—Horned Cattle.—Peons.—Horses.—Defective
State of Agriculture.—Manners of the Inhabitants.—Dress.—Wild
Animals.—Monte Video taken by the British.—My return thither._ 22
CHAPTER III.
_Expedition against Buenos Ayres.—Account of the Population of
the Country, and Classes which compose it._ 46
CHAPTER IV.
_Voyage to St. Catherine’s.—Description of that Island, and of
the Coast in its Vicinity.—Arrival at Santos, and Journey thence
to S. Paulo._ 55
CHAPTER V.
_Description of S. Paulo.—System of Farming prevalent in its
Neighbourhood.—Excursion to the Gold Mines of Jaraguá.—Mode of
working them.—Return to Santos._ 92
CHAPTER VI.
_Coasting Voyage from Santos to Sapitiva, and Journey thence to
Rio de Janeiro._ 122
CHAPTER VII.
_Description of Rio de Janeiro.—Trade.—State of Society.—Visit to
the Prince Regent’s Farm at Santa Cruz._ 135
CHAPTER VIII.
_Journey to Canta Gallo._ 157
CHAPTER IX.
_Description of Canta Gallo.—Of the Gold-washing of Santa
Rita.—Account of the supposed Silver-Mine._ 170
CHAPTER X.
_Permission obtained to visit the Diamond Mines.—Account of a
pretended Diamond presented to the Prince Regent.—Journey to
Villa Rica._ 195
CHAPTER XI.
_Origin and present State of Villa Rica.—Account of the
Mint.—Visit to the City of Mariana.—Excursion to the Fazendas
of Barro and Castro, belonging to His Excellency the Conde de
Linhares._ 243
CHAPTER XII.
_Journey from Villa Rica to Tejuco, the Capital of the Diamond
District._ 287
CHAPTER XIII.
_Visit to the Diamond Works on the River Jiquitinhonha.—General
Description of the Works.—Mode of Washing.—Return
to Tejuco.—Visit to the Treasury.—Excursion to Rio
Pardo.—Miscellaneous Remarks._ 311
CHAPTER XIV.
_Some Account of the Districts of Minas Novas and Paracatu.—Of
the large Diamond found in the River Abaite._ 337
CHAPTER XV.
_Observations on Tejuco and Cerro do Frio._ 349
CHAPTER XVI.
_General View of Minus Geraes._ 376
CHAPTER XVII.
_Brief Notices on the Capitanias of Bahia, Pernambuco, Seara,
Maranham, Para, and Goyaz._ 391
CHAPTER XVIII.
_Geographical Description of the Capitania of Matto Grosso._ 407
CHAPTER XIX.
_Account of the Capitania of Rio Grande._ 442
CHAPTER XX.
_General Observations on the Trade from England to Brazil._ 450
_Appendix._ 473
_Index._ 487
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES,
WITH
DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.
1. View of the Square at Rio de Janeiro _to face the Title_
2. Peon catching Cattle Page 32
3. Horizontal Corn Mill and Pounding Machine[1] 190
4. Map of the Author’s Route 195
5. Topaz Mine (described p. 232) and Diamond-washing 314
6. Negroes washing for Diamonds, Gold, &c. 317
TRAVELS,
_&c. &c. &c._
CHAPTER I.
_Voyage to Cadiz and thence to the Rio de la Plata. Adventures at
Monte Video.—Character of the Inhabitants.—Trade.—Climate.
—Geological Remarks.—Recent Changes.—Monte Video under the Portugueze.
—Agriculture and Trade at the Rio de la Plata._
IN the year 1804, I was induced to undertake a voyage of commercial
experiment, on a limited scale, to the Rio de la Plata. On my arrival
at Monte Video, the ship and cargo were seized; I was thrown into
prison, and afterwards sent into the interior, where I was detained
until the taking of that place by the British troops under Sir Samuel
Auchmuty. I afterwards obtained leave to accompany the army under
General Whitelocke, which was sent against Buenos Ayres, and I rendered
such services to the expedition, as my two years’ residence in the
country enabled me to perform. At the termination of that expedition,
I went to Rio de Janeiro. A letter of introduction to the Viceroy of
Brazil, which was given me by the Portugueze Minister at London, gained
me the notice and protection of his brother, the Condé de Linhares, who
had then just arrived with the rest of the Court, and who recommended
me to the Prince Regent, as a person devoted to mineralogical pursuits,
and desirous of exploring the ample field for investigation which
his rich and extensive territories presented. His Royal Highness was
graciously pleased to further my views, not only by granting me letters
to the public functionaries of the various places I wished to visit,
but by ordering an escort of soldiers, and every other necessary
provision for performing the journey. I had the more reason to be
grateful for this munificent patronage, because I knew that a decree
existed, prohibiting all foreigners from travelling in the interior of
Brazil, and that no other Englishman had ever begun such an undertaking
with those indispensible requisites to its success, the permission and
sanction of the Government.
Observations, made, in the course of these Travels, on the country and
its inhabitants, constitute the main part of the volume now offered
to the public. Whatever be their faults or their merits, they relate
to a subject at present extremely interesting, both in a political
and a commercial point of view; they profess to develope the physical
resources of a colony, which, through recent changes, is likely to
become an empire; and in part, to portray the character of a nation
which is now the most ancient, and has ever been the most faithful,
ally of Great Britain.
As the recital of a voyage is proverbially tedious and superfluous, I
shall forbear to trouble the reader with any detail of mine, and shall
merely state, that, after encountering many difficulties at Cadiz, in
consequence of the rupture with Spain, I sailed for the Plata, and
having narrowly escaped shipwreck from a tremendous storm near the
mouth of that river, entered the harbour of Monte Video.
The hardships I experienced in reaching this ill-fated port, were a
fit prelude to the misfortunes that awaited me there. We were bound
for Buenos Ayres, but my captain, who in London and at Cadiz had
assured me that he had the experience of a pilot in the Rio de la
Plata, proved totally ignorant of its navigation, and urged this
circumstance as his reason for putting into Monte Video. Happy should
I have been, if this had been the only instance of his ignorance; he
gave an ill-judged and blundering report of me to the governor, and
the sailors affirmed that I was an Englishman, declaring at the same
time that we had passed an English squadron under Spanish colors.
This statement was enough to whet the avarice of the governor, who,
notwithstanding I had served the colony, in bringing a cargo which
was then much wanted, and every article of which had paid legal duty
in Cadiz, ordered me to be thrown into prison. I was placed in close
confinement on board a wretched sloop of war; and though my health
was much impaired in consequence of exertion during the voyage, I was
denied every comfort, except such indulgences, as the officers, who
lived on shore, could at times clandestinely allow. Unprovided with
letters of recommendation to any person in the town, and destitute
of the means of making myself known, I had the mortification to see
the property I had brought with me seized, and my papers taken away
to be searched and examined. I was enjoined to make declarations, and
to give evidence against myself, to men whose sole wish was to find
a pretext for criminating me. After three or four examinations, it
was found that I had sailed from Cadiz with a cargo of goods, marked,
manifested, and duly registered, as Spanish; nor could any circumstance
be discovered as a ground of accusation against me, but the strong
suspicion that I was an Englishman, and on that account could not be
too harshly treated. I had no lenity to expect from the governor, nor
indeed from any of his advisers, who were, for the most part, men of
the lowest order, refugees from Old Spain in consequence of criminal
prosecutions. The rest of his associates were the captains and officers
of two Spanish privateers, all Frenchmen, whose natural prejudices,
no doubt, contributed to foment his antipathy against me. My sole
reliance was on the consignee of the cargo, who at length arrived from
Buenos Ayres; but, instead of clearing up the affair, he joined my
persecutors, knowing that if he gave security he should have the cargo
delivered to him. This favorable opportunity he failed not to embrace;
he sold the property, and withheld the proceeds, under the pretext,
that he could not pay them over to me while I remained a prisoner. This
conduct to one who had depended on him for support, and who relied on
his continually delusive promises of assistance, proved him to be one
of those mean and spiritless beings whose station in society is mid-way
between the simpleton and the knave.
My confinement would probably have been long, but for the good services
of a Limenian, who attended me during my illness in Cadiz, and who had
come over in the vessel with me. He was the only person I was permitted
to see; and he interested himself so much in my behalf, that an old
gentlewoman, with whom he had formed an acquaintance, determined, on
hearing my story, to procure my liberation, and never rested until she
had procured two bondsmen to answer for my appearance when called for.
The treatment I experienced, while in prison, was one of the many
instances of oppression which disgraced the administration of the
governor, Pasqual Ruiz Huidobro. It is well known that his political
conduct was entirely subservient to the interests of the French,
and that he lost no opportunity of evincing his attachment to their
cause. As a further proof of this, I may state, that he caused all the
captured English seamen to be confined in the prison, and, although its
spacious court was doubly grated and guarded, he debarred them the use
of it, and ordered them to be shut up, night and day, in a small room,
the door of which was never opened except when victuals were given
them. Aware of his severity, and knowing that I was the only prisoner
at large, I was very circumspect, and strove to guard my conduct and
discourse against artful misconstruction; but I had the misfortune
to incur his displeasure at a moment when I least suspected it, by
a very trivial, and certainly unintentional offence. Some written
papers had been stuck up in various parts of the town, by order of
Government, inviting foreign seamen to enter the service. Returning
home at midnight from a visit, I observed one of these placards; the
rain, which was pouring very fast, had partly detached it from the
wall, and it was blown to and fro by the wind. Curious to examine the
contents of a paper that had attracted the attention of many persons
in the course of the day, I took it down and carried it home with me;
this was observed by an old Spaniard of the name of Dias, who gloried
much in having it in his power to injure me, though a perfect stranger
to him, and unconscious of having done any thing to excite his malice.
At the instance of this man an order was issued by the governor for my
arrest; I was roused from my bed by the officers, and again hurried
to prison. What charges were brought against me I could learn only by
report; they were vague and indefinite, and no opportunity of answering
them was allowed me. After a close confinement of six weeks, during
which period my case was laid before the Viceroy of Buenos Ayres, I was
again suffered to be at large, on payment of a fee of three hundred
dollars. It was to the humane exertions of my advocate, seconded by
those of the Limenian and the lady before-mentioned, that I owed this
mitigation of my captivity, and I gratefully acknowledge that they made
every provision in their power to render my situation comfortable.
During my stay at Monte Video another adventure befel me, which had
well nigh cost me my life; I am induced to relate it, by reason of the
insight it gives into the character of a certain class of the people.
I had gone on a shooting excursion to the promontory opposite Monte
Video, with my much-valued friend Captain Collet, owner of two or three
large American ships, and M. Godefroy, a merchant, resident in the
town. After some hours’ sport we met a party of four Spaniards, among
whom were Mr. Ortiga, the consignee of Captain Collet, and a person
called Manuel d’Iago. Our friend M. Godefroy had some conversation
with them at a short distance from us, and on his return gave us to
understand, that d’Iago had said it would not cost him above five
hundred dollars to send a pair of bullets through me, and that had I
been alone he would not have scrupled to do it. For this blood-thirsty
insinuation I was at a loss to conjecture any motive, nor knew I the
man, except by report, which designated him as a captain of militia,
extremely rigorous in his treatment of the unfortunate English,
whenever his turn to mount guard at the prison subjected them to his
authority.
We pursued our diversion; he and his party meanwhile arrived at the
Signal-house, about three miles above us, where they took refreshment.
Some space of time afterward we observed a horse-soldier ride down
towards us, who on approaching eyed us with a look of great suspicion.
I had some little talk with him, having frequently seen him there
before. He returned directly to the Guard-house, and an hour afterwards
five _blandengues_, or horse-soldiers, sallied from the place at
full speed, and, surrounding us, demanded our arms at the peril of
our lives. Each of us obeyed, by surrendering his fowling-piece, M.
Godefroy at the same time enquiring the cause of this extraordinary
treatment; but they ordered him to be silent, and to march on along
with us, or they would tie him on horseback. We were conducted to the
Guard-house, and delivered (the officer being absent) to the corporal
on guard, a fiery old Spaniard, who ordered us into an inner room,
and placed two centinels at the door. The fellow was so stifled by
passion, that we could not get an answer from him; at every moment he
was drawing a long sabre which hung at his side, and venting his fury
in the most abusive language. After a full half-hour of expostulation
on our part, and menace on his, M. Godefroy obtained a hearing from
him, and, declaring he was a merchant, married and actually settled in
Monte Video, begged to know by what authority and under what pretext
he was imprisoned. The corporal, on learning this, sent a soldier to
the officer on guard, and while waiting his return, related that D’Iago
had described us as Englishmen belonging to a privateer, who had landed
with an intention to blow up the powder-magazines, kill bullocks, and
plunder the natives. It was evident from his manner that he was very
willing to believe this account, and that by treating us with severity
he hoped to display his zeal for the service, and obtain promotion. M.
Godefroy’s testimony being at length attended to, another soldier was
dispatched to D’Iago’s party, who were not yet embarked, with notice
that one of us affirmed himself to be a resident in Monte Video. This
they did not contradict, but persisted in their accusations of the
rest of our party; Mr. Ortiga denied any knowledge of Captain Collet,
probably imagining that, in case of our conviction, he should benefit
by the cargoes which the latter had consigned to him; and for me, whom
they denounced as a spy, no punishment in their opinion could be too
ignominious. On the return of the soldier, the corporal thought proper
to release M. Godefroy, who took our boat to cross the port to Monte
Video, with the intention of procuring an order for our liberation;
but they had scarcely sailed, when a gust of wind arose, and as he and
two boys he had with him could not manage the sails, they were nearly
overset, and after considerable danger were picked up by a ship in the
road. Meanwhile Captain Collet and I remained in strict custody, and
at every syllable of complaint we uttered, the corporal brandished
his sabre over our heads, roared out for the guard, and vociferated
the most opprobrious language against the English. Thus threatened
at every moment with assassination, we withdrew into a corner of the
room, and quietly waited until the officer on guard arrived, when we
were conducted in great form, between two men with drawn swords, into
the room where he sat to receive us. Nothing could exceed my joyful
surprise at recognizing in the officer an excellent and worthy friend,
whom I had often visited at his farm, and who had given me repeated
proofs of his liberal disposition and intelligent mind. His surprise
exceeded mine; for instead of plunderers or spies, such as report had
described us, he found an American merchant and a prisoner at large
under bail. He was deeply grieved and ashamed at the treatment we had
met with, liberated us immediately, mounted us on his own horses,
and appointed a trusty person to attend us to Monte Video, where we
arrived at eight in the evening. The disappointment of the corporal
appeared as deep as his rage had been violent; and the recollection of
his conduct operated on us as a warning against persons of his class,
who rarely see an opportunity of doing mischief to a stranger, without
a strong inclination to avail themselves of it.
During the time I was at large, I had leisure to acquire some knowledge
of Monte Video. It is a tolerably well-built town, standing on a gentle
elevation at the extremity of a small peninsula, and is walled entirely
round. Its population amounts to between 15,000 and 20,000 souls. The
harbour, though shoal, and quite open to the _pamperos_, or south-west
gales, is the best in the Rio de la Plata; it has a very soft bottom of
deep mud. When the wind continues for some time at north-east, ships
drawing twelve feet water are frequently a-ground for several days, so
that the harbour cannot be called a good one for vessels above three
hundred or four hundred tons.
There are but few capital buildings; the town in general consists of
houses of one story, paved with bricks, and provided with very poor
convenience. In the square is a cathedral, very handsome, but awkwardly
situated; opposite to it, is an edifice divided into a town-house, or
_cabildo_, and a prison. The streets, having no pavement, are always
either clouded with dust or loaded with mud, as the weather happens to
be dry or wet. In seasons of drought the want of conduits for water is
a serious inconvenience, the well, which principally supplies the town,
being two miles distant.
Provisions here are cheap and in great abundance. Beef in particular
is very plentiful, and, though rarely fat or fine, makes excellent
soup. The best parts of the meat may, indeed, be called tolerable,
but they are by no means tender. The pork is not eatable. Such is
the profusion of flesh-meat, that the vicinity for two miles round,
and even the purlieus of the town itself, present filthy spectacles
of bones and raw flesh at every step, which feed immense flocks of
sea-gulls, and in summer breed myriads of flies, to the great annoyance
of the inhabitants, who are obliged at table to have a servant or two
continually employed in fanning the dishes with feathers, to drive away
those troublesome intruders.
Of the character of the inhabitants of Monte Video, I am perhaps not
qualified to speak impartially, having been treated with unmerited
harshness, deprived of my property, and repeatedly persecuted on
the most groundless suspicion. These abuses, however, are solely
chargeable on the governor and on the persons immediately under his
influence; and I am bound in fairness to avow, that I did not perceive
any disposition in the generality of the people to injure or oppress
me. From individuals in the town I received all the assistance which
disinterested benevolence could afford to a person in my critical
situation; and were I, from the impulse of gratitude, to judge of the
whole by a part, I should say, that the inhabitants of Monte Video,
particularly the Creolians, are humane and well-disposed, when not
actuated by political or religious prejudices. Their habits of life
are much the same with those of their brethren in Old Spain, and
seem to proceed from the same remarkable union of two opposite but
not incompatible qualities, indolence and temperance. The ladies are
generally affable and polite, extremely fond of dress, and very neat
and cleanly in their persons. They adopt the English costume at home,
but go abroad usually in black, and always covered with a large veil
or mantle. At mass they invariably appear in black silk, bordered with
deep fringes. They delight in conversation, for which their vivacity
eminently qualifies them, and they are very courteous to strangers.
The chief trade of Monte Video consists in hides, tallow, and dried
beef; the two former of these articles are exported to Europe, and the
latter is sent to the West Indies, especially to the Havannah. Coarse
copper from Chili, in square cakes, is sometimes shipped here, as well
as an herb called _Mate_ from Paraguay, the infusion of which is as
common a beverage in these parts as tea is in England.
Sugar, coffee, and sweetmeats, are supplied from Rio de Janeiro and
other parts of the Brazilian coasts by small traders. Some articles
of jewellery are also brought from thence, and the returns are made in
dollars, hides, and tallow, which are forwarded generally to Europe.
The inhabitants were by no means opulent before the English took
the garrison, but through the misfortunes of the latter at Buenos
Ayres, and the losses of our commercial adventurers by ill-judged and
imprudent speculations, they were considerably enriched. The great
prospects indulged in England, before the expedition to the Plata, of
immense profits by trade to that river, have generally ended in ruin;
very few, indeed, of the speculators have escaped without considerable
loss. Property, once litigated, might be considered in a fair way for
confiscation; and in case of its having been deposited until certain
questions were decided, restitution was generally obtained at the
loss of one half. It frequently happened that goods detained in the
Custom-houses, or lodged in private stores in the river, were opened,
and large quantities stolen. The party on whom suspicion seemed most
reasonably to fall was the consignee, who, even with a few cargoes, was
generally observed to get rich very rapidly. Not contented with the
profits accruing from his commission, he seldom scrupled to take every
advantage which possession of the property afforded him, to further
his own interests at the expence of his correspondent. The dread of a
legal process could be but a slight check upon him, for in the Spanish
courts of justice, as well as in others, a native and a stranger are
seldom upon equal terms. Other circumstances have occurred to enrich
the inhabitants of Monte Video. It is a fact, which I afterwards
ascertained, that the English exported thither, goods to the amount
of a million and a half sterling, a small portion of which, on the
restoration of the place to the Spaniards, was re-shipped for the Cape
of Good Hope and the West Indies; the remainder was for the most part
sacrificed at whatever price the Spaniards chose to give. As their own
produce advanced in proportion as our’s lowered in price, those among
them who speculated gained considerably. The holders of English goods
sold their stock at upwards of fifty per cent. profit immediately after
the evacuation of the place.
The climate of Monte Video is humid. The weather, in the winter months
(June, July, and August), is at times boisterous, and the air in that
season is generally keen and piercing. In summer the serenity of the
atmosphere is frequently interrupted by tremendous thunder-storms,
preceded by dreadful lightning, which frequently damages the shipping,
and followed by heavy rain, which sometimes destroys the harvest. The
heat is troublesome, and is rendered more so to strangers by the swarms
of mosquitoes, which it engenders in such numbers that they infest
every apartment.
The town stands on a basis of granite, the feldspar of which is for
the most part of an opaque milk-white color, in a decomposing state;
in some places it is found of a flesh-red color and crystallized.
The mica is generally large and foliated, in many places imperfectly
crystallized. It is obvious that the excessive quantity of mud in the
harbour and throughout the banks of the river cannot have been formed
from this stratum. The high mount on the opposite side of the bay,
which is crowned with a Light-house, and gives name to the town, is
principally composed of clay-slate, in laminæ perpendicular to the
horizon. This substance appears much like basalt in texture, but its
fracture is less conchoidal; it decomposes into an imperfect species of
wacké, and ultimately into ferruginous clay, from beds of which water
is observed to flow in various parts of the mountain.
The vicinity of Monte Video is agreeably diversified with low gently
sloping hills, and long valleys watered by beautiful rivulets; but the
prospects they afford are rarely enlivened by traces of cultivation;
few enclosures are seen except the gardens of the principal merchants.
The same defect appears in a north-east direction from the town, where
similar varieties of hill, valley, and water prevail, and seem to want
only the embellishment of sylvan scenery to complete the landscape.
Some wood, indeed, grows on the margin of the _Riachuelo_, which is
used for the building of hovels and for fuel. There is a pleasant
stream about ten leagues from Monte Video, called the Louza, the banks
of which seem to invite the labor of the planter, and would certainly
produce abundance of timber[2]. It is to be remarked that the almost
entire want of this article here, occasions great inconvenience and
expense: wood for mechanical purposes is extremely scarce, and planks
are so dear that hardly one house with a boarded floor is to be found.
In this vicinity the farms are of great extent; few are so small as
six miles in length, by a league in width. Such is the scarcity of
wood, that the land-marks, when not already designated by nature in a
chain of hills, a rivulet, or a valley, are made by ranges of stones
of a peculiar form. The _quintas_ (or farms owned by gentlemen),
with the country houses built upon them, as rural retreats for their
proprietors, resident in Monte Video, were extremely pleasant and
agreeable; the gardens were full of fine flowers and fruits, and every
thing about these establishments indicated so much peace, harmony,
and good neighbourhood, as to make an impression on the mind of a
stranger equally pleasing and indelible. But the scene, alas! has been
changed through the intestine discords produced by a revolutionary
war; and the colony has been reduced from a state of happiness to one
of distress and wretchedness. The inhabitants of the interior, having
been instigated to plunder each other until nothing remained, ranged
themselves under the banners of the predatory chieftain Artigas, and
formed a desperate banditti, who robbed and frequently murdered all
they met; drove the peaceable inhabitants from their farms, plundered
their houses, took away their cattle, reduced the rich to poverty, and
the poor to wretchedness, almost so as to desolate this once florishing
colony. A man, who but a few months before possessed 100,000 head of
cattle, was driven from his estate, and obliged to purchase, at the
price of one shilling per pound, the meat which he had formerly left in
the slaughter-house, having killed his beasts merely for their hides;
so that the necessaries of life which were once to be procured almost
gratuitously, became extravagantly dear; and the horrors of approaching
famine were superadded to those of anarchy and spoliation.
Reverting to the former order of things, I could name more than fifty
individuals of Monte Video, whose estates were from twenty to fifty
miles in length, by ten or twenty in breadth, with cattle in such
numbers as are almost incredible. An estate of this kind, consisting
of a varied extent of hill, plain, and valley, is called a _fazenda_,
as distinguished from the _quinta_, which bears a closer resemblance
to the English farm, being a portion of land, generally selected near
the house, for the culture of wheat, beans, Indian corn, melons, fruit
trees, &c.
The farm house is almost destitute of furniture; the couch consists of
a raw hide, stretched and suspended, on which is placed a flock bed;
strangers most commonly sleep on a mat, or dried hide, spread upon the
ground.
At a small distance from Monte Video, herds of deer, and flocks of
ostriches are to be met with; the eagle is often seen, and sometimes
the tiger. Soon after the time when the troops of Artigas drove the
cattle from the mountain opposite, two tigers swam across the bay,
penetrated at night into the town, and killed two or three of the
inhabitants ere they were attacked and destroyed. They were supposed to
have been driven by hunger in search of food.
The country which was formerly so peaceable and so safe, that a
traveller might go to almost any distance, and meet with nothing but
hospitality, has been latterly so infested with banditti, that to
wander a mile or two from the town exposes a man to the danger of
being robbed and murdered; so that while anarchy and confusion prevail
within, there is nothing but plunder and destruction without the walls
of Monte Video. It has however fallen into the possession of the
Portuguese, who cannot be dislodged from so strong a fortress by any
force which their neighbours are able to bring against them. Indeed,
the Potuguese, availing themselves of the advantages afforded by the
disorganized state of Buenos Ayres, will, no doubt, incorporate the
northern part of the Plata with the captaincy of Rio Grande, and thus
extend to that distracted country the blessings of their own mild and
beneficent government. Artigas being at length taken prisoner, public
confidence will be restored in Monte Video, and the reign of peace and
security be there re-established.
The operation of ploughing, consists here of little more than forming a
small furrow, by running a sharp pointed stick through the soil. There
are no dairy farms, and scarcely is any butter or cheese made. Mining
is unknown; and little notice is taken of the small quantity of lead
ore which appears in limestone at Maldonado.
An estate, however large, seldom contains more than from ten to twenty
men, who are employed in domesticating cattle; and scarcely a woman
is to be seen, except the domestic negresses. Sheep are kept solely
for their wool, and pigs for their fat, an article much in request for
culinary preparations. The usual mode of travelling is on horseback,
and there are very few carriages in Monte Video.
The breeding of horses is less attended to than that of cattle, as
their hides sell at an inferior price. Herds of 500 or 1000 horses are
not often seen in this district, though those of oxen sometimes amount
to ten times the latter number. Cows are but seldom domesticated,
and then very few, and it is by mere stratagem in managing the calf
that any milk can be procured. Every kind of handicraft trade is
ill conducted. Though the Monte Videans have hides, they procure
their leather from Europe, as that which they make themselves is
comparatively worthless. Their carpenters and other artisans are bad
workmen; but I am told their barbers are men of superior skill in their
calling, and this distinction may, perhaps, be attributed to the great
beards of the Spaniards; the men of Paraguay having a stinted portion
of that natural ornament. The silversmiths are of so inferior a stamp,
that they might with greater propriety be called coppersmiths. The
common people excel most in catching cattle, either with the noose, or
the balls.
In the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, wheat alone is
grown. It is stored, until wanted, in hides; and when there is a great
demand for grain in Brazil, it is sometimes exported to Rio de Janeiro.
But of late years the inhabitants of the provinces of La Plata have
paid less attention than ever to this branch of agriculture; and the
supplies to Brazil have been chiefly derived from the Cape of Good
Hope.
CHAP. II.
_Journey to Barriga Negra.—Geology of the Country.—Limestone, and
mode of burning it.—Horned Cattle.—Peons.—Horses.—Defective
State of Agriculture.—Manners of the Inhabitants.—Dress.—Wild
Animals.—Monte Video taken by the British.—My return thither._
ON the arrival of General Beresford’s expedition in the river, I
was again ordered into close confinement, but my advocate obtained
permission for me to be sent into the interior, under a stipulation not
to approach within forty leagues of Monte Video. This removal seemed
for the moment to shut out all hope of obtaining my liberty, and at the
same time threatened to expose me to fresh dangers, but I derived some
consolation from the generous offers of shelter and protection made to
me by a worthy Spaniard named Don Juan Martinez, whose establishment,
not more than fifty leagues from the lake of Meni, was situated at
the full distance prescribed in the orders respecting me. A retreat
so remote and unfrequented offered few amusements to relieve the
tediousness of banishment, but it at least afforded the prospect of a
wider range for mineralogical observation, and of ampler leisure to
attend to this my favorite pursuit.
In the course of the journey thither, my attention was principally
engaged by the wild and solitary aspect of the country. About
twenty-five leagues north-east from Monte Video, I observed an
irregular ridge of granite mountains, in a direction nearly north and
south, and the country from this distance gradually assumes a rugged
appearance. Mica is very common upon the road, and in some places
quartz; on one hill I gathered several detached crystals of the latter
substance. The ravines of these stony wilds and the wooded margins of
the rivers afford shelter to many ferocious animals, such as jaguars,
(here called tigers), lions, and ounces. Here are also great numbers
of wild dogs which breed in the rocks, and at times make great havoc
among the young cattle. The farms in this district, for the most part,
include tracts of land from twenty to thirty miles in length by half
that extent in breadth, watered by pleasing streams. Vast herds of
cattle are bred upon them; it is calculated that each square league
sustains one thousand five hundred or two thousand head.
At the distance of about forty leagues from Monte Video, in the
direction above mentioned, the range of hills gradually lessens and
disappears; the country opens finely on the left, and is intersected
by numerous rivulets. After crossing several of these we arrived
at the head of a little brook called Polancos, which a few miles
below, assumes the name of Barriga Negra. It there receives several
small streams, and in the course of ten leagues is augmented by the
confluence of some others; becoming thus a considerable river, about as
large as the Trent at Gainsborough, it is denominated Godoy, but, on
passing into the Portugueze territories, it changes its name to that
of Sebollati, and flows into the Lagun Meni. Near the junction of two
rivulets that form the Barriga Negra, stands the great lime-kiln of my
friend, in whose house I took up my residence, and was received with
that kindness and sincere hospitality which in an instant dispelled
every doubt from my mind, and excited in me sentiments of gratitude
that were every day more deeply impressed in my heart.
Having become thoroughly domesticated in my new abode, I began to make
excursions into the surrounding district and the parts beyond it. The
country in general may be termed stony and mountainous, though its
inequalities do not exceed those of Derbyshire. No traces of either
volcanic or alluvial matter are to be found; the solid rock frequently
appears on the surface, and in many places projects in masses of
various sizes. The mountains and rocks are of granite; no veins of
metallic substance have hitherto been discovered, but fine red and
yellow jasper, chalcedony, and quartz, are not unfrequently found loose
on the surface. Some fossils of the asbestos kind, and some very poor
oxides of iron are likewise to be met with occasionally. The bases
of many of the conical mountains are overlaid with limestone of a
dull blue color; I found in this substance many capillary veins of
calcareous-spar, and sometimes crystals of pyrites. In one part of the
vicinity there is a plain about half a mile square, on the surface of
which are found large quantities of white stone in nodules; it is of a
very close texture and proves to be gypsum without water (Anhydrite).
The summits of these mountains are no where calcareous, excepting those
of one ridge, the singular appearance of which induced me to trace it
as far as was practicable. The limestone on these summits is of a close
compact kind, united to transparent quartz in a tabular form, standing,
as it were, in laminæ perpendicular to the horizon, and thus presenting
to the view a number of upright slabs, somewhat similar to the
grave-stones in a country church-yard. This singular ridge apparently
commences at a mountain of very unusual form, and, extending about two
miles, in which it crosses two or three valleys, and terminates in a
ravine of considerable depth. No vestige of calcareous crystallization
appeared in this limestone[3]. It is singular to remark, that the
cavities formed by the laminæ afford refuge for reptiles, particularly
rattle-snakes; the person employed by Mr. Martinez in getting the
stone, destroyed upwards of twenty-seven serpents of that species in
the course of a few weeks.
The limestone is loosened by the wedge and lever, and brought away
in large slabs to the kilns, where it is broken into fragments of a
convenient size, and burnt with wood. The kilns are very capacious,
but so badly constructed that the process of calcination is very slow
and tedious. The lime, when slaked, is measured, put into sacks made
of green hides, and sent in large carts, drawn by oxen, principally to
Colonia del Sacramento, Monte Video, and Buenos Ayres.
Barriga Negra is distant about 160 miles north-east from Monte Video,
about 120 from Maldonado, and 90 from the town of Minas. The country
around it is mountainous, well watered, and not destitute of wood. The
banks of the streams are thickly covered with trees, rarely, however,
of large size, for the creeping plants, interweaving with the shoots,
check their growth and form an impenetrable thicket. Here are numbers
of great breeding estates, many of which are stocked with from 60,000
to 200,000 head of cattle. These are guarded principally by men from
Paraguay called Peons, who live in hovels built for the purpose at
convenient distances. Ten thousand head are allotted to four or five
Peons, whose business it is to collect them every morning and evening,
and once or twice a month to drive them into pens, where they are kept
for a night. The cattle by this mode of management are soon tamed; a
ferocious or vicious beast I never saw among them. Breeding is alone
attended to; neither butter nor cheese is made, and milk is scarcely
known as an article of food. The constant diet of the people, morning,
noon, and night, is beef, eaten almost always without bread, and
frequently without salt. This habitual subsistence on strong food would
probably engender diseases, were it not corrected by frequently taking
an infusion of their favorite herb _Mate_, at all times of the day,
when inclination calls for it.
The dwellings of the Peons are in general very wretched, the walls
being formed by a few upright posts interwoven with small branches of
trees, plastered with mud inside and out, and the roof thatched with
long grass and rushes. The door is also of wicker-work, or, in its
stead, a green hide stretched on sticks and removable at pleasure. The
furniture of these poor hovels consists of a few skulls of horses,
which are made to serve for seats; and of a stretched hide to lie upon.
The principal if not the sole cooking utensil is a spit or rod of iron,
stuck in the ground in an oblique position, so as to incline over the
fire. The beef when spitted is left to roast until the part next the
fire is supposed to be done enough, then its position is altered, and
the change is occasionally repeated, until the whole is cooked. The
juices of the meat, by this mode of roasting, help to mend the fire,
and indeed the people seem to think that they are fit for nothing else.
The meat, which is naturally poor and coarse, being thus dried to
a cake, bears little affinity to the boasted roast beef of England.
Fuel, in some parts, is so extremely scarce that the following strange
expedient is resorted to for a supply. As the mares in this country
are kept solely for breeding, and are never trained to labor, they
generally exceed, in a great degree, the due proportion; a flock of
them is frequently killed, and their carcasses soon becoming dry, are
used as firing, (with the exception of the hides and tails), which,
when properly prepared, are packed for exportation.
The Peons are chiefly emigrants from Paraguay[4], and it is a singular
fact that, among the numbers that are here settled, very few women
are to be found. A person may travel in these parts for days together
without seeing or hearing of a single female in the course of his
journey. To this circumstance may be attributed the total absence of
domestic comfort in the dwellings of these wretched men, and the gloomy
apathy observable in their dispositions and habits. It is true that the
mistress of an estate may occasionally visit it for a few months, but
she is obliged during her stay to live in great seclusion, on account
of the dreadful consequences to be apprehended from being so exposed.
The dexterous mode in which the Peons catch their cattle, by throwing
a noose over them, has been frequently detailed, but certainly no
description can do full justice to their agility. They throw with equal
precision and effect, whether at full gallop or at rest. Their method
of catching horses, by means of balls attached to leather thongs,
is similar to the former but more unerring; scarcely an instance has
been known of its failure, except in those frequent trials which are
requisite to acquire perfect skill in the practice.
They have a very singular and simple way of training mules and horses
to draw light carts, coaches, &c. No harness is used; a saddle or pad
is girted on, and a leather thong is fastened to the girth on one side,
so that the animal moving forward, with his body in a rather oblique
direction, keeps his legs clear of the apparatus which is attached
to him, and draws with a freedom and an agility that in a stranger
excite great surprise. A similar contrivance is used in the catching
of cattle. The Peon fastens one end of his _lazo_[5] to the girth of
his horse, who soon learns to place himself in such an attitude as to
draw the ox which his rider has caught, and even, should the latter
dismount, to keep the thong on the stretch.
The horses in this country are very spirited, and perform almost
incredible labor. They seldom work longer than a week at a time, being
then turned out to pasture for months together. Their sole food is
grass, and the treatment they endure from their masters is most harsh
and unfeeling. They are frequently galloped until their generous fire
is spent, and they drop through exhaustion and fatigue. The make of the
bridle is alone sufficient to torture the animal, being of the heavy
Spanish fashion. They are never shod. The girths of the saddles are of
a curious construction; they are generally formed of shreds of green
hide, or of the sinew of the neck; the middle part is twenty inches
broad, and each end is terminated by an iron ring. One of these ends is
made fast to the saddle by its ring; to the other side of the saddle is
attached a third ring and a pliable strap, which, being passed through
it and the girth-ring three or four times, affords the rider great
purchase, and enables him to gird the saddle very tight, which is thus
kept so firm in its place that a crupper is unnecessary, and indeed is
never used.
Trained horses sell here at from five to seven dollars each; horned
cattle, in good condition, by the herd of a thousand, at two dollars
a head; mares at three rials (1s. 6d. sterling) each. Sheep are very
scarce and are never eaten; they are kept by some families merely for
the sake of their wool, which is made into flocks for bedding. It is
worthy of remark, that, in the remote parts of the interior, where
no settlements have been made, the cattle are found of a dark brown
color, except on a small part of the belly, which is white, but when
they become domesticated, they produce breeds of a lighter color, with
hides beautifully spotted and variegated. The fine herds bred in many
parts of this district, have often tempted the Portugueze to make
predatory incursions; and the country being accessible by fine open
passes to the frontier, as well as to the north side of the Plata,
these violations of territory have been carried on to a very serious
extent. So frequent were they at one period, that it became necessary
to appoint a military force to parade the boundaries and to defend the
Spanish settlements against these inroads.
[Illustration: PEON CATCHING CATTLE.]
[Illustration: PLOUGHING FOR WHEAT.
OSTRICH NEST.]
In taking a general view of the country, a stranger cannot but observe,
with regret, that while nature has been profuse in her blessings, the
inhabitants have been neglectful in the improvement of them. Here is,
for instance, abundance of excellent clay and plenty of wood on the
margin of the rivers, yet it is rare to meet with an inclosure, even
for a kitchen garden, much more so for a corn-field. They generally
choose their grounds for tillage by the banks of a rivulet, so as to
have one side or sometimes two sides bounded by it; the remainder is
fenced in the most clumsy and bungling manner imaginable. Ploughing is
performed by the help of two oxen yoked to a crooked piece of wood,
about four inches in diameter, and pointed at the end. After the ground
has been rooted up, the wheat is sown, without any previous attempt to
clear it from noxious seeds. While it grows up, it is never weeded; so
that wild oats, poppies, and other pernicious herbs, thriving among it
in wild luxuriance, obstruct the sun’s rays and hinder it from ripening
kindly. Indian corn, beans, melons, &c. are all treated in a similar
way. The wheat, when ripe, is cut down with sickles, and gathered
into heads or sheaves. A circular pen of from forty to sixty yards in
diameter is then formed with rails and hides; in the centre of this
enclosure is placed a quantity of about one hundred or two hundred
quarters of wheat in the straw. The pile is so formed as to have the
ears on the outside as much as possible. A small quantity is pulled
down towards the circumference of the circle, and a herd of about
twenty mares is driven in, which, being untamed, are easily frightened
and made to gallop round. At this pace they are kept by means of whips
for four or five hours, until the corn is trod out of the ears, and
the straw is completely reduced. Another parcel of the sheaves is then
pulled down, and a fresh herd of mares is let in, and this operation
is repeated until the whole heap is reduced, and the straw is broken
as small as chaff. In this state it is left until it blows a brisk
gale; and then the winnowing is performed by emptying baskets of the
mixed grain and chaff at an elevation of eight feet from the ground.
While the chaff is borne away by the current of air, the grain falls,
and at the close of the operation, is sewed up in green hides. In this
state it is sent to Monte Video, where it is ground for consumption,
or exported. It is obvious, that by the above mode of separating the
grain, a considerable quantity must be lost by abrasion, and by mixture
with a large portion of earth which cannot be blown away by the wind.
The climate and soil are equally favorable for the growth of grapes,
apples, peaches, and in short every species of fruit belonging to
the temperate zone, but these are known here only as rarities. That
inestimable root, the potatoe, would thrive abundantly, if once
introduced; but, though much has been said in recommendation of it,
the people remain totally averse to this or any other proposal for
improving their means of subsistence, and seem to wish for nothing
beyond the bare necessaries of life. Indeed the state of society among
them weakens those ties which naturally attach men to the soil on which
they are accustomed to subsist. The Peons, brought from Paraguay in
their infancy, grow up to the age of manhood in a state of servitude,
uncheered by domestic comfort; at that period they generally wander,
in search of employment, toward the coast, where money is in greater
plenty. There is no specie in circulation in the interior; their wages
are paid monthly in notes on Monte Video. The men, for the most part,
are an honest and harmless race, though quite as liable, from the
circumstances of their condition, to acquire habits of gambling[6], as
the higher classes of the people, numbers of whom fall victims to that
seductive vice. The various evils hence resulting are multiplied by the
lax administration of the laws; even in case of murder the criminal
has little to fear if he can escape to a distance of twenty or thirty
leagues; he there lives in obscurity, probably for the remainder of
his life, without ever being brought to justice. I know not whether
this want of vigilance in the magistracy be not a temptation for the
numerous refugees who seek shelter here, such as European Spaniards,
who have deserted from the service or have been banished for their
crimes. These wretches, loaded with guilt, flee into the interior,
where they seldom fail to find some one or other of their countrymen
who is willing to give them employment, though frequently at the peril
of his life. By the corrupt example of these refugees, the innocent
Creole is soon initiated in vice, and becomes a prey to all those
violent passions which are engendered and fostered by habitual idleness.
The common dress of the people is such as might be expected from their
indolence and poverty. They generally go without shoes and stockings;
indeed as they rarely go on foot, they have seldom occasion for shoes.
Some of them, particularly the Peons, make a kind of boots from the
raw skins of young horses, which they frequently kill for this sole
purpose. When the animal is dead, they cut the skin round the thigh,
about eighteen inches above the gambrel; having stripped it, they
stretch and dress it until it loses the hair and becomes quite white.
The lower part, which covered the joint, forms the heel, and the
extremity is tied or sewed up to cover the toes. These boots, when
newly finished, are of a delicate color, and very generally admired.
The rest of their apparel consists of a jacket, which is universally
worn by all ranks, and a shirt and drawers made of a coarse cotton
cloth brought from Brazil. Children run about with no dress but their
shirts until their fifth or sixth year. Their education is very little
attended to, and is confined to mere rudiments; a man who is able to
read and write, is considered to have all the learning he can desire.
Among the many natural advantages which this district possesses, are
the frequent falls in the rivulets and larger streams, which might be
converted to various mechanical purposes, if the population were more
numerous and better instructed. Some of these streams, as was before
stated, join the various branches of the Godoy, and flow into the lake
Meni; those on the other side of the mountains in a northerly direction
empty themselves principally through the Riachuelo and the St. Lucia,
into the Plata.
The want of cultivation in this vast territory may be inferred from
the numbers and varieties of wild animals which breed upon it.
Tigers, ounces, and lions are common. The former are heavy sluggish
animals; their chief prey is the young cattle, which they find in such
abundance, that they rarely attack a man. Hence little danger is to be
apprehended from them by any person travelling on horseback[7], unless
when inadvertently approaching the haunt of a female with young. The
ounce has the same character, and the lion is considered less vicious
than either. There is an animal of the pig kind, called the pig of
the woods, (_Pecari_),[8] which has an orifice on its back, whence it
emits a most intolerable stench when closely pursued. If on killing
the animal, the part be instantaneously cut out, the flesh affords
good eating, but should that operation be neglected, even for a short
period, the taint contaminates the whole carcass. The domestic pigs are
by no means good; they feed so much upon beef, that their flesh is very
hard and coarse. There is an animal of the opossum kind, about the size
of a rabbit, called a _zurilla_, the skin of which is streaked black
and white, and is considered of some value. When attacked, it ejects a
fetid liquor, which is of so pungent a nature, that if it falls on any
part of the dress of its pursuers, there is no possibility of getting
rid of the stench, but by continual exposure to the weather for some
months. The _zurilla_ is very fond of eggs and poultry, and sometimes
enters a house in quest of its prey; the inhabitants immediately
hasten out and leave their unwelcome visitant in quiet possession, as
long as she chooses to stay; well aware that the slightest attempt to
drive her out, would expose them to an ejectment from the premises
for ever. Eagles both of the grey and blue species, as well as other
birds of prey, are found in great numbers. Here are also parroquets in
immense flocks, pigeons, great red-legged partridges, small partridges,
wild ducks, and wild turkies. Ostriches of a large species are very
numerous; they are so fleet and active, that even when well mounted I
could never get near them but by surprise; the stroke of their wing is
said to be inconceivably strong.
Here are considerable herds of small deer, which in this fine country
would afford the sportsman excellent diversion; but unfortunately
the dogs are good for nothing, as there is no attention paid to the
preservation and improvement of the breed. The rivers produce tortoises
and other amphibious animals, but they are chiefly noted for a variety
of singularly ugly fish, which afford tolerable but by no means good
eating.
During a residence of six months in this remote district, as a
prisoner at large, or in fact as a welcome guest at the house of
a most hospitable man, my life passed away in an equable tenor,
uninterrupted by those vicissitudes that elsewhere befel me, and
therefore a narrative of it is little calculated to interest the
reader. Rather than occupy his attention by relating my various hopes
and disappointments, as the prospect of liberation became more or less
favorable, I have chosen to present him with the result of some general
observations on the country, made during the daily excursions which
I enjoyed through the liberality of my friend. The longer I resided
in his house, the greater was his kindness to me in allowing me those
indulgences, and the more did he and his family strive to render my
exile agreeable. An event at length occurred which at once delighted
and distressed me; because while it afforded me hopes of immediate
deliverance, it destroyed for a time the harmony which had so long
subsisted between me and my protector. I allude to the taking of Monte
Video by the British troops under Sir Samuel Auchmuty.
On hearing of the surrender of the place, I solicited Mr. Martinez
to liberate me, as I thought myself no longer a prisoner. He seemed
much astonished at this, and gave me to understand that I continued a
prisoner, because, not being actually at Monte Video, I was still in
the power and under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy of Buenos Ayres.
This worthy man’s mind was so distracted by the fall of the town, and
by the disgrace of the Spanish arms, that he secluded himself from
society, and avoided all communication with me. In these circumstances
I was advised to attempt my escape, but I felt great repugnance at the
idea of thus wounding the feelings of a man who had humanely released
me from confinement, and had ever treated me as a brother. Averse to
such an act of ingratitude, I intreated his amiable wife to intercede
for me, and to suggest that, on returning to Monte Video, it might be
in my power to be of service to him. But he rejected the proposal in
the most vehement manner, and forbade any one to talk to him on the
subject. I now thought that my liberty was unreasonably denied me, and
as I saw no probability of obtaining it but through my own exertions,
I determined at all events to make the attempt. After deliberating for
some days, and consulting with two men who had frequently mentioned
the subject to me, I decided on my plan of escape, and gave them six
ounces of gold to provide horses and every thing necessary. On the
appointed night, all was in readiness, the horses were saddled, and the
men waiting to escort me. This moment was one of the most melancholy
in my life; I reflected with compunction, that, while striving to
regain my freedom, I was apparently abusing the confidence of a man of
honor, who had done all in his power to merit my friendship. Agitated
by these emotions, and oppressed by a sadness which the thick gloom
of the night rendered more heavy, I was walking to and fro in the
neighbourhood, on the spot appointed for my guides to meet me, when a
voice, with which I was familiar, accosted me. The person was very near
me, but owing to the extreme darkness I could not see him. He asked me
what I was doing there. I replied, “only walking about.” “Don Juan,”
said he “you are going to escape to-night.” I answered, “indeed I am
not.” He replied, “you are; and the men whom you have chosen for your
guides are to murder you, to seize your money, and to bury you in a
ravine about a league distant. The man in whom you have most confided
has a knife concealed in his saddle, with which he is to give you the
fatal blow.” This so staggered me, that I was unable, at the moment,
to make any answer. I felt confident that no one knew of my intended
departure, except the two men and myself. On asking, “how do you know
this?” he replied, “I overheard them talking of it.” He added, “you
know they are both gamblers, and one of them killed two men last year.”
Ere I had recovered my surprise, so as to speak again, the man went
away. While meditating on the choice of evils, namely, whether to run
the risk of being murdered and thrown into a ravine, or to abandon my
design and remain a prisoner, one of my hired Peons came to inform
me that the horses were waiting. I told him I had a violent pressure
at my stomach and could not ride. He treated this very lightly, and
urged me with great earnestness to mount at all events. Considering
at this moment that money was of little value in comparison with my
life and liberty, I offered to give him two ounces of gold if he
would perform a piece of service for me, which I would explain to him
through my room-window at midnight. He still used every argument to
persuade me immediately to set out, but finding that I persisted in
alleging my indisposition as an excuse, he at length acceded to my
proposal. Having reached my chamber, I wrote to a magistrate at Monte
Video, who, I knew, would, if he had survived the assault of the town,
send an order for my liberation. When I had finished writing, the man
appeared at the window according to agreement; I gave him the letter,
charged him to convey it to Monte Video, and presenting him with two
ounces of gold, promised him another ounce if he should bring me an
answer. He departed unknown to any of our good family, and on the
fifth day following, in the forenoon, returned, to my inexpressible
joy, with a paper signed by Don Francisco Juanico, the magistrate to
whom I had written, stating that I was free, and ought immediately to
proceed thither. On receiving this welcome intelligence, I hastened
to Mr. Martinez, and joyfully embracing him, gave him the paper to
read; after examining its contents, he observed, that it was nothing
official, but would avail me as a reasonable pretext for going away,
to which he cordially acquiesced. He immediately ordered three Peons
and a trusty old Creole to accompany me, with twenty-five horses, that
we might perform the journey with greater expedition. The best dinner
was provided which the time would allow, and while partaking of it I
received the sincerest congratulations on my liberation from my worthy
host and his amiable lady. I then took an affectionate leave of every
branch of this good family, expressing my warm acknowledgments of the
many obligations they had conferred on me. Having joined my guides, we
each mounted a horse, and, at three in the afternoon, set off at full
speed, driving the rest of the cattle before us. My first horse bore me
forty miles, and I changed him at ten o’clock. The night was fine, and
after a rapid but pleasant journey, we forded the river St. Lucia and
halted at two in the morning, half way on the route to Monte Video. At
the house, into the _corral_ of which our horses were driven for the
purpose of changing them, I procured a slight repast of dried figs,
after which we again mounted and travelled tolerably fresh until six
in the morning, when we were again obliged to change, having proceeded
about one hundred English miles. Our horses now began to lose their
generous spirit, and were much distressed. As our progress became
slower and our changes more frequent, my anxiety increased, because I
was aware there were Spanish parties scouring the country about Monte
Video, and stopping the passage of all provisions from the interior. To
avoid suspicion, I rode in the dress of a Peon, with the lazo coiled
up and hung at my saddle. At eleven o’clock the heat of the day became
oppressive, and our horses flagged exceedingly. To add to my distress
I had a violent hæmorrhage from the nose, and could obtain no water to
drink or wash with, so that, through thirst and the coagulation of the
blood, I was nearly suffocated. On arriving within six miles of Monte
Video, our horses were nearly worn out; but no rest could be allowed
for either them or the men. At noon we reached an English piquet-guard
on the out-posts; after the usual questions I was conducted by a
soldier to the officer on guard, and having explained some particulars
to him, I rode to General Lumley’s tent, and afterwards into the town.
No language can describe my emotions on beholding an English flag
on that tower in which I had been so often confined, and, on seeing
English soldiers in possession of a place where I had experienced so
much injustice and oppression. The joy I felt made me forget my fatigue
and the dangers I had passed through. I rode up to my friend’s house;
all was barricadoed, and I feared the worst might have happened; but,
on advancing to the window, I observed one of the ladies, who instantly
recognized me. All the family welcomed me most cordially, and invited
me to dinner, after which I went, in my Peon’s disguise, to visit some
of my friends. On taking possession of Mr. Martinez’s house, I found my
chests, &c. undisturbed, (although the town was taken by storm), and in
the same condition as when I left them on going into the country.
CHAP. III.
_Expedition against Buenos Ayres.—Account of the Population of the
Country, and of the various Classes which compose it._
WHEN the expedition against Buenos Ayres was ready to sail, I obtained
General Whitelocke’s permission to go with the army, under the hope
of recovering the property I had in that city, and offered my service
to the commissary-general, whom I accompanied. As the details of that
disastrous enterprise have been long before the public in an official
form, and as my own observations on the occasion are of no general
interest, the reader will excuse me if I forbear all mention of them,
and confine myself to some general remarks on the colony.
The population of Buenos Ayres and its immediate suburbs, exclusive of
the country in its vicinity, has been ascertained to amount to upwards
of sixty thousand souls. The proportion of females to males is said to
be as four to one, but if we take into consideration that many men are
almost daily arriving from Europe, as well as from the South American
provinces, and that under the old government neither the militia nor
the marine was recruited from the mass of the population, we shall
find reason to conclude that the proportion of the sexes is not so
unequal. In the interior, the excess of males is very great, for as
the lands are granted in large tracts only, and but poorly cultivated,
there is no encouragement for the laboring classes to marry and settle
upon them. The poor are compelled to remain single, from the very bare
resources on which they depend for subsistence, and are accustomed
to consider the married state as fraught with heavy burthens and
inevitable misfortunes. It is not uncommon to find estates, larger than
an English county, with hardly more than an hundred laborers upon them,
who subsist upon the sale of a little corn, which each is permitted to
grow for himself, but only to such an extent as a single man can plough.
The various races which compose the population are as follow:
1. Legitimate Spaniards or Europeans. In Buenos Ayres there are about
three thousand; in the interior the number is very trifling, except in
Potosi, which, being a mining country, contains many.
2. Creoles; legitimate descendants from Spaniards or Europeans.
3. Mestizos, the offspring of European and Indian parents.
4. Indians, almost all of whom have some mixture of Spanish blood.
5. Brown mixtures of Africans and Europeans.
6. Mulattos of various degrees.
All these races intermix without restraint, so that it is difficult
to define the minor gradations, or to assign limits to the
ever-multiplying varieties. Few families are entirely exempt from
characteristics of Indian origin, physical as well as moral. It is well
known that in the Spanish colonies little regard is now paid to purity
of blood; the various regulations for preserving the races distinct
have gradually become obsolete. This may be regarded as a momentary
evil; but may it not be conducive in the long-run to the good of
society, by concentrating the interests of the various classes, which,
in remaining separate, might one day endanger the stability of the
government, as has been the case in the French colony of St. Domingo?
In describing the orders of society in Buenos Ayres, it is necessary to
premise that I mean to class them, not by degrees of birth, rank, or
profession, but by the relative estimation in which they stand in point
of property or public usefulness.
According to this scale, the first which comes under consideration is
the commercial class. Every person belonging to it, from the huckster
at the corner of the street, to the opulent trader in his warehouse,
is dignified by the appellation of merchant; yet few individuals among
them can lay just claim to that title, as they are wanting in that
practical knowledge so essential in commercial dealings. They are
averse to all speculation and enterprise; the common routine of their
business is to send orders to Spain for the articles they need, and to
sell by retail, at an exorbitant profit; beyond this they have hardly a
single idea, and it has been said that their great reason for opposing
a free trade with foreign nations, is a consciousness of their own
mercantile inexperience. The more considerable houses are almost all
branches of some European establishment; few of the Creoles have any
regular trade. Those among them, however, who engage in it, are much
more liberal in their transactions than the old Spaniards, and are
observed to make less rapid fortunes, for their manly and independent
character makes them spurn a miserable economy, and disdain to assume
that church-going hypocrisy which must be practised twice or thrice
a-day by those who would enrich themselves through the patronage of the
opulent families. Among the inferior tradesmen, those who gain most are
the _pulperos_, the warehousemen, and the shopkeepers. The _pulperos_
retail wine, brandy, candles, sausages, salt, bread, spices, wood,
grease, brimstone, &c. Their shops (_pulperias_) are generally
lounging-places for the idle and dissipated of the community. In Buenos
Ayres there are about seven hundred of them, each more or less in the
interest of some richer individual. The warehousemen sell earthen and
glass ware, drugs, various articles of consumption, and some goods
of home-manufacture, wholesale and retail. The shopkeepers amount
to nearly six hundred in number; they sell woollen cloths, silks,
cotton goods of all sorts, hats, and various other articles of wearing
apparel. Many of them make considerable fortunes, those especially
who trade to Lima, Peru, Chili, or Paraguay, by means of young men
whom they send as agents or factors. There is another description of
merchants, if such they may be called, who keep in the back-ground, and
enrich themselves by monopolizing victuals, and by forestalling the
grain brought to market from the interior, much to the injury of the
agricultural interest.
The second class of inhabitants consists of the proprietors of estates
and houses. They are in general Creoles, for few Europeans employ
their funds in building, or in the purchase of land, until they have
realised a fortune to live upon, which commonly takes place when they
are far advanced in life, so that their establishments pass immediately
into the hands of their successors. The simple landholders derive so
little revenue from their possessions, that they are generally in
debt to their tradesmen; their gains are but too commonly engrossed
by the monopolists, and having no magistrate to represent them,
they find themselves destitute of effectual resources against wrong
and extortion. So defective and ill-regulated are the concerns of
agriculture in this country, that the proprietor of an estate really
worth 20,000 dollars can scarcely subsist upon it.
Under the class of landed proprietors, I may reckon the cultivators,
here called _quinteros_ or _chacareros_, who grow wheat, maize, and
other grain. These men are so depressed and impoverished, that,
notwithstanding the importance of their calling, and the public
usefulness of their labors, they are ranked among the people of least
consequence in society.
The third class is composed of handicraftsmen, such as masons,
carpenters, tailors, and shoe-makers, who, although they work hard
and receive great wages, seldom realize property. The journeymen are
usually people of color; the masters for the most part Genoese, and
universally foreigners, for the Spaniards despise these trades, and
cannot stoop to work along with negroes or mulattos. Many of the lower
orders derive subsistence from these and other employments of a similar
nature; here are lime-burners, wood-cutters, tanners, curriers, &c.
The free porters constitute a numerous body of men; they ply about the
streets to load and unload carts, and carry burdens, but they are so
idle and dissolute, that no man can depend on their services for a
week together; when they have a little money, they drink and gamble,
and when pennyless, they sometimes betake themselves to pilfering.
These habits have long rendered them a public nuisance, but no
corrective measures have hitherto been taken, nor does there appear, on
the part of the higher orders, any disposition to reform them.
Persons employed in public offices may be comprehended under the
fourth class. The best situations under Government are held by native
Spaniards; those of less emolument by Creoles; the former are regarded
as mere sinecures, and the persons enjoying them, are considered as in
no way serviceable to the community, except by spending their large
salaries within it.
The fifth class is the militia or soldiery. Previous to the invasion
of the English, the officers were not much noted for military science,
or for that ardor which leads to the acquisition of it; their chief
ambition was to obtain commands in towns and villages, especially
those on the Portuguese frontier, where they might enrich themselves
by smuggling. The privates were ill-disciplined, badly dressed, and
badly paid. The effective force which the crown of Spain maintained
in these possessions, was one regiment of the line, which was to
consist of 1200 men, but was reduced to less than half; one regiment
of dragoons, amounting to 600, two of cavalry called _blandengues_,
600 each, and one or two companies of artillery. With the exception
of the _blandengues_, all the troops were originally sent from the
Peninsula, but not having for the last twenty years been recruited from
thence, their ranks were gradually filled by natives. By eminence they
were called veterans, but they have been of late disbanded, and their
officers have passed to the command of the new corps which were formed
on the English invasion. The force of these corps may be estimated at
nine thousand men.
The sixth class is the clergy, in number about a thousand. The seculars
are distinguished by their learning, honor, and probity from the
friars, who are in general so grossly ignorant and superstitious, that
they render no real service to the public in any way, but rather tend
to disturb the minds of the honest and well-disposed.
Every observation I was able to make, gave me a favorable idea of
the general character of the people; they are tractable, prudent,
and generous; and doubtless, had they been under a milder and more
beneficent government than that of the Spaniards, they might have
become a model to other colonies; but it is lamentable to add, that,
in points of morality, they cannot be considered as much superior
to the other inhabitants of America. This is attributable to the
want of a proper system of education for youth, to the pernicious
example afforded by the vices of the Europeans, and, in a word, to
the prevalence of an intolerant system, which, by aiming to make men
what they cannot be, causes them to become what they ought not to be.
The intolerant rigor exercised by the ministers of worship as well
as by the government, for the suppression of immorality, defeats its
own end; it is like the unskilful practice of a physician, which,
directed solely against the external symptoms, aggravates instead of
removing the disease. Thus, while open profligacy is discountenanced in
Buenos Ayres, libertinism of a more dangerous kind is connived at, if
not tolerated; the peace of the most respectable private families is
liable to be destroyed by votaries of seduction, who respect neither
the purity of female virtue, nor the sacred rights of matrimony. This
evil pervades all classes of society, and is the source of domestic
disputes, which often lead to serious consequences.
In thus attempting to describe the state of Buenos Ayres, as I found
it in the year 1807, I have purposely avoided all discussions of
a political nature, and have declined entering into a detail of
the events which led to the present struggles of the people for
independence.
CHAP. IV.
_Voyage to St. Catherine’s.—Description of that Island, and of the
Coast in its Vicinity.—Arrival at Santos, and Journey thence to S.
Paulo._
ON my return to Monte Video, I lost no time in putting in execution
my purposed voyage to Rio de Janeiro; and as advices had arrived,
stating that considerable difficulty might attend the entrance of an
English ship into that port, I bottomried a Portuguese vessel, called
the Vencedor, and was joined by a party of gentlemen, whose business
required them to visit the capital of Brazil.
In the beginning of September 1807, we had just embarked our stock
for this voyage, when an order for the immediate evacuation of Monte
Video by our troops was unexpectedly issued. As it had been generally
believed that a prolongation of the time for giving up the place had
been agreed on, the greatest hurry and confusion prevailed in embarking
the troops and stores, as well as the baggage of individuals. About
mid-day the whole was on board; a signal-gun was then fired for the
Spanish troops to enter, and about three in the afternoon we had the
mortification to behold their flag hoisted on the ramparts of this
important military post and commercial depôt, which the British forces
had, a short period before, so bravely and so dearly won.
Having still some purchases to make, I returned on shore, with two
of my friends, about four o’clock, but we had soon reason to repent
of our temerity, for on passing the mole we were noticed as enemies
and threatened severely, so that we found it necessary to pass into
the more private streets, in order to avoid the malignant and hostile
taunts of those very men who had of late expressed themselves our
friends and well-wishers. Desirous of expediting our several affairs
as much as possible, we separated, and I was not able to rejoin my
companions until eight in the evening. I found them in great anxiety
for my safety; the Spaniards had fired a feu-de-joie from the citadel
and fort St. Joseph, and were now preparing for bonfires[9] and
illuminations, and my friends, though they did their utmost to avoid
the riotous crowds that paraded the town, had several narrow escapes
from being plundered and stripped by the soldiery. We all got safely
on board by ten o’clock, congratulating each other on having happily
avoided the dangers to which our rash confidence in the amicable
disposition of the inhabitants had exposed us.
On the 11th of September we sailed from the Rio de la Plata; the
vessels bound for the Cape of Good Hope were then nearly out of
sight, and as we beheld them we felt a melancholy but proud delight
in reflecting that, after such grievous and unexpected reverses, our
brave countrymen were once more within their wide undisputed empire,
the ocean. After a voyage, in which nothing worth relation occurred, we
made the island of St. Catherine’s, on the 29th, at sun-rise, and we
were delighted with a grand and picturesque view of its conical rocks
rising abruptly from the sea, embellished with the lofty mountains of
Brazil, covered with wood, in the back-ground. This sublime scenery
interested us the more from the contrast it formed with the extensive
and woodless plains of Buenos Ayres. This island is situated in 27° 29′
south latitude, and is separated from the continent by a strait, in
some places not half a league wide.
Entering the port of St. Catherine’s by the north, we passed several
islands, on one of which, westward of the entrance, stood the
respectable fort of Santa Cruz. After running a few miles in shoal
water, we sailed into a narrow passage, guarded by two forts, which
forms the harbour. From the anchorage, and more particularly from
the landing-place, which is at the bottom of a verdant slope of
about five hundred yards, the town has a most beautiful appearance,
and the perspective is nobly crowned by its fine cathedral. The
green is interspersed with orange-trees, and forms an agreeable
parade. Immediately on entering the town, we discerned in its general
appearance, and in the manners of its inhabitants, a striking
superiority over those which we had of late visited. The houses are
well built, have two or three stories, with boarded floors, and are
provided with neat gardens, well stocked with excellent vegetables
and flowers. The town consists of several streets, and may contain
from five thousand to six thousand inhabitants. It is a free port.
The produce of the island consists in rice, maize, mandioca, coffee
of excellent quality, oranges, perhaps the finest in the world, and a
variety of other fruits. Sugar and indigo are likewise produced, but
in small quantities. A profusion of the finest flowers indicates the
genial nature of its climate; the rose and the jessamin are in bloom
all the year round.
The surface of the island is varied with mountains, plains, and in some
places swamps; here is found a stratum of excellent red clay, which
is manufactured into jars, culinary vessels, large water-pots, &c.
which are exported in considerable quantities to the Plata and to Rio
de Janeiro. The lands capable of cultivation are under considerable
improvement; a great extent of them was formerly covered with large
trees, but as great quantities have of late years been cut down and
used for ship-building, good timber may now be considered scarce. They
grow flax here of a very fair quality, of which the fishermen make
their lines, nets, and cordage. The sea hereabouts produces an abundant
variety of excellent fish, and some fine prawns; so large is the supply
to the market, that a quantity of fish[10], sufficient to dine twelve
persons, may be had for a shilling. Meat is much the same in quality as
at Monte Video, being rather hard and lean; its general price is about
three halfpence per pound. Pigs, turkies, ducks, poultry, and eggs, as
well as fine vegetables and excellent potatoes, are plentiful and cheap.
The trade of this place is inconsiderable, as the produce does not
much exceed the consumption of the inhabitants, who are in general
far from rich. It affords an agreeable retirement to merchants who
have discontinued business, masters of ships who have left off going
to sea, and other persons, who, having secured an independence, seek
only leisure to enjoy it. Few places are better calculated for such a
purpose than this; it is enlivened by the numerous coasting-vessels
from Bahia, Pernambuco, and other ports, bound for the Plata, which
frequently touch here; and it is amply provided with artisans of all
descriptions, such as tailors, shoe-makers, tin-workers, joiners,
and smiths. The inhabitants in general are very civil and courteous
to strangers; the ladies are handsome and very lively, their chief
employment is making of lace, in which they display great ingenuity and
taste.
The mountains of the interior, and the rocks on the coast, are of
granite. Close to the fort, on the left hand of the entrance to the
harbour, is a vein of green-stone in various states of decomposition,
which ultimately migrates into clay of a superior quality to that
generally found in the valleys. The soil in the interior, being rather
humid, is surprisingly fertile. It consists principally of a rich
vegetable decomposition, on which shrubs and plants grow in great
luxuriance. Myrtles appear in all parts, and a most beautiful variety
of the passion-flower is found in equal abundance. Here is also a
profusion of roses, pinks, rosemary, &c.
The animals are chiefly opossums, monkeys, and armadillas; there are
various serpents, among which is the beautiful coral snake. Of birds,
there are cranes, hawks, parrots, of various species, humming birds and
toucans, the latter of every variety in great numbers.
The climate is serene and wholesome, its solstitial heats being
moderated constantly by fine breezes from the south-west and
north-east, which are the winds that generally blow here; the latter
prevails from September to March, and the former from April to August,
so that a voyage to the north, during one half of the year, is slow and
tedious.
The island is divided into four parishes: 1st, Nossa Senhora do
Desterro; 2d, St. Antonio; 3d, Laguna; and 4th, Ribeiraõ. The
divisions of the opposite part of the continent are likewise under
the jurisdiction of the governor of St. Catherine’s, who is subject,
in certain cases, to the captaincy of S. Paulo, and in others to the
government of Rio de Janeiro. These divisions, are 1st, St. José; 2d,
St. Miguel; and 3d, Nossa Senhora do Rosario; the entire population of
the island and its dependencies amounts to about 30,000 souls.
Of the fortresses which defend this island, the most considerable is
Santa Cruz before mentioned; there are four others, Porto Groed, Ratoé,
Estreito, and Conceição. Off the former there is safe anchorage for a
fleet of men of war, and the harbour which it protects may be entered
by ships of 300 tons, if not of a heavy draught of water. Ships passing
the channel are required to send a boat on shore at Santa Cruz before
they proceed.
To the west of the island, on the opposite coast, is an almost
inaccessible barrier of lofty mountains, thickly covered with trees and
underwood. At a small port in the vicinity, called Piripi, which has
a very pretty river, an immense quantity of fish is caught, dried, and
exported. They are extremely fat, and very soon become rancid.
On the continent, opposite the town of St. Catherine’s, stands the
pleasant village of St. José, the inhabitants of which are principally
occupied in sawing timber into planks, making bricks, and growing
rice. The net gains of a poor family here are incredibly small, but
the necessaries of life are cheap, and they have few incentives to
curtail their present enjoyments for the sake of improving their future
fortunes. Near this village is a lovely vale called Picada, thickly
studded with white cottages, embosomed in orange-groves and plantations
of coffee. The gently-sloping hills which enclose this spot, give a
picturesque effect to the bold rugged scenery beyond them. This valley,
and others contiguous to it, form the extremities of the territory
habitable by the Portuguese, for on the land to the westward, though at
a considerable distance, dwell the Anthropophagi, here called Bugres.
These savages live entirely in the woods, in wretched sheds made of
palm-branches, interwoven with bananas. Their occupation is chiefly
hunting with bows and arrows, but they frequently employ these weapons
in hostilities against their neighbours. A party of them will sometimes
way-lay a Portuguese[11], whose residence is solitary; they have even
been known to attack and destroy whole families. No regard to humanity
seems indeed to be paid by either party in their encounters; they are
mutually bent on a war of extermination.
There is much low swampy land in the island, over which causeways,
supported by piles, are made to a considerable extent. These lands, on
account of their humidity, are very favorable to the growth of rice.
The palm-trees, seen at intervals in every direction, have a very
pleasing effect. The whole coast may be said to be almost uninhabited.
There are, indeed, some few settlements; but families scattered at the
distance of ten or fifteen miles from each other can scarcely be called
a population.
Our stay at St. Catherine’s was prolonged by some unforeseen
circumstances, and we had time to make various excursions into the
interior of the island and to the adjacent continent. On one of these
occasions I happened to be absent, but the adventures which attended it
being rather amusing, I am tempted to relate them in the words of one
of my friends who formed the party. “Having hired horses and negroes
we set out early in the morning for the river Tavarinha. The road for
three leagues lay through thick woods, along which we passed without
any material accident, and arrived at the end of our journey about two
in the afternoon. We dined with Captain Leaõ, who entertained us very
hospitably, and would have persuaded us to prolong our visit, but we
determined to return that evening over the mountains. We travelled
for a league through a level, well-cultivated country, clothed with
orange-groves and coffee-plantations, and tolerably populous. At
sun-set we arrived at the foot of the mountains, and began to ascend
a steep and dangerous road, in the intricacies of which we were soon
bewildered, and had great difficulty to regain the most beaten path,
which led homewards. Night suddenly overtook us, and we had still three
hours’ journey over the mountains, without guide or attendant, along
a perfectly alpine road, winding on the edge of horrible precipices.
In this part of the journey two of us, having advanced a little, the
rest of the party were suddenly alarmed by a dreadful shriek, which
excited great apprehension lest some one should have been precipitated
down the gulph, but we were agreeably undeceived soon after by the
whole of the party joining us. We now heard a noise like hammers, which
proceeded from persons beating cotton, and in a little time arrived
at a house, where, on enquiry, we were informed that the town was ten
miles distant. We were proceeding, when a voice cried out in English,
‘but will not you stop and have some grog?’ It may be easily imagined
that to be thus suddenly hailed with one of the most familiar phrases
of our native English, while benighted in a strange land, operated like
an electric shock upon us; we immediately alighted at the house whence
the voice seemed to proceed, and found a Mr. Nunney, the English
interpreter, who furnished us with a guide; we now continued our way
with greater confidence, and reached the town about midnight. This Mr.
Nunney, as we afterwards learnt, receives a dollar _per diem_ during
the stay of every English or American ship that touches at this port,
whether his services are wanted or not, and by these means, with the
profits of the sales of provisions which he makes to such ships, he has
acquired a little fortune and a pretty estate. His profits, indeed, are
exorbitant, for he charges the articles 100 per cent. higher than they
can be procured at from any other dealer in the place.”
While at the town of St. Catherine’s, we visited some of the gardens
with which its vicinity is embellished. They are laid out with great
taste, particularly one belonging to the vicar, another in the estate
of the late excellent and able General Soares Coimbra, and a third
the property of Colonel Gama. At Barragros, near the village of St.
José, we visited a gentleman of the name of Caldwin, who collects and
preserves insects. He showed us his grounds, which occupy a space
of eighty-five fathoms along the beach, and extend a mile inland,
containing orangeries, coffee, rice, and mandioca, in a fine state of
culture. These well-watered plantations, together with a neat house
and garden, he offered to sell for a thousand crusados (about £125
sterling).
This was not the only instance we remarked of the low value of landed
property here. About two miles from the town of St. Catherine’s, a neat
house, a small orangery and ground clear of brush wood, capable of
forming a pretty plantation, was offered at 100 dollars. An excellent
house, in one of the best situations in the environs of this town, with
a garden of about two acres well and tastefully planted, was offered to
be sold for £400 sterling. The building of the house must alone have
cost that sum and it was in perfect condition. In short, money appeared
so valuable, that a large landed estate might be purchased for a mere
trifle.
On contemplating the many natural advantages of this island, I could
not but be struck with its importance, and was tempted to wish that it
were annexed by treaty to the dominions of Great Britain. Emigrants
might subsist here at a very cheap rate; and the isle is tenable
against any force so long as we remain masters of the sea. Ships would
trade to it from the western coast of America, and from the eastern
coast of Africa, and in our hands it would soon become an emporium
of commerce. It is adapted to almost every variety of produce; the
highlands are capable of cultivation, and the plains and valleys are
fertile even to luxuriance. The climate is humid, but its general
temperature is moderate and salubrious. If colonized by English, the
isle might be made a perfect paradise. Though not situated within the
tropics, it produces indico, rice, sugar-cane, pulse, and the finest
oranges in the world.
Our excursions to the main land were not confined to the districts
immediately within the jurisdiction of St. Catherine’s. Proceeding
northward from St. José, we entered some fine bays, the shores of
which were studded with houses pleasantly situated amid bananerias,
orangeries, and plantations of rice, coffee, and mandioca. After
having passed several well-peopled parishes, we arrived at Armação,
a village at the extremity of a bay about nine leagues distant from
St. José, and four leagues north of Santa Cruz. This village is a
fishing station for whales, which were formerly very numerous on
that coast, and in the bays that indent it. The fishery is farmed by
government to a company under the superintendance of a _Capitao Mor_,
and a number of inferior officers. About 150 negroes are employed on
this station, but the number of whales now caught is not so great as
formerly, when the average was three or four hundred in a season[12].
Their conveniences for flinching or cutting up the fish are extensive
and well-contrived[13]. Several fine piers project from the shore into
eighteen to twenty feet depth of water, on which are erected capstans,
cranes, and other requisite machinery. Hither all the fish caught on
the coast are brought. The boiling-house, tanks, &c. are far superior
to any thing of the kind at Greenland-dock, and indeed to all similar
establishments in Europe. To give an idea of their magnitude, it is
sufficient to say, that in one range there are twenty-seven very large
boilers, and places for three more. Their tanks are vast vaults, on
some of which a boat might be rowed with ease. We obtained a view of
these great works through the civility of the commander of the place,
Capitaõ Mor Jacinto Jorge dos Anjos, who lives here in a princely
style, and possesses a very considerable property, which he diffuses
with great public spirit and liberality. All who have visited Armação
can bear witness to his, affability and urbanity to strangers.
We crossed this peninsula by a mountainous road of four leagues to the
Bay of dos Ganchos, commonly known by the name of Tejuco. Here land is
of little or no value; any one may take as much as he pleases of what
is unappropriated, provided he make a proper application for it to
the government. We passed two sugar plantations with conveniences for
making rum; and observed numerous huts interspersed in the vicinity.
The contrary side of this peninsula forms the bay before named. The
poor cottages of the people here present a curious picture of rural
irregularity; some are built on the summit of conical mountains, the
passage to which is frequently obstructed by clouds; others stand on
the sides of gentle acclivities; but the greater number of them is
situated almost in contact with the ocean, which often flows to their
very doors. The bay is from two to three leagues across, and extends
about the same distance inland; it is well-sheltered, and affords good
anchorage, and fine situations for loading timber, with which the
mountainous country around is thickly clothed, and large quantities
of which are felled and embarked for Rio de Janeiro and the Plata.
Canoes are made here, at a cheaper rate and in greater numbers than in
any other part of Brazil. The inhabitants grow rice in considerable
quantities, as well as some coffee and sugar; but such is their
indolence and poverty that they use only hand-mills, consisting of two
horizontal rollers, in manufacturing the latter article.
Into this bay fall several streams formed by the mountain-torrents and
springs, and two tolerable rivers, the less called Inferninho, and
the larger Tigreno. They both flow through low swampy land, subject
to inundation, and overgrown with mangroves and an immense variety of
trees. The insalubrity of this tract might be corrected by clearing
away the underwood and draining the soil, but the arduousness of such
an undertaking might deter a more active and skilful people than this.
In the rainy season it is inundated to a great extent, and in summer
it is infested with terrible swarms of mosquitos and burachala flies,
which render it almost uninhabitable. The bay of dos Ganchos is a
most desirable place. The timber cut and shipped for Rio de Janeiro
might form, together with some of the sugars and spirituous liquors
made here, an advantageous article of export to the Cape of Good Hope;
but unfortunately there exists no stimulus to this sort of commercial
speculation. Here are no small vessels fitting out for cargoes, nor
will any person risk the equipment of a vessel to a distant part, where
there is so little certainty of returns. So common an enterprize as
that practised by ship-owners, in England, of sending out vessels to
wait for cargoes (up the Baltic for instance) is here unknown; and this
is a sufficient proof of the low state of commerce and shipping.
Along the beach of this bay I found the shell of the murex genus, which
produces that beautiful crimson dye, so valued by the ancients. It is
here called _purpura_, and to my great surprise, its use is in some
degree known to the natives, one of whom shewed me some cotton fringe,
dyed with an extract of it, though ill-prepared. The shell is about the
size of the common whelk, and contains a fish, on whose body appears
a vesicle full of a pale yellow, viscid, purulent substance, which
constitutes the dye. The mode of extracting it, is to break the shell
carefully with a hammer, so as not to crush the fish, and then let out
the liquor in the vesicle with a lancet or other sharp instrument. I,
for greater convenience, used a pen, and immediately wrote my initials,
&c. on a handkerchief; the marks in half an hour after were of a
dirty green color, and on being exposed to the air a few hours longer,
changed to a most rich crimson. The quantity produced by each is very
small, but quite sufficient for such an experiment. The best time for
making it, is when the animal is in an incipient state of putrescency.
I have not a doubt that if a sufficient quantity of them were taken,
and the dying matter, when extracted, were liquified in a small degree
with gum-water, a valuable article of commerce might be produced. At
least the trial is worth making. The liquid is a perfect substantive
dye, and of course resists the action of alkalies.
On the rocks, and in greater abundance on the trunks of old trees, I
observed a variety of lichens, some of which produced tints of several
shades of colors. The continual decomposition of vegetables here adds
greatly to the richness of the soil; it is not uncommon to find trees
lying on the ground with their interior substance entirely decomposed,
and a great diversity of plants growing on them in high luxuriance.
Among the numerous tribes of birds that frequent this region, the
aquatic afford good eating, as do also the smaller parrots. The woods
are filled with monkeys; and on the banks of the rivers are found
capivaras in considerable numbers.
In coasting along this shore, it is customary for strangers to visit
the chief person in command at every station, whatever may be his
degree or rank; he, on being requested, will furnish guides, and afford
every assistance in his power. I always experienced the greatest
attention and civility from these gentlemen, and have reason to believe
that they uniformly pay the same regard to all who visit them for
permission to see the country.
Ten leagues north of this place is the fine and capacious harbour of
Garoupas, with its handsome town; the anchorage is equally good as
in that of dos Ganchos. The inhabitants here pursue the same mode of
living as their neighbours in Tejuco. They have a fine climate, and a
soil which yields a hundred-fold for whatever is sown or planted in it,
and is noted for its delicious fruits. The cotton of which their common
clothes are made, is grown, spun, and woven among them; they build
their own houses, and form their own canoes, which they are dexterous
in managing, and prefer to boats. It may indeed be said that every man
is more or less an artisan; but I am sorry to observe that they prefer
ease to care and industry, and are by no means so good husbandmen
as those of Tejuco. This bay, as far as I could observe, during my
short visit to it, presents to the view a greater diversity of hills,
valleys, and plains, than the one before mentioned. Both are esteemed
fine fishing-ground during the whale-season, which is from December to
June.
From hence northward is the fine harbour of San Francisco, in the bay
of the same name. It has three entrances defended by forts; that to the
south is most frequented. The land here is very flat for several miles,
and the rivers which intersect it are navigable for canoes as far as
the base of the great chain of mountains, where a public road, begun
at incredible labor and expense, leads over that almost impassable
barrier. This road will soon be a work of national importance to
Brazil, as through it the finest district in that country, and indeed
one of the finest in the world in point of climate, the rich plain of
Coritiva, will be connected with the ocean. The ridge of mountains is
more than four thousand feet above the level of the sea, and there is a
regular ascent for twenty leagues from their inland base, to Coritiva.
On this fertile tract are fed large herds of cattle for the supply of
Rio de Janeiro, S. Paulo, and other places; here are also bred mules
in great numbers. Its soil and air are so genial, that olives, grapes,
apples, peaches, and other fruits, grow to as rich a maturity as in
Europe, though they are here almost in a wild state. It is divided into
many parishes, but its population is small, compared with its extent; a
circumstance rather surprising, since every necessary of life is here
so cheap and in such great plenty. Its distance from the coast and
from the chief towns, and the hitherto bad road, may have contributed
to deter settlers; it is principally occupied as a breeding district,
and supports no more inhabitants than what are barely competent to
manage and tend the cattle, which are chiefly purchased by private
dealers, and sometimes by commissioners from government, who come
hither occasionally for the purpose. The road from hence to the city of
S. Paulo, distant about 80 leagues, is tolerably inhabited, especially
in the vicinity of Sorocaba, something more than half way, which is a
great mart for mules and horses[14]. Near this place is a well-wooded
country called Gorosuava, abounding with fine limestone, where a
considerable quantity of rich iron ore is found. How deplorable is
it that the people should yet have to learn the application of such
valuable resources!
The neighbourhood of Coritiva is watered by fine rivers, which flow
into the Paraná. Many of the streams produce gold, particularly the Rio
Verde; and one called the Tibigi is rich in diamonds, as the few good
families in its vicinity have reason to remember with gratitude. More
to the westward it is dangerous to travel, since in that direction live
the Anthropophagi, who were driven from these boundaries a few years
ago. The country to the north is very full of wood.
From its great elevation above the level of the sea, the climate of
Coritiva is peculiarly congenial to Europeans. Its soil is in general
rich, and the hills are peculiarly well adapted for the grape, which
here thrives as luxuriantly as in any part of Europe. On the low lands,
particularly those bordering on rivers and rivulets, are woods of
considerable extent, containing timber of enormous size, and fit for
almost any purpose. This immense tract of land is thinly peopled; the
few inhabitants that are scattered over it, occupy themselves chiefly
in the rearing of cattle, which, as it requires little or no trouble,
is almost the only business which is followed. At Sorocaba there are
held various market days and fairs, for the sale of horses, mules, and
horned cattle, which are attended by dealers from S. Paulo, Santos,
and more distant parts of Brazil. From this market mules are sent to
the Rio, and even to Villa Rica. Many smiths are employed at Sorocaba
in making shoes for the cattle, and a considerable number of men gain
a livelihood by training and domesticating these animals, for which
recourse is had to very severe methods. A fine mule, which has been
thus rendered tractable, will sell for four or five times the price of
one not yet “civilized;” the cost of the latter, if the animal be full
grown, and from two to three years old, will be about four dollars.
The horses, which are usually of the same value, are in general
handsome, with fine manes and tails, short necks, and in height about
fourteen hands. They are trained solely to the saddle, and are not used
as mere beasts of draught or burden.
At the Rio, a good pair of carriage-mules will often sell at the
enormous price of 150 or 200 dollars; such is the difficulty of
rendering these animals tractable. Horses alone are used for the
saddle, the mares being reserved for breeding.
Coritiva is not reported to contain gold or diamonds, yet, both these
valuable products are found in some parts of the district; a fact known
to but a few persons, who have profited greatly by keeping it secret.
This fine country, therefore, offers few attractions to the great mass
of emigrants to Brazil, who are commonly tempted by the very name
of the gold mines to settle in them, or are allured by the profits
accruing from plantations of cotton, sugar, or coffee, and look with
indifference on the pursuits of what is termed common agriculture.
Although the soil of Coritiva is capable of producing the finest
wheats, the inhabitants, for obvious reasons, persevere in cultivating
mandioca. Wheat requires a series of preparations before it can be fit
for food; it must be thrashed or trampled from the straw; it must be
ground to flour, and afterwards divested of the bran, and must then
undergo the elaborate process of panification. Mills and ovens are not
among the first articles of convenience introduced into a territory,
newly colonized and thinly peopled; but on the contrary, any substitute
for the food, which they are instrumental in preparing, will be
preferred, if it demand less care and labor. Hence the mandioca obtains
the preference; it requires less culture than wheat, and when ripe,
may be converted into nutritious _farinha_ in half an hour; indeed
I have gathered, prepared, and eaten it as food in a less space of
time. It is therefore no matter of wonder, that the inhabitants should
continue to subsist on this aliment, and on pounded maize, rather
than on bread made of wheat, which demands so much greater a share of
attention and industry. Maize, or Indian corn, is grown in considerable
quantities, for the express purpose of feeding pigs, which constitute
a staple article for consumption. In every _fazenda_, salt pork, as
well as fowls, is invariably to be found; and bacon is cured in large
quantities, and sent to S. Paulo.
The breeding of horned cattle, is left in a great measure to nature,
and is much less attended to than that of mules. Few cows are
domesticated; and the little cheese that is made, if I may judge of the
specimens I saw at S. Paulo, is of a quality almost disgusting. I did
not see any butter made here, and indeed the few products of the dairy
that are obtained, are considered of no manner of importance.
The inhabitants lead an easy kind of life, in a great measure free
from the molestation of fiscal and municipal officers; they pay their
tythes with great cheerfulness, in kind, specie being rarely seen.
Their sole wants seemed confined to salt and iron; and it is much to
be lamented, that from the distance of the nearest sea port, and the
badness of the roads, these commodities are with difficulty procured.
From the same causes, the improvements which this delightful country
might derive from commerce have been retarded, and it is as yet very
inadequately provided with the means of exchanging its superfluities,
for articles of the first necessity.
The chain of mountains which bounds the plain of Coritiva, is washed
at the base by a lagoon, communicating in a direct line with the
fine harbour of San Francisco, where many merchant-ships have been
constructed of the finest timber.
In this place, although rather in anticipation of the regular course of
the narrative, it may not be improper to state, that, at the request
of his Excellency the Condé de Linhares, I submitted to the Court a
paper on the advantageous situation of Coritiva and the sea-port above
mentioned. Among other points, I suggested that an establishment might
there be formed for the joint purposes of rearing live-stock, and of
salting and curing beef and pork for the royal navy; that the culture
of wheat, and the manufacture of bread might be encouraged; and that a
depôt might be formed at San Francisco, from whence grain with other
articles of consumption might be shipped to any part of Brazil. Indeed
no other part of the country offers such temptations to agriculturists;
nor could a colony of them planted here fail to florish, if directed
by common prudence and moderate industry. The climate is salubrious;
the land consists of a beautiful diversity of hill, mountain, dale,
ravine, and woodland, watered by numerous streams, which take their
course, not toward the sea, but in an easterly direction, and flow
into the great river Paraná. Here are beasts of burden in unlimited
numbers, and a sea-port within two or three days’ journey. Here is land
of the finest quality where a plough was never used; here are mules and
horned cattle to be had on the cheapest terms; and yet the operations
of making butter and cheese are either unknown, or are practised in
such a slovenly manner, as to render the articles unpalatable. Here is
the finest timber; here are fruits of every kind, except those peculiar
to the tropical climates. What more then is wanted? An enlightened
and industrious population to improve the blessings which nature has
lavished on this district with so bounteous a hand. If agriculture, in
the miserable way in which it is now practised, produces sufficient
to exempt the people from want, what wonders might it not produce in
Coritiva, if followed according to the improved system of Europeans!
A numerous and industrious population would soon adopt this, and all
the other useful arts of life; the silk worm would be propagated;
the hidden stores of the precious products would be explored, and the
interest of posterity might be excited by the exhibition of silk, gold,
and diamonds, from the banks of the same river. Another luxury might
be superadded; since, from what I have seen of the grapes grown here,
there can be no doubt, that, where rocky lands occur, “the generous
vine” would thrive in great abundance, and Coritiva might in no long
period of time become the vineyard of this vast continent.
The cattle at Coritiva sell at various prices; oxen, much fatter and
in better condition than those of the Rio de la Plata or of the Rio
Grande de S. Pedro, may be bought for about 14s. or 18s. a head. The
horses are in general finer than those of Buenos Ayres; mules for the
pack-saddle sell at about 40s. and those for riding at from three to
six pounds. There is, however great fluctuation in the prices, owing to
the occasional scarcity as well as the occasional abundance of specie.
But to return from this digression to San Francisco. The chief
occupations of the inhabitants are the cutting of timber, and other
labors connected with ship-building. Vessels of large dimensions, and a
number of small craft for coasters, have been built here by merchants
of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Pernambuco. When this trade is brisk,
there is a great demand for the various classes of artisans whom it
requires, and many negroes are employed. The wood used is so strong,
and holds the iron so firmly, that ships built of it endure many years,
and are in greater esteem with the Portuguese and Spaniards than
those built in Europe. On this account, the harbour of San Francisco
is likely to become of considerable value to Brazil; and as it is
connected with Coritiva, the cattle of which have been found superior
to those of Rio Grande, there is every probability, that at no distant
period the Portuguese navy will be here supplied with salt provisions.
This must, however, depend on the completion of the great road over the
mountains, to which the present administration have laudably directed
their attention, with a degree of zeal commensurate to the importance
of the work in a national point of view.
I must not omit noticing another production in this district, which
will rise in utility and value as the port of San Francisco improves.
Toward the north there are woods of fine large pines, exceedingly hard,
tough, and full of resin. They constitute a singular variety of the
genus Pinus; the boughs branch off from the upper part of the tree
only, and have tussocks of leaves at each extremity. A tree eighty
feet high, for instance, will appear without branches to the height of
about fifty-five feet; the branches there extend horizontally in every
direction, with leaves at their extremities, the lowest and largest
to a distance of fourteen or fifteen feet from the stem, and the
higher ones gradually diminishing in length towards the top, which ends
in a tuft of leaves, as a crown for the whole. These trees are very
picturesque, and indeed beautiful; they grow to a sufficient size to
serve as masts for ships of two or three hundred tons; I was told there
were much larger ones to be found.
Resuming our voyage, we left San Francisco, and, passing the port of
Cananea, arrived near the entrance of the harbour of Santos. The coast
along which we sailed is low and flat, and on its verge are some poor
fishing-huts, which rather add to the dreariness of its appearance. It
is covered with lofty trees, which also fringe the mountainous scenery
beyond it. Several rivers occur, of little note in geography, but
highly advantageous to the settlers, as they pass the very doors of the
dwellings, and afford easy means for the transport of produce from the
interior. On nearing Santos, we passed several bold rocks, called the
Alcatrazes, and a ledge or reef on which the sea broke furiously. The
main land is very elevated and mountainous, so much so that the low
grounds which extend from its base are scarcely perceptible from the
heights next beyond them.
The harbour of Santos has a safe entrance, and is very secure; it is
a strait, having the island of S. Vicente to the left, for the extent
of half a mile, when it takes a different direction. Here is situated
the port, which has good anchorage, with regular soundings towards
the shore, which shoals gradually. The currents and eddies cause some
inconvenience, and the high land occasions much variation in the
winds, which perplexes mariners on their entrance into the narrows,
but as the water is not deep, and the current far from strong, a ship
is safe the moment her anchor is let go, and by means of a boat and
kedge she may be placed in any situation the pilot chooses. The part
called the narrows, is defended by two forts, on passing which there
is a kind of lagoon of three or four leagues in length, almost full
of mangroves, terminated by the town of Santos, one of the oldest
European settlements in Brazil. In common with S. Paulo, it owes its
origin to the first shipwreck on the island of S. Vicente. The river
or lagoon has three or four fathoms water and a muddy bottom. Santos
is a place of considerable trade, being the storehouse of the great
captaincy of S. Paulo, and the resort of many vessels trading to the
Rio de la Plata. It is tolerably well built, and its population,
consisting chiefly of merchants, shopkeepers, and artificers, amounts
to six or seven thousand souls. The situation is by no means healthy,
as the country around it is low, woody, and frequently deluged with
rain, by reason of the high mountains in its vicinity, which impede
the passage of the clouds. Several rivulets flowing from the foot of
these mountains intersect the land in various directions, and unite in
one great river a little above the town of Santos. The rice of this
district, which is grown in great quantities, is considered the best
in Brazil, and the bananas are equally noted.
From this port the Spanish territories, as well as Rio Grande, receive
several vessels loaded with sugar, coffee, rice, mandioca, &c. in
return they bring chiefly hides and tallow, which are generally
exported hence to Europe. The Portuguese send much of their produce to
the Spanish colonies, and are generally ill paid, but the shortness
of the voyage, and the want of other markets, tempt many young men to
speculate, notwithstanding the heavy duties and the numberless petty
obstacles with which their neighbours have impeded and encumbered
this commerce. A Spaniard in his own country rarely allows even a
shadow of justice to a Portuguese; he uses a thousand artifices for
procrastinating the decision of a cause at issue between them, till
the latter, when his patience is completely exhausted, finds that
he is likely to derive nothing from the contest but immense piles
of law-papers, frequently written on the most trivial points in
litigation, and paid for at an exorbitant price. If he persevere after
all this disappointment, it generally happens that another _alcalde_
or judge is appointed, and then the business is laid on the shelf.
The injured Portuguese, after so much waste of time and money, is
threatened with worse consequences, and frequently is obliged to leave
the country in ruin and disgust.
As Santos is the embarking port of S. Paulo, its intercourse with that
town is very considerable. In the course of a day several hundred
mules frequently arrive, loaded with the produce of the country,
and return with salt, iron, copper, earthen wares, and European
manufactures. For the traffic of it’s immediate vicinity, it has the
convenience of water-carriage, its river being navigable about twenty
miles, up to Cubataõ, where an officer with a guard of soldiers is
stationed to receive the king’s duties for the repair of the roads and
other public purposes.
The governor of Santos being subject in all cases to the governor
of S. Paulo, we applied to him for permission to go thither, which
was immediately granted. It was now eight in the evening, and we
were without an asylum for the night. I had several letters of
recommendation, not one of which procured us any civility, and we
found that the inhabitants were far from being courteous to strangers.
We were willing to impute this to want of convenient accommodations,
but it may be generally observed, that along the whole coast the same
shyness prevails, while in the interior the people vie with each other
in acts of hospitality. Perhaps in all countries this duty is most
practised where the occasions for its exercise most rarely occur.
Being unable to procure a bed at Santos, we were obliged to engage
a canoe to convey us up the river to Cubataõ, where we arrived at
two in the morning, and were introduced into the guard-house for a
lodging. The corporal being called, he accommodated us as well as he
was able; we lay down on the softest planks we could find, and made
pillows of our portmanteaus, but though much wearied we found ourselves
little disposed to sleep on so uneasy a couch. At sun-rise, when we
got up, an extraordinary and busy scene presented itself; before the
guard-house was a large space of ground enclosed by the storehouse and
other out-buildings, and here a hundred mules were in the act of being
harnessed and loaded; the gentleness and tractability of these fine
large animals pleased us much, and the expertness of their masters,
particularly of the negroes, in placing and replacing the burdens, was
truly surprising.
From the good corporal, who was commanding officer here, we received
every attention, and much more civility than we had reason to expect
from having experienced the unaccommodating disposition of the people
in Santos, in much better circumstances than himself. He procured us
a good breakfast, and furnished us with saddle-mules for our journey,
at the rate of ten shillings each, the distance being eight leagues.
Having obtained a guide we mounted, and proceeded about half a mile,
when we reached the foot of the stupendous mountains we had to
cross. The road is good and well paved, but narrow, and, on account
of the rugged acclivities, is cut in a zig-zag direction, with very
frequent and abrupt turnings, continually on the ascent. The trains
of loaded mules which we met on their way to Santos rendered the
passage disagreeable, and at times dangerous. In many places the road
is cut through the solid rock for several feet, in others along the
perpendicular sides, and it leads frequently over the tops of conical
mountains, along the edge of precipices, down which the traveller is
liable to be thrown into an impervious thicket full thirty yards below.
These dangerous places are secured by parapets. After ascending for an
hour and a half, during which time we made innumerable turnings, we
arrived at a resting place, near which, at a spot a little lower than
the road, we found water. This place, as our guide informed us, was
only half-way to the summit; we were astonished at the intelligence,
as the clouds were already so far below us that they obstructed our
prospect. During our progress hither, we observed that the mules travel
as quick on an ascent as on level ground; they much excel the horse in
uneven roads with sharp turnings, and still more so in bad roads.
To attempt the geology of mountains so covered by vegetable matter
would be a difficult task; the component parts of those along which
we passed appeared to be granite, and frequently soft, crumbling,
ferruginous sand-stone. Some picturesque streams bursting from their
high sources form fine cascades, and in crossing the road force their
way through many detached and round masses of granite. The woods are so
thick in every part, except where the mules tread, that no soil can be
seen; the branches of the trees in some places meet and form an arbor
over the road, which shades the traveller from the heat of the sun, and
shelters him from rain.
After resting for about twenty minutes we again mounted and resumed
our ascent. The road presented at times four or five zig-zags above
us at one view, and gave us fresh reason for astonishment at the
completion of a work so fraught with difficulties. The millions
of crowns which must have been expended in clearing the woods and
thickets in its course, and in cutting through the solid rock for a
considerable distance, as well as in paving it through the whole extent
of the ridge, afford no mean idea of the enterprising spirit of the
Brazilians. Few public works, even in Europe, are superior to it; and
if we consider that, by reason of the scanty population of the district
through which it passes, the labor bestowed on it must have been
purchased most dearly, we shall hardly find one in any country so well
completed under similar disadvantages.
In three hours we reached the summit, a plain of considerable extent,
the lowest estimated height of which is six thousand feet. The
surface is chiefly composed of quartz covered with sand. The sea,
though distant twenty miles, seemed to us as if it washed the foot
of the mountains; the level part of the coast and the port of Santos
below us came not within the angle of vision. While we enjoyed this
sublime prospect, we were refreshed by a cool breeze, which renewed
our strength and spirits, and enabled us to pursue our journey with
alacrity. Advancing about a mile and a half, we came to a part of the
road which was cut several feet deep through the rock, and observed
in this quarter many small streams, which, though contiguous to the
sea, all flow in a south-west course to an immense distance, and,
uniting, form the great river Correntes, which joins the Plata. This
circumstance will sufficiently explain the form of this mighty ridge
of mountains, namely, that the highest and steepest side fronts the
sea, and that the other shelves more gradually and with more frequent
outlets to the plains of the interior. This part of the road is lined
by fine trees and large thickets on both sides. The heavy rains of the
season (December) had damaged it in various parts; the readiest mode
of repairing these breaks is to cut down several trees, about seven
inches diameter, place them across, and fasten them down with hooked
stakes. The mules which travel these rugged declivities, though far
more hardy than horses, frequently fall victims to fatigue; we observed
some dead by the way-side. In the course of our route we passed
several parties of negroes and some of Indians, working at repairs
in the road, or making new branches from it. Some of them I noticed
with swellings in the neck, though very different from those I have
observed in Derbyshire and other mountainous countries. In the case of
these Indians there not only appeared that protuberance from the glands
commonly called a wen, but lumps, of from half an inch to three inches
in diameter, hung from it in an almost botryoidal form. Persons thus
afflicted are called in the language of the country _papos_.
After crossing several rivulets and passing a few houses we arrived at
a tolerable inn, belonging to an officer of militia, where we were soon
provided with plenty of milk, coffee, and fowls. It is distant sixteen
or twenty miles from S. Paulo, and may be considered as half-way
between that town and Santos. The owner, who was much surprised to
see Englishmen, treated us with every civility, and procured us a
change of saddle-mules. While they were preparing, he shewed us a
tract of land in front of his house, tolerably well cleared, where we
took an hour’s shooting. We then proceeded through a much more open
country, which bore the traces of former cultivation, and seemed of
late to have been much neglected. As we drew nearer S. Paulo, the road
improved, and was enlivened by a greater number of habitations in its
vicinity. We passed two convents, which had the air of convenient
houses, and were distinguished by large crosses erected before them.
The land was watered by several fine streams; in one part we observed a
quarry of ferruginous grit-stone, but we had not leisure to make much
mineralogical research. S. Paulo, although on an elevated site, is not
observed at any great distance in this direction. In its immediate
neighbourhood the river runs parallel to the road, which it sometimes
partially overflows, and covers with sand. To our left we saw a
large _estalagem_, or inn, where numbers of mules are unloaded, and
travellers commonly pass the night. It consists of a very large shed,
supported upon upright pieces of timber, with separate divisions for
receiving the cargoes or burdens of the mules, each traveller occupying
as many as his goods require; and there is a piece of ground of about
a hundred yards in circumference, planted with small upright stakes,
at ten or fifteen feet distance, to which the bridles of the mules are
tied while they are fed, saddled, and loaded. These _estalagems_ are
common in all parts of Brazil.
On entering the town, although we had expected much from its being the
capital of the district, and the residence of the governor, yet we were
struck with the neat appearance of its houses, stuccoed in various
colors; those in the principal streets were two or three stories high.
Having arrived an hour or two before sun-set, we walked to the house of
a gentleman, to whom we had a letter of recommendation; but he being
absent, we were obliged to pass the night at the _estalagem_, where our
mules had been put up. It was a miserable abode. The next morning we
breakfasted with our friend, and were conducted by him to the governor,
Brigadier General França Horta, who honored us with an invitation to
dinner, permitted a perishable cargo of my friend’s property, which was
lying at Santos, to be unloaded, and gave us a general welcome to his
palace. We had the good fortune to find that two of his Excellency’s
aides-de-camp, men of excellent character, had been educated in
England. They assisted us in obtaining lodgings, rendered us every
service that we stood in need of, and shewed an earnest desire to make
our stay as agreeable as possible.
CHAP. V.
_Description of S. Paulo.—System of Farming prevalent in its
Neighbourhood.—Excursion to the Gold Mines of Jaraguá.—Mode of
working them.—Return to Santos._
S. PAULO is situated on a pleasing eminence of about two miles in
extent, surrounded on three sides by low meadow land, and washed at
the base by rivulets, which almost insulate it in rainy weather;
it is connected with the high-land by a narrow ridge. The rivulets
flow into a pretty large stream called the Tieté, which runs within
a mile of the town, in a south-west direction. Over them there are
several bridges, some of stone and others of wood, built by the late
governor. The streets of S. Paulo, owing to its elevation (about 50
feet above the plain), and the water which almost surrounds it, are in
general remarkably clean; the material with which they are paved, is
grit-stone, cemented by oxide of iron, and containing large pebbles of
rounded quartz, approximating to the conglomerate. This pavement is an
alluvial formation containing gold, many particles of which metal are
found in the clinks and hollows after heavy rains, and at such seasons
are diligently sought for by the poorer sort of people.
The city was founded by the Jesuits, who were probably tempted by
the gold mines in the vicinity, more than by the salubrity of its
air, which, however, is not excelled by any on the whole continent of
South America. The medium of the thermometer here is between 50 and 80
degrees; in a morning I have observed it at 48, and even lower, though
I was not there in the winter months. The rains are by no means heavy
or of long continuance, and the thunder-storms are far from being
violent. The cold in the evenings was frequently so considerable, that
I was obliged to shut my doors and windows, put on more clothes, and
have a pan of embers in the room, there being no chimneys.
Here are several squares, and about thirteen places of religious
worship, namely, two convents, three monasteries, and eight churches,
the greater part of which, as well as of the whole town, is built
of earth. The mode of erecting the walls is as follows: a frame
is constructed of six moveable planks placed edge-wise, opposite
each other, and secured in this position by cross pieces bolted
with moveable pins. Earth is put in by small quantities, which the
workmen beat with rammers, and occasionally moisten with water to
give it consistency. Having filled the frame or trough, they remove
it and continue the same operation till the whole shell of the
house is completed, taking care to leave vacancies, and put in the
window-frames, door-frames, and beams as they proceed. The mass, in
course of time, becomes indurated, the walls are pared perfectly
smooth inside, and take any color the owner chooses to give them; they
are generally enriched with very ingenious devices. This species of
structure is durable; I have seen some houses thus built that have
lasted two hundred years, and most of them have several stories. The
roofs are made to project two or three feet beyond the wall, in order
to throw off the rain to a distance from the base; spouts might be a
more effectual preservative against wet, but their use is little known
here. They cover their houses with gutter-tiles, but though the country
affords excellent clay and plenty of wood, very few bricks are burnt.
The population of this place amounts to full fifteen thousand souls:
perhaps nearer twenty thousand[15]; the clergy, including all ranks
of religious orders, may be reckoned at five hundred. They are in
general good members of society, free from that excessive bigotry
and illiberality which is the reproach of the neighbouring colonies,
and their example has so beneficial an effect on the rest of the
inhabitants, that I may presume to say, no stranger will be molested
while he acts as a gentleman, and does not insult the established
religion. His Excellency the Bishop is a most worthy prelate, and were
the inferior orders in his diocese to follow his steps in cultivating
the sciences and diffusing useful information, they would command
greater respect from their flocks, and by that means further the
interests of the religion they profess. Priests, so ignorant, can
hardly escape contempt.
No endemial diseases at present prevail here. The small-pox formerly,
and indeed of late, made great havoc among the inhabitants, but its
progress has been checked by the introduction of vaccine inoculation.
Surgeons attended at a large hall belonging to the governor, to which
the public were invited, and the operation was performed gratis. It
is to be hoped that the credit of this preventative will make its way
among the people here, for they are not competent to enter into the
merits of that controversy which injured it in Europe.
Here are few manufactures of any consequence; a little coarse cotton
is spun by the hand, and woven into cloth, which serves for a variety
of wearing apparel, sheets, &c. They make a beautiful kind of net-work
for hammocks, which are fringed with lace, and form an elegant piece
of furniture, being slung low, so as to answer the purpose of sofas.
The ladies are particularly fond of using them, especially when the
heat of the weather disposes them to ease and indolence. The making of
lace is a general employment for females, some of whom excel in it.
The shopkeepers here are a numerous class, who, as in most colonial
towns, deal in almost every thing, and sometimes make great fortunes.
Here are few doctors, but many apothecaries; some silversmiths, whose
articles are equally indifferent both in metal and workmanship; tailors
and shoe-makers in great numbers; and joiners, who manufacture very
beautiful wood, but are not so moderate in their charges as the former
classes of tradesmen. In the out-skirts of the city live a number of
Creolian Indians, who make earthenware for culinary purposes, large
water-jars, and a variety of other utensils ornamented with some taste.
The greatest proportion of the inhabitants consists in farmers and
inferior husbandmen, who cultivate small portions of land, on which
they breed large stocks of pigs and poultry for sale. With these the
market is generally well supplied, and in the fruit-season is also
stored with pines, grapes, peaches, guavas, bananas, a few apples, and
an enormous quantity of quinces.
Esculent plants are grown in great profusion and variety. Here is a
favorite bulbous root called the _Cará_, which is equal to the best
potatoe, and even more farinaceous than many varieties of that plant;
it grows to about seven inches in diameter, and affords excellent
food, either boiled or roasted. Fine cabbages, sallad-herbs, turnips,
cauliflowers, artichokes, and potatoes are in abundance; the latter,
though very good, are little used: the sweet potatoe is in greater
request among the natives. Maize, beans, green-peas, and every species
of pulse florish amazingly. Fowls are cheap, we bought some at
three-pence and sixpence each; small pigs from one to two shillings;
and flitches of bacon, cured after the mode of the country, at about
two-pence per pound. Turkies, geese, and ducks are abundant, and
reasonable in price; the latter are of the Muscovy breed, enormously
large, some weighing ten or fourteen pounds. Here is a singular breed
of cocks; they resemble the common English in plumage and shape, but
they crow very loud, and continue their last note for 15 or 20 seconds.
When their voice is good, they are much esteemed, and are sent for
as curiosities from all parts of Brazil. The cattle are in general
good, considering that so little attention is paid to feeding them;
when their pastures are full of grass, they are tolerably fat, but
when otherwise they become lean. A drove may be bought at 24s. or
30s. a head; beef at about a penny or three-halfpence per pound. The
curriers have a singular method of blackening cow-hides and calf-skins:
when they have prepared them for that operation, they search for some
mud-hole at the bottom of a ferruginous stratum, a ditch for instance;
with the mud they cover that side of the skin required to be stained;
and they prefer this material to the solution of copperas, probably
with reason, as the sulphate of iron formed by the decomposed pyrites
acts more mildly in this state than when applied in the common way.
The horses are very fine, and in general docile; when well trained
they make excellent chargers. Their size is from twelve and a half to
fourteen and a half hands, and they vary in price from three to twelve
pounds. Mules, as we have before observed, are considered more useful
beasts of burden. The breed of sheep is quite unattended to, and mutton
is rarely or never eaten. Here is a very fine and large breed of goats,
whose milk is generally used for domestic purposes. The dogs are very
indifferent, and of no distinct race.
In my walks round the city, I had frequent opportunities of examining
the singular succession of horizontal strata, that form the eminence
on which it stands. They lie in the following order: first, one of red
vegetable earth of variable depth, impregnated with oxide of iron;
below that, sand and adventitious matter of different shades of color,
as ochre-red, brown, and dusky yellow, together with many rounded
pebbles, which indicate it to be of rather recent formation; it varies
in depth from three to six feet, or perhaps to seven, and its lower
part is uniformly yellow: under this is a bed of exceedingly fine clay
of various colors, but for the most part purple; the white and yellow
is the purest in quality; it is interveined with thin layers of sand in
various directions. Then succeeds a stratum of alluvial matter, which
is highly ferruginous; it rests on a variety of decomposed granite,
containing hornblende, the proportion of feldspar apparently exceeding
that of the other constituents[16]. The whole is incumbent on fine
grained granite. The sides of the mount are steep, and in some places
nearly perpendicular[17].
The fertility of the country around S. Paulo may be inferred from the
quantities of produce, with which, as I have stated, its market is
supplied. About a century ago, this tract abounded with gold; and it
was not until they had exhausted it by washing, that the inhabitants
thought of employing themselves in husbandry. As they did so more
from necessity than from choice, they were tardy in pursuing those
improvements which other nations have made in this noble art, and,
pining at the disappearance of the precious mineral, considered their
new occupation as vile and degrading. Indeed throughout the whole of
Brazil, the husbandmen have ever been considered as forming a class
greatly inferior in point of respectability to the miners; and this
prejudice will in all likelihood subsist until the country shall
have been drained of its gold and diamonds, when the people will be
compelled to seek in agriculture a constant and inexhaustible source of
wealth.
I shall attempt to describe the system of farming which at present
prevails in the neighbourhood of S. Paulo. It has been elsewhere
observed that, in this extensive empire, land is granted in large
tracts, on proper application; and we may naturally suppose that the
value of these tracts depends more or less on their situation. It
therefore becomes the first object of a cultivator, to look out for
unoccupied lands as near as possible to a large town; good roads and
navigable rivers are the desiderata next in point of consequence which
he attends to. When he has made choice of a situation, he applies to
the governor of the district, who orders the proper officers to mark
out the extent required, generally a league or a league and a half
square, sometimes more. The cultivator then purchases as many negroes
as he can, and commences his operations by erecting habitations for
them and himself, which are generally miserable sheds, supported
by four posts, and commonly called _ranchos_. His negroes are then
directed to cut down the trees and brushwood growing on the land, to
such an extent as he thinks they will be able to manage. This done,
they set fire to all they have cut, as it lies on the ground. Much of
the success of his harvest depends on this burning; if the whole be
reduced to ashes he expects a great crop; if, through wet weather, the
felled trees remain only half burnt, he prognosticates a bad one. When
the ground is cleared, the negroes dibble it with their hoes, and sow
their maize, beans, or other pulse; during the operation they cut down
any thing very much in the way, but never think of working the soil.
After sowing as much seed as is thought requisite, they prepare other
ground for planting cassada, here called mandioca, the root of which
is generally eaten as bread by all ranks in Brazil. The soil[18] for
this purpose is rather better prepared; it is raked up in little round
hillocks, not unlike mole-hills, about four feet asunder; into which
are stuck cuttings from branches of the plant, about an inch thick and
six or eight long; these soon take root, and put forth leaves, shoots,
and buds. When enough has been planted for the entire consumption of
the farm, the owner, if he is rich enough, prepares means for growing
and manufacturing sugar. He first employs a carpenter to cut wood, and
build a mill with wooden rollers for crushing the canes, by means of
water, if a stream is at hand, if not, by the help of mules or oxen.
While some of the negroes are assisting the carpenter, others are
employed in preparing ground in the same way as for mandioca. Pieces of
cane containing three or four joints, and in length about six inches,
cut from the growing stem, are laid in the earth nearly horizontally,
and covered with soil to the depth of about four inches. They shoot
up rapidly, and in three months have a bushy appearance not unlike
flags; in twelve or fifteen months more they are ready for cutting. In
rich virgin soil it is not uncommon to see canes twelve feet high and
astonishingly thick.
The Indian corn and pulse are in general ripe in four months or
eighteen weeks. The average return is two hundred for one; it is a bad
harvest when it falls short of one hundred and fifty.
The mandioca is rarely ready to take up in less than eighteen or twenty
months; if the land be suitable, it then produces from six to twelve
pounds weight per plant[19]. They grow very little indigo in this
neighbourhood, and what they have is of indifferent quality. Their
pumpkins are of enormous size, and small ones are sometimes served up
as table-vegetables, but more frequently given as food to the horses.
Melons here are scarcely palatable.
In no branch of husbandry are the farmers so defective as in the
management of cattle. No artificial grasses are cultivated, no
enclosures are made, nor is any fodder laid up against the season
of scarcity. The cows are never milked regularly; they seem to be
considered rather as an incumbrance to a farm than a valuable part of
the stock. They constantly require salt, which is given them once in
fifteen or twenty days, in small proportions. The dairies, if such they
may be called, are managed in so slovenly a manner, that the little
butter which is made becomes rancid in a few days, and the cheese
is good for nothing. In this essential department the Paulistas are
deplorably deficient; rarely indeed is there to be seen a farm with
one convenience belonging to it. For want of proper places in which to
store their produce, they are obliged to lay it in promiscuous heaps;
and it is not uncommon to see coffee, cotton, maize, and beans, thrown
into the corners of a damp shed, and covered with a green hide. One
half is invariably spoiled by mould and putridity, and the remainder is
much deteriorated, through this idle and stupid negligence.
They feed their pigs on Indian corn in a crude state; the time for
confining them to fatten is at eight or ten months old; and the
quantity consumed for the purpose is eight or ten Winchester bushels
each. When killed, the lean is cut off the sides as clean as possible,
the fat is cured with very little salt, and in a few days is ready
for market. The ribs, chine-bone, and lean parts are dried for home
consumption.
The farm-houses are miserable hovels of one story, the floor neither
paved nor boarded, and the walls and partitions formed of wicker-work,
plastered with mud, and never under-drawn. For an idea of the kitchen,
which ought to be the cleanest and most comfortable part of the
dwelling, the reader may figure to himself a filthy room, with an
uneven muddy floor, interspersed with pools of slop-water, and in
different parts fire-places formed by three round stones to hold the
earthen pots that are used for boiling meat; as green wood is the chief
fuel, the place is almost always filled with smoke, which, finding no
chimney, vents itself through the doors and other apertures, and leaves
all within as black as soot. I regret to say that the kitchens of many
opulent people are not in much better condition.
It may well be imagined that, in a country like this, a stranger finds
the greatest comfort and enjoyment out of doors. The gardens in S.
Paulo, and its vicinity, are laid out with great taste, and many of
them with curious elegance. The jasmine is every where a favorite tree,
and in this fine climate bears flowers perennially, as does the rose.
Carnations, pinks, passion-flowers, cockscombs, &c. grow in great
plenty; one of their most estimable shrubs is the Palma Christi, which
gives fruit the first year, and yields abundance of castor-oil, which
all families possess in such quantity, that no other sort is burnt.
Bees are by no means uncommon; they are easily domesticated, and, I
believe, are perfectly harmless. Their honey is pleasant; the wax,
particularly that generally sold, which is taken from their nests in
old forest-trees, is very foul, but might be purified by a very simple
process. The woods contain a great variety of animals of the monkey
kind, and also beasts of prey, some of which have tolerably good fur.
Among the latter may be classed a peculiar species of the otter.
Insects are numerous, but the musquitos are not so offensively so as in
the Rio de la Plata. The animalculum, called the niagua or jigger, is
troublesome; it beds itself under the nails of the toes, and sometimes
of the fingers, but it may easily be banished by extracting it and
its bag of eggs with a needle, and filling the cavity with calomel or
snuff, for fear any should have remained. Reptiles, I was told, were
very numerous, but I saw few, except toads, which, in the evenings,
crawl upon the foot-paths, and even infest the streets of the city. The
_sorocucu_ or _jararaca_ (serpents) are said to be very dangerous.
The woods produce large and durable timber, well calculated for
building. Of their trees, all of which retain their Indian names, some
yield very fine gums. The _jacarandá_, called in England rose-wood,
is here very common. Many of their shrubs bear beautiful flowers,
and are very aromatic. Among the innumerable creeping plants which
clothe the soil of their uncleared lands, there are some distinguished
as infallible antidotes to the bite of venomous reptiles; one in
particular, called the _coração de Jesus_[20], is universally esteemed.
Beyond the plain which nearly encircles S. Paulo, the country is
hilly, or rather mountainous. Had the period of my stay been longer, I
should have devoted some time to a geological tour in that district;
but having urgent reasons to hasten my departure for Rio de Janeiro,
I had leisure to make only one excursion of this kind. The governor
invited me to visit the old gold-mines of Jaraguá, the first discovered
in Brazil, which were now his property, together with a farm in their
vicinity, distant about twenty-four miles from the city. We travelled
along a tolerable, and in some places, fine road, in a southerly
direction, for twelve miles, and crossed the Tieti. This river is here
considerably larger and deeper than in the neighbourhood of S. Paulo;
it has an excellent wooden bridge, free from toll. On its banks there
are some situations truly enviable; fine rich virgin lands covered with
timber, and capable of producing, not only the necessaries, but the
luxuries of life, in a hundred-fold degree, if properly cultivated.
It was melancholy to behold a territory, which, for its teeming soil
and genial climate, deserves to be called a paradise, neglected and
solitary, like that of Eden after the fall; while its infatuated
possessors, like the offspring of Cain, hungering for gold, kept aloof
from the rich feast which nature here spread before them.
After travelling onward four leagues, we arrived at the ancient mines
of Jaraguá, famed for the immense treasures they produced nearly two
centuries ago, when at the ports of Santos and S, Vicente, whence the
gold was shipped for Europe, this district was regarded as the Peru of
Brazil. The face of the country is uneven and rather mountainous. The
rock, where it appeared exposed, I found to be granite, and sometimes
gneiss, containing a portion of hornblende, with mica. The soil is red,
and remarkably ferruginous, in many places apparently of great depth.
The gold lies, for the most part, in a stratum of rounded pebbles and
gravel, called _cascalho_, immediately incumbent on the solid rock. In
the valleys, where there is water, occur frequent excavations, made
by the gold-washers, to a considerable extent, some of them fifty or a
hundred feet wide, and eighteen or twenty deep. On many of the hills,
where water can be collected for washing, particles of gold are found
in the soil, scarcely deeper than the roots of the grass.
The mode of working these mines, more fitly to be denominated washings,
is simple, and may be easily explained:
Suppose a loose gravel-like stratum of rounded quartzose pebbles and
adventitious matter, incumbent on granite, and covered by earthy matter
of variable thickness. Where water of sufficiently high level can be
commanded, the ground is cut in steps, each twenty or thirty feet
wide, two or three broad, and about one deep. Near the bottom a trench
is cut to the depth of two or three feet. On each step stand six or
eight negroes, who, as the water flows gently from above, keep the
earth continually in motion with shovels, until the whole is reduced
to liquid mud and washed below. The particles of gold contained in
this earth descend to the trench, where, by reason of their specific
gravity, they quickly precipitate. Workmen are continually employed
at the trench to remove the stones, and clear away the surface, which
operation is much assisted by the current of water which falls into it.
After five days’ washing, the precipitation in the trench is carried
to some convenient stream, to undergo a second clearance. For this
purpose wooden bowls are provided, of a funnel shape, about two feet
wide at the mouth, and five or six inches deep, called _gamellas_. Each
workman standing in the stream, takes into his bowl five or six pounds
weight of the sediment, which generally consists of heavy matter,
such as granular oxide of iron, pyrites, ferruginous quartz, &c. and
often precious stones. They admit certain quantities of water into the
bowls, which they move about so dexterously, that the precious metal,
separating from the inferior and lighter substances, settles to the
bottom and sides of the vessel. They then rinse their bowls in a larger
vessel of clean water, leaving the gold in it, and begin again. The
washing of each bowlful occupies from five to eight or nine minutes;
the gold produced is extremely variable in quantity, and in the size
of its particles, some of which are so minute, that they float, while
others are found as large as peas, and not unfrequently much larger.
This operation is superintended by overseers, as the result is of
considerable importance. When the whole is finished, the gold is placed
upon a brass pan, over a slow fire, to be dried, and at a convenient
time is taken to the permutation office, where it is weighed, and a
fifth is reserved for the Prince. The remainder is smelted with muriate
of mercury, then cast into ingots, assayed, and stamped according to
its intrinsic value, a certificate of which is given with it; after a
copy of that instrument has been duly entered at the mint-office, the
ingots circulate as specie.
My attention was strongly engaged by the immense debris or refuse of
old washings, which lay in numberless heaps, and contained various
substances that gave me strong hope of finding some interesting and
valuable specimens of tourmalines, topazes, and other crystallizations,
and also a rich series of rocks, which form the geognostics of the
country. So strongly was I prepossessed with this hope, that I really
fancied I had within my reach some of the finest mineral products of
Brazil. Early one morning, before the sun became too hot for work, I
set out accompanied by two or three men, with iron crows and hammers,
whom I had engaged to assist me. We broke up immense quantities of
quartzose and granite-like matter in various stages of decomposition,
and others of a ferruginous kind, but after pursuing the operation for
three whole days, until my hands could no longer wield the hammer, I
was obliged to give up the search as fruitless; not a grain of gold
did I find, nor anything of the nature of crystallization, except some
miserable quartz, a little cubic and octahedral pyrites, and some very
poor maganese! In short the substances presented so little novelty, and
were in themselves so ordinary, that I hesitated whether I should carry
them with me to S. Paulo. This disappointment at the first gold mines I
had seen, not a little dejected me.
In company with the Governor and his lady, I now took a survey of the
farm; we walked and rode through extensive plantations, the productions
of which, as well as the mode of culture pursued, were similar to
those I have already described. Our next recreation was hunting the
deer. Let not the reader imagine that I am going to lead him a chase
through miles of country with a pack of hounds and a joyous company
of horsemen; the mode of hunting in Brazil affords no such diversion.
Three or four men go out armed with guns and attended by two or three
dogs; the men separate and wait in some open place; meanwhile the dogs
quest among the plantations and thickets; if they find, they drive the
game out, which the hunters immediately shoot. The deer are small, and
of the fallow kind; but their flesh is not esteemed.
The wild animals of this district are chiefly monkeys, sloths, a
variety of the porcupine, and opossums. These, and other predatory
beasts, make great havoc among the poultry. Of the feathered tribe
there are not many varieties; I shot several snipes and beautiful
lapwings[21] with red horns on each pinion, about half an inch in
length. Here are great numbers of parrots and parroquets.
The vampire-bat, so often described by travellers, is a most formidable
foe to the horses and mules. If he gets access to them in the night,
he fixes on the neck-vein, above the shoulder, and sucks it to such a
degree as to leave the animal almost covered with blood, fanning with
his wings all the while he retains his hold, in order (as it should
seem) to lull the pain caused by his bite.
The garden has a bed of fine potatoes, which were planted three or four
years ago by Mr. Quarten, from Gibraltar. They are suffered to grow and
reproduce themselves from season to season, none being taken up unless
when wanted for food. Cabbages and other vegetables for the table grow
in abundance.
This farm has the advantage of very fine timber in its neighbourhood,
and when the improvements, begun by the governor, are completed, it
will be well provided with water, brought from a distance of six miles,
in sufficient quantities to wash the hills, and to work the machinery
of a sugar-mill. On the estate were employed about fifty negroes, and
half that number of free Indians; the latter ate at their master’s
expense, and earned about sixpence a day; but they appeared far less
laborious and handy than the negroes. They were clearing grounds and
making walks in a wood, which when finished will render the place a
most agreeable summer retreat.
Among the many marks of kindness with which the governor honored me,
I must not omit his repeated assurances, that in the event of war
between our respective countries, which was then talked of, he would
not detain me. After remaining here five days, which were rendered
as agreeable as possible by the polite civilities of my host, we set
out on our return in the order in which we came: the governor and his
lady in a carriage drawn by four mules, his aide-de-camp and myself on
horseback, and six dragoons in front, the guard usually attendant on
an officer of his rank. We arrived at S. Paulo without any material
occurrence.
This city is seldom visited by foreigners. The passes to it from the
coast are so singularly situated, that it is almost impossible to avoid
the guards who are stationed in them, to inspect all travellers and
merchandize passing into the interior. Soldiers of the lowest rank
on these stations have a right to examine all strangers who present
themselves, and to detain them and their property, unless they can
produce passports. I and my friends in our way hither were thrice
obliged to exhibit our licence from the governor of Santos, which was
attested. Our appearance at S. Paulo excited considerable curiosity
among all descriptions of people, who seemed by their manner never
to have seen Englishmen before; the very children testified their
astonishment, some by running away, others by counting our fingers,
and exclaiming, that we had the same number as they. Many of the good
citizens invited us to their houses, and sent for their friends to
come and look at us. As the dwelling we occupied was very large, we
were frequently entertained by crowds of young persons of both sexes,
who came to the door to see how we ate and drank. It was gratifying to
us to perceive that this general wonder subsided into a more social
feeling; we met with civil treatment every where, and were frequently
invited to dine with the inhabitants. At the public parties and balls
of the governor we found both novelty and pleasure; novelty at being
much more liberally received than we were in the Spanish settlements,
and pleasure at being in much more refined and polished company.
The dress of the ladies abroad, and especially at church, consists
of a garment of black silk, with a long veil of the same material,
trimmed with broad lace; in the cooler season black cassimere or baize.
In the same veil they almost always appear in the streets, though it
has been partially superseded by a long coat of coarse woollen, edged
with velvet, gold lace, fustian, or plush, according to the rank of
the wearer. This coat is used as a general sort of undress, at home,
in their evening walks, and on a journey, and the ladies, whenever
they wear it, appear in round hats. The appellation of Paulista is
considered by all the females here as a great honor; the Paulistas
being celebrated throughout all Brazil for their attractions, and their
dignity of character. At table they are extremely abstemious; their
favorite amusement is dancing, in which they display much vivacity
and grace. At halls and other public festivals they generally appear
in elegant white dresses, with a profusion of gold chains about their
necks, their hair tastefully disposed and fastened with combs. Their
conversation, at all times sprightly, seems to derive additional life
from music. Indeed the whole range of their education appears to be
confined to superficial accomplishments; they trouble themselves very
little with domestic concerns, confiding whatever relates to the
inferior departments of the household to the negro or negress cook,
and leaving all other matters to the management of servants. Owing to
this indifference, they are total strangers to the advantages of that
order, neatness, and propriety, which reign in an English family; their
time at home is mostly occupied in sewing, embroidery, and lace-making.
Another circumstance repugnant to delicacy is, that they have no
mantua-makers of their own sex; all articles of female dress here are
made by tailors. An almost universal debility prevails among them,
which is partly attributable to their abstemious living, but chiefly
to want of exercise, and to the frequent warm-bathings in which they
indulge. They are extremely attentive to every means of improving the
delicacy of their persons, perhaps to the injury of their health.
The men in general, especially those of the higher rank, officers, and
others, dress superbly; in company they are very polite and attentive,
and shew every disposition to oblige; they are great talkers and prone
to conviviality. The lower ranks, compared with those of other colonial
towns, are in a very advanced state of civilization. It were to be
wished that some reform were instituted in their system of education;
the children of slaves are brought up during their early days with
those of their masters; they are playmates and companions, and thus a
familiar equality is established between them, which has to be forcibly
abolished when they arrive at that age, at which one must command and
live at his ease, while the other must labor and obey. It has been
said, that by thus attaching the slave to his master, in early youth,
they ensure his future fidelity, but the custom seems fraught with many
disadvantages, and ought at least to be so modified as to render the
yoke of bondage less galling by the recollection of former liberty.
The religious processions here are very splendid, grand, and solemn;
they have a striking effect, by reason of the profound veneration and
enthusiastic zeal manifested by the populace. On particular occasions
of this kind, all the inhabitants of the city attend, and the throng
is frequently increased by numbers of the neighbouring peasantry for
several leagues round. The balconies of those houses, which command the
best views of the spectacle, are crowded with ladies in their gala
dresses, who consider the day as a kind of festival; the evening is
generally concluded by tea and card-parties or dances.
We found very little difficulty in accommodating ourselves to the
general mode of living at S. Paulo. The bread is pretty good, and the
butter tolerable, but rarely used except with coffee for breakfast, or
tea in the evening. A more common breakfast is a very pleasant sort
of beans, called _feijoens_, boiled or mixed with mandioca. Dinner,
which is usually served up at noon or before, commonly consists of a
quantity of greens boiled with a little fat pork or beef, a root of
the potatoe kind, and a stewed fowl, with excellent sallad, to which
succeeds a great variety of delicious conserves and sweetmeats. Very
little wine is taken at meals; the usual beverage is water. On public
occasions, or when a feast is given to a large party, the table is
most sumptuously spread; from thirty to fifty dishes are served up at
once, by which arrangement a succession of courses is obviated. Wine
circulates copiously, and toasts are given during the repast, which
usually occupies two or three hours, and is succeeded by sweetmeats,
the pride of their tables; after coffee the company pass the evening in
dancing, music, or cards.
I may here observe, that neither in S. Paulo, nor in any other place
which I visited, did I witness any instance of that levity in the
females of Brazil, which some writers allege to be the leading trait
in their character. I allude to the custom which has been said to
prevail among them, of throwing flowers from the balconies on such of
the passers-by, as they take a fancy to, or of presenting a flower or a
nosegay to their favorites, as a mark of partiality. The circumstance
which seems to have given rise to such an ill-founded conjecture is
this: flowers are here considered an indispensable part of the female
head-dress, and when a stranger is introduced to a lady, it is nothing
more than an act of common courtesy for her to take one from her hair
to present to him. This elegant compliment he is expected to return in
the course of the visit, by selecting a flower from the profuse variety
which adorn the garden, or the balcony, and presenting it to her.
One singular custom I must not omit to notice, that of throwing
artificial fruit, such as lemons or oranges, made very delicately of
wax and filled with perfumed water. On the two first days of Lent,
which are here celebrated with great festivity, persons of both sexes
amuse themselves by throwing these balls at each other; the lady
generally begins the game, the gentleman returns it with such spirit
that it seldom ceases until several dozens are thrown, and both parties
are as wet as if they had been drawn through a river. Sometimes a lady
will dexterously drop one into the bosom of a gentleman, which will
infallibly oblige him to change his linen, as it usually contains
three or four ounces of cold water. On these days of carnival the
inhabitants parade the streets in masks, and the diversion of throwing
fruit is practised by persons of all ages. It is reckoned improper for
men to throw at each other. The manufacture of these missiles, at such
periods, affords no inconsiderable occupation to certain classes of
the inhabitants; I have been informed, that in the capital of Brazil,
many hundreds of people derive a temporary subsistence from the sale of
them. The practice (as I can testify) is very annoying to strangers,
and not unfrequently engenders quarrels which terminate seriously.
During our stay here an unpleasant report was circulated, that the
port of Lisbon was shut against the English, and that war was daily
expected to be declared between the two powers. Had it not been for the
kindness of the governor in offering to permit our departure before he
should receive orders to the contrary, we should have felt ourselves in
a very disagreeable predicament. But news soon arrived that his Royal
Highness the Prince Regent had left Portugal with all the court, and
that they were embarked for the Brazils, under the escort of a British
squadron, dispatched by Sir Sidney Smith. This intelligence was most
joyfully received by the Brazilians; they considered, indeed, that
the occupation of Portugal by the French, was a disaster very likely
to ensue, but they consoled themselves with the hope of receiving
a Prince, in whose praise every tongue was eloquent, and to whose
cause every heart was loyal. The Brazilian empire was considered as
established; and the worthy bishop consecrated the auspicious era
by ordaining daily prayers in the cathedral, to invoke, from Divine
Providence, the safe arrival of the Royal Family. News of their having
touched at Bahia arrived in about ten days, and was welcomed by every
demonstration of public joy, processions, fire-works, &c. Hoping, every
day, to hear of their arrival at Rio de Janeiro, I made all ready for
my departure, and devoted the few remaining days to a second excursion
to the gold-mines, and to some farewell visits among my friends in
the vicinity of S. Paulo. The governor and many of the principal
inhabitants gave us parting invitations, and by their urbanity rendered
the last hours we passed with them at once delightful and melancholy.
Some of the latter accompanied us two leagues on our way, and on
separating testified the warmest wishes for our welfare.
I never recal to mind the civilities I received at this city without
the most grateful emotions, in which those will best sympathize who
have known what it is to visit a remote city in a strange country,
where, according to the narratives of preceding travellers, nothing
prevailed but barbarism and inhospitality, and where they have been
agreeably undeceived. It may easily be supposed that I found it
difficult to reconcile the character of the Paulistas, such as I
beheld it, with the strange accounts of their spurious origin, quoted
by modern geographers. These accounts, founded on the suspicious
testimony of the Jesuits of Paraguay, and at variance with the best
Portuguese historians, have been of late most ably confuted by an
enlightened member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Lisbon[22].
He fully exposes the inconsistencies of Vaissette and Charlevoix, in
ascribing the origin of S. Paulo to a band of refugees, composed of
Spaniards, Portuguese, Mestiços, Mulattos, and others, who fled hither
from various parts of Brazil, and established a free-booting republic;
and he satisfactorily shews that the first settlers were Indians of
Piratininga and Jesuits, and that the city, from its first foundation,
never acknowledged any other sovereignty than that of Portugal. The
veracity of this account is further supported by the predominant
character of the Paulistas, who, far from inheriting the obloquy, which
an ancestry of rogues and vagabonds would have entailed upon them,
have long been famed throughout all Brazil for their probity, their
industry, and the mildness of their manners[23].
CHAP. VI.
_Coasting Voyage from Santos to Sapitiva, and Journey thence to Rio de
Janeiro._
WE left S. Paulo at ten in the morning, and took the same road to
Santos by which we had come, there being no other, fit to travel. On
the following day, before noon, we arrived at Cubatão, where we were
detained by rain, until four in the afternoon. About seven we arrived
at Santos, and as we were provided with a letter of introduction to a
judge, and another to a merchant, we relied on a kinder welcome than
we had met with on our first visit, the more so as we came from S.
Paulo. We were, however, deceived. The judge received us coldly, and
when I asked him where the person lived to whom our other letter was
addressed, he seemed quite rejoiced at the opportunity for shewing us
out of his house. The merchant was as frigid as the judge, and made
us a paltry excuse. We then repaired to an apothecary, from whom we
had experienced some acts of urbanity, and who had attended one of
our friends, who, having left S. Paulo in a bad state of health, had
waited here three weeks for a passage to Rio de Janeiro. After telling
him our situation, and stating that the wet weather prevented us from
passing the night in our canoe, he kindly offered us his shop-floor
for a lodging, it being the only place under cover he had to spare. We
commissioned him to offer four dollars to any of his neighbours who
would admit us for the night, but he said it would be of no avail, as
the people of Santos were proverbially notorious for their want of
hospitality. The great influx of strangers and renegadoes from all
nations into this and other towns on the coast, had completely steeled
the hearts of the people against those claims on their good-will, which
the inhabitants of the interior, less frequently imposed upon, are ever
ready to acknowledge and to satisfy.
Thus disappointed, we resolved not to wait at Santos for a ship, but to
proceed to Rio de Janeiro, along the coast, in a canoe. Having hired
one we embarked, and after rowing all night in a strait between the
continent and the island of S. Thomas, which forms one of the passages
to Santos from sea, we arrived by sun-rise at Bertioga, situated at the
north end of that island. It is a village, consisting of some tolerably
good buildings, erected for the convenience of the _Capitão Mor_ and
his attendants, who superintend a fishing establishment here, similar
to that near St. Catherine’s, and belonging to the same company, but
very much inferior in extent and capacity. At both places the most
expert of the negroes are employed in dressing whalebone, which is a
considerable article of commerce, though smaller and less valuable
than that of the Greenland whale. Along the coast which we passed,
are several fine bays, where, in the best times of the fishery, large
quantities of whales were annually caught. The buildings for boiling
the blubber and storing the oil were conveniently situated.
The fine harbour of Bertioga is well sheltered from all winds, and the
town itself, being situated at the foot of a hill, is protected from
the inclemencies of the weather, and is at times inconveniently warm.
The basis of the hill is primitive granite, composed of hornblende,
feldspar, quartz, and mica. Fine springs of water, bursting from
various parts, give variety to the scenery, and an agreeable freshness
to the air. Though the place bore the appearance of poverty, we
observed no signs of want; the sea affords great plenty and variety of
eatable fish, and the soil produces pulse, of various sorts, and rice,
quantities of which we saw loading in boats for Santos. The people with
whom we had to treat used us civilly, and seemed anxious to anticipate
and to gratify all our requests. As the _Capitão Mor_ was ill, he could
not render us any assistance in procuring a passage for St. Sebastian;
we were therefore obliged to hire the canoe to go forward.
A strong current setting in-shore detained us until midnight; we then
took advantage of a calm which succeeded, and rowed away for a headland
to the eastward, near which we arrived about sunrise, after a most
laborious passage. The shore was quite solitary, with the exception
of two very miserable huts, at which we could procure no better a
breakfast than muscles. The face of the country is low and sandy,
covered with underwood and groups of trees, and watered by rivulets
from a range of mountains apparently about two leagues distant.
A breeze springing up about mid-day, we again embarked, but after
contending with both elements for four hours, we were obliged again to
take to our oars, in order to reach Porto d’Una before sun-set, which,
with considerable exertion, we effected. At this place we observed a
large plantation, belonging to a religious society at Santos, who hence
derive a great part of their maintenance. After waiting till two in
the morning for a change either of wind or current, we got out of port
and proceeded on our voyage to Rio de Janeiro. We rowed against the
wind till day-light, and then found ourselves near a bluff headland
with steep rocks, forming a good harbour for boats, called Toque Toque,
where we arrived about nine o’clock, having passed several conical
islands, which are not laid down in any chart that I have hitherto
seen. Off the point of Toque Toque, extends the fine island of St.
Sebastian; the strait between it and the main affords an excellent
passage, and a good harbour for ships of war.
The wind still blowing fresh against us, we rested awhile, and were
amused by watching some fishermen haul their nets ashore with large
draughts of _cavallos_ in them. These fish weigh from fifteen to
twenty pounds each, and are caught in great numbers along this coast.
Passing point Toque Toque at noon, we entered the strait of St.
Sebastian. Its width is about two leagues; the land on both sides is
bold and steep, and being well cultivated has a very grand and rich
appearance. The varied foliage of the trees, and the different shades
of verdure in the enclosures, combined with the romantic situations of
the houses dispersed among them, presented a view worthy the ablest
pencil; we had full leisure to enjoy it, for the wind being still
adverse, our progress depended on the toil of our wearied boatmen.
Several vessels, going the contrary way, passed us in full sail,
the crews of which added to our chagrin by ironically wishing us a
pleasant voyage. At four in the afternoon we arrived at the town of St.
Sebastian, situated on a low tract of ground about three hundred yards
from the beach. The inhabitants, amounting to two or three thousand,
are an indigent and not very industrious people; they subsist chiefly
on fish, which was the only food we could procure during the three
days we staid among them. There are some inconsiderable plantations in
the neighbourhood, where a little indigo is made, and some tolerably
good tobacco is grown. This town is noted (and formerly was much more
so) for its very large canoes scooped out of the solid timber; some of
them I have seen of almost incredible dimensions. The civil government
is entrusted to a _Capitão Mor_, whose authority is supported by a
garrison of ten or fifteen soldiers under the command of an ensign.
At the house of the latter we took up our abode, while waiting for an
opportunity to hire a large canoe to carry us to Sapitiva, near Rio
de Janeiro. The people with whom we had to bargain, used every petty
means to thwart and impose upon us, and our host shewed no disposition
to protect us against their chicanery, so that we encountered many
vexatious delays ere we could accomplish our purpose.
This place is by no means a desirable, or indeed, a tolerable residence
for a stranger; it is exposed to all the inconveniencies peculiar to
low and sandy situations; the hot unwholesome weather, seldom refreshed
by a breeze, tends to multiply the immense swarms of mosquitos, which
constitute one of the plagues of the torrid zone. The neighbouring
island, on the contrary, being more elevated, has the advantage of a
freer air, and is therefore less annoyed by these troublesome insects.
It has the reputation of producing the best sugar, rum, and pulse, as
well as the finest cattle in all Brazil, and these advantages, joined
to its convenient situation, must render a plantation upon it highly
valuable. In common with the opposite shore, and the rocks observable
in various parts of the straits, the island appears to be composed of
the same variety of granite I have before described. Near the town of
St. Sebastian’s, I found some large pieces of green-stone, which,
when struck, emitted a very clear sound; fragments of limestone were
abundant on the beach, but these probably were part of some vessel’s
ballast, which had been thrown overboard in the bay, and washed ashore.
Having at length hired a canoe, we embarked for a village about five
miles distant, called Bayro, where we arrived safe, and staid all night
at the house of a fisherman, who undertook the charge of our navigation
until we should arrive at Sapitiva. Bayro is a pretty but poor village,
built near the beach, and is chiefly noted as being the place where
most of the earthenware, used at Rio de Janeiro, is made. The clay
appears to be formed by the decomposition of feldspar. Here is a large
convent, well built, and finely situated, fronting the bay and near the
sea.
About nine in the morning, we embarked in our canoe, which was forty
feet long, covered with an awning, and rowed by six men. In the
afternoon we arrived at Porcos, a fine, bold, conical island, with good
anchorage, but no port. Its coasts abound with excellent fish. Here
was stationed a guard of soldiers to prevent contraband trade, and to
give information respecting it; the officer, an ensign, made us welcome
to all he had, and treated us with great kindness during our short
stay. Leaving this place at two in the morning, we rowed through an
archipelago of islets, and arrived at Porto Negro, within four leagues
of Ilha Grande, and the morning following reached a bay in that island.
The land is, in general, very high and irregular; in the interior it
is well wooded, and contains some excellent iron ore, which is very
little known. Its coasts are but partially inhabited. The strait, which
separates it from the main land, is an excellent harbour in all its
extent, and was the rendezvous of some English privateers during our
war with Spain. The country, in its vicinity, is well clothed with
large timber, and appears very fruitful, but is thinly peopled by a
set of men, whose manners and pursuits denote them to be outcasts
from society. In the evening we entered a fine bay, and procured some
refreshment at a house on the beach, where we intended to pass the
night, but a plan had been laid to rob us, and we were obliged, on
discovering it, to re-embark before day-break, much rejoiced at having
narrowly escaped the loss of our property and our lives. Pursuing our
course among the many islands, with which this part of the coast is
studded, we passed the beautiful and fertile island of Madeira, and,
at noon, crossed two wide bays. A favorable breeze now, for the first
time, sprung up, which lasted until we arrived at Sapitiva, and here
ended our romantic canoe-voyage.
I would strongly impress on every traveller, pursuing a similar course,
the expediency of providing himself with a soldier commissioned to
attend him, and to protect his person and property against the
evil-minded persons, who prowl about the coast in search of plunder,
and greedily seek every opportunity of securing, by fraud or force, the
property of defenceless passengers. We had more than once occasion to
rue the neglect of this precaution.
At Sapitiva, we met with excellent accommodations. The owner of the
house at which we put up, furnished us with a plentiful supper of
fish, fowls, coffee, and excellent sweetmeats, which we relished
the more from having, for eight days, subsisted wholly on fish. Our
lodgings were tolerably comfortable, and were rendered more so by the
earnestness with which every one in the family strove to please us.
At sun-rise next morning, after diverting myself with shooting a few
horned plovers on the beach, I took a survey of the romantic scenery
around. Here are a few poor houses, and some plantations of indigo,
sugar, and pulse. The beach is lined with fine aloes, and presents
an interesting view of several islets in front of the bay, the most
conspicuous of which is Madeira, before-mentioned. In another direction
is seen that of Ilha Grande. Four leagues distant from Sapitiva is
Santa Cruz, formerly the property of the Jesuits, and now the royal
farm of the Prince Regent of Portugal, of which I shall have occasion,
in the sequel, to speak more at large.
After settling with our host, we hired mules to carry us to Rio de
Janeiro, distant forty miles. Owing to the weight of our baggage, we
travelled but slowly: this, however, we did not regret, as the fatigues
of our coasting-voyage rendered us rather averse to violent exertion.
Proceeding through a low sandy country, covered with wood, for about
three leagues, we skirted the boundary of the Prince’s farm, which
encloses some of the finest and most fertile plains in South America,
and gives employment to upward of fifteen hundred negroes. We soon
afterwards reached the main road, which in general is very good, but
the lands about it are little cleared, and seem almost destitute of
cultivators. In the course of twenty miles, we saw only one house that
deserved the name of a plantation; the only dwellings by the way-side
were miserable huts and dram-shops, exhibiting deplorable symptoms of
sloth and poverty. Before sun-set we halted at a kind of inn, where our
mules were turned out to grass, and a supper was provided for us of
fowls, milk, and coffee. The house, though pleasantly situated on an
eminence among orange-groves and coffee-trees, was miserably deficient
in those conveniences which its exterior had announced. The room where
we supped was lighted by a small poor lamp, (here being no candles,)
and the floor was so uneven, that our table stood on only two of its
four legs. Tired with this cheerless gloom, we ordered our beds to be
unpacked, and retired to rest. The want of candle-light is a serious
inconvenience to travellers in all parts of Brazil, and no one ought
to undertake a journey without an ample provision of candles, with the
necessary implements for using them. Snuffers are articles of luxury,
very rarely to be met with, except as curiosities. I need not add that
beds are an equally indispensable part of a traveller’s equipage.
We resumed our journey at an early hour next day, along an excellent
road in the middle of a valley, formed by lofty mountains. After
travelling about three miles, we came to a house, called the _Padeira_
(bake-house), which is reckoned half way between Sapitiva and the
capital. From this place the road gradually becomes more enlivened by
dwellings and plantations, (but many of the former, are wretched hovels
erected for the sale of bacon, corn, liquors, &c.) and by numbers of
countrymen bringing produce from every part of the south-west, even
from the far districts of Goyazes, Coritiva, Cuyaba, S. Paulo, and
Mato Grosso. It is not uncommon to see eight hundred or a thousand
mules passing and repassing in the course of a day, besides numerous
droves of fine cattle for the use of the city. Our heavy-laden and
weary mules travelled so slowly, that we did not come within sight of
Rio de Janeiro, until about three in the afternoon. On reaching the
eminence, which commanded the first prospect of this fine city, our
joyful sensations banished every feeling of fatigue. One of the party,
who had advanced a few paces, rode back as fast as his mule could go,
exclaiming, “the English flag.” We hastened onward, and beheld one
of the most welcome sights that ever greeted the eyes of a traveller,
with a remembrance of his native country—a squadron of our men of
war at anchor in the bay, which had recently escorted the court of
Portugal to an asylum in their own dominions, beyond the reach of their
foes. We no longer felt uneasy at the thought of entering a large city
inhabited by strangers; we knew that the name of Englishman would be a
passport among them, and we anticipated something of that delight which
is connected with the near prospect of home. I, who had for eighteen
months lingered in exile, and beheld each setting sun close another
day of almost hopeless captivity, enjoyed this evening-scene with
indescribable emotion; it was here, that, for the first time since my
landing in South America, I had just reason to promise myself a night’s
repose in freedom, safety, and peace.
We soon reached the suburbs, which are very large and pleasant, being
agreeably interspersed with gardens and pleasure-grounds. About five
o’clock we halted in the vicinity of Campo de Santa Anna, at an inn,
or rather hostelry for cattle, whence, having secured our baggage in
the miserable stall allotted to us, we sallied forth in search of the
friends who left us at St. Catherine’s. Accustomed, as we long had
been, to rude and solitary scenes, we were forcibly struck with the
opulence of this city, displayed in its magnificent buildings and
regular streets. While engaged in anxious enquiries after our friends,
we accidentally met one of them, who, with unspeakable joy, conducted
us to the rest; and the evening was passed most agreeably in relating
our several encounters, and in asking and answering innumerable
questions. Returning to our inn at midnight, we remained with our
luggage until morning, when we carted it up to the house of our friends
in Rua dos Pescadores.
During our journey from Sapitiva to Rio de Janeiro, we had not much
leisure for geological observation. The stratum, in the course of the
route, appeared to be generally granite, like that before described.
In some parts we observed large stones, approximating to green-stone,
and in other parts we found fine clay. Nearer to the capital,
and particularly in the environs of St. Cristovão, the Prince’s
country-palace, the stratum has a gneiss-like appearance, and produces
some fine specimens of feldspar. In the precincts of the city, there is
an extensive flat, covered with mangroves, and overflowed by the tide.
At the foot of the mountains which bound it, are quarries of granite,
large blocks of which are raised for building purposes, as well as for
paving the streets of the city.
CHAP. VII.
_Description of Rio de Janeiro.—Trade.—State of Society.—Visit to
the Prince Regent’s Farm at Santa Cruz._
RIO DE JANEIRO has been so often described by former travellers, that,
were I to confine myself to the supply of what they have omitted, or
to the correction of their mis-statements, my task would be speedily
performed, but, as I have uniformly chosen to write freely from my own
observation rather than follow the track of others, I shall trespass
on the reader with a more detailed account than he might perhaps
require. It will, however, be recollected that the period at which I
visited this capital, being a political æra in the annals of Brazil, is
sufficiently interesting to excuse, if not to justify me in the attempt
to improve upon descriptions of an earlier date, though at the risk of
a little repetition.
The finest view of the city is from the harbour[24], whence its
lofty eminence crowned with convents, and the hills in its environs,
interspersed with villas and gardens, have a rich and magnificent
appearance. The royal palace skirts the beach, and is seen to great
advantage from the principal landing-place, which is within sixty
yards of its doors. This palace, though small, is the residence of the
Prince Regent and the royal family: the mint and the royal chapel form
parts of the structure. Parallel with the beach runs the main street,
consisting of noble buildings, called Rua Dereita, from which the minor
streets branch off at right angles, and are intersected by others at
regular distances.
Some idea of the extent of the city may be formed from the population,
which, including the negroes, (its most numerous portion,) is estimated
at a hundred thousand souls: the dwellings, at the out-skirts, are
generally of one story only.
The numerous convents and churches are well built, and rather
handsome; the church of Candelaria, now finished, is in a superior
style of architecture. The streets were formerly incommoded by
latticed balconies, which had a very heavy appearance and obstructed
the circulation of the air, but they have been taken away by order
of Government. The greatest nuisances now remaining are those which
arise from the custom of persons of all ranks on horseback to ride
on the foot-paths, and from the preposterous hanging of shop and
house-doors, which all open outward into the street, to the great
annoyance of foot-passengers: I may also add the frequent pools of
stagnant water, which, from the lowness of the site, cannot without
much labor be drained away, and which, through the heat of the weather,
often emit the most putrid exhalations. Water for the use of the city
flows from the hills through aqueducts, and is distributed to several
fountains in various public places. It is to be regretted that there
are not more of these for the supply of the inhabitants[25], numbers of
whom live a mile distant from any of them, and are obliged to employ
persons continually in carrying water: many of the poorer classes earn
a living by selling it. The fountains in dry weather are frequently
so crowded, that the carriers have to wait for hours before they can
be supplied. The water is good, and, when kept in large jars, drinks
cool and pleasant. The inns and public houses are almost destitute of
accommodations, and so very uncomfortable that a stranger will not
reside in them if he can find a friend to take him in. House-rent,
after the arrival of the Royal Family, became equally high as in
London, owing, it should seem, to the dearness of building materials,
and the high price of masonry. Timber in particular is unaccountably
scarce, considering the quantity which grows in almost every part of
Brazil; even firewood is dear. Provisions are in general plentiful, but
not very choice in quality: the beef is very indifferent, and indeed
bad; the pork is better, and, if the feeding were properly attended to,
might be rendered fine; mutton is almost unknown, as the natives will
not eat it[26]; the poultry of every description is excellent, but it
is very dear. Pulse and vegetables of all kinds are very abundant, and
the fish-market is not ill supplied. Turtles are frequently caught, as
well as a great variety of fish; there are abundance of very fine large
prawns. The oysters and muscles, though not equal to ours, are very
tolerable.
Owing to its low situation, and the general filthiness of its streets,
Rio de Janeiro cannot be called healthful. Improvements are now
making which will in part remedy these evils; but other causes tend
to increase the insalubrity of the air, and to spread contagious
distempers, the principal of which are the large importations of
negroes from Africa, who commonly land in a sickly state, the
consequence of close confinement during a hot voyage. It is much to be
regretted that the city was not originally built on the plan of those
in the Netherlands, with canals for brigs and small vessels, which
might then have been unloaded at the doors of the warehouses: such
an improvement would have also greatly tended to the cleanliness and
salubrity of the town.
The police is by no means ill regulated; and, from the attention which
has been paid to it since the arrival of the court, there is every
hope that it will be placed on a footing equally respectable with that
of any European capital. The prisons are loathsome, and require the
benevolent genius of a Howard to reform them altogether. One great
step in favor of humanity has been gained: the inquisition has been
abolished, and with it the spirit of persecution, so that no one can
now be offended for his theological tenets, unless he openly insult the
established religion.
This city is the chief mart of Brazil, and especially of the provinces
of Minas Geraes, S. Paulo, Goyazes, Cuyaba, and Coritiva. The mining
districts, being most populous, require the greatest proportion of
consumable goods, and in return send the most valuable articles of
commerce, hence innumerable troops of mules are continually travelling
to and from those districts; their common burden is about three hundred
weight each, which they carry to the almost incredible distance of 1500
or 2000 miles. Their homeward freight consists chiefly of salt for the
consumption of the cattle, and iron for the working of the mines, and
goods of all descriptions.
No colonial port in the world is so well situated for general commerce
as Rio de Janeiro. It enjoys, beyond any other, an equal convenience
of intercourse with Europe, America, Africa, the East Indies, and the
South Sea Islands, and seems formed by nature as the grand link to
connect the trade of those great portions of the globe. Commanding
also, as the capital of a rich and extensive territory, resources of
immense amount and value, it seemed to require only the presence of
an efficient government to give it political importance, and this
advantage it has now gained by becoming the chosen residence of the
court of Portugal. The benefits resulting from this great event had
but just begun to display themselves at the period to which this
narrative refers; and the commercial relations of Rio de Janeiro,
though considerably augmented, were still but in their germ. I shall
proceed to state them according to the best information I was then able
to procure.
The imports hither from the River Plate, and from Rio Grande de St.
Pedro, consist in immense quantities of dried beef, tallow, hides, and
wheat. Those from the United States are chiefly salt provisions, flour,
household furniture, pitch, and tar. The North Americans generally send
cargoes of these articles on speculation, and, as the market for them
is fluctuating and not to be depended on, they frequently take them to
other ports. Their provisions are commonly sent to the Cape of Good
Hope. They bring European merchandize, which they exchange for specie
wherewith to trade to China, and also take in necessaries on their
voyages to the South Seas.
From the western coast of Africa, Rio de Janeiro imports wax, oil,
elephant’s teeth, gum, sulphur, and some woods. The negro trade has
been restricted to the kingdom of Angola by a decree of the Prince
Regent, who has declared his intention of abolishing it altogether as
soon as possible.
The trade to Mozambique is trivial; but, since the capture of the Isle
of France by the British has cleared that coast from French privateers,
it may be expected to increase. It affords many valuable products, such
as gold-dust, brought from the interior, ivory, of which the Prince
monopolizes the largest sort, ebony and other fine woods, drugs, oil,
excellent columbo-root, and an abundance of various gums, particularly
of the gum _meni_. The whale fisheries on the coast have proved a
source of riches to many speculators.
The intercourse of this port with India, in common with Mozambique, has
been much annoyed by the privateers of the Isle of France, and will
therefore, in all probability, florish equally by their suppression. A
voyage thither and back is performed with great expedition: one large
ship of eight hundred tons sailed, loaded at Surat, and returned within
the space of seven months. A voyage to China seldom occupies a longer
period. The trade thither will no doubt be revived, and it is not
improbable that this port may, at no great distance of time, become an
entrepôt for India goods destined for Europe.
Rio de Janeiro is conveniently situated for supplying a great variety
of necessaries to the Cape of Good Hope and to New South Wales; indeed,
of late years, English manufactures have been sold here so cheap,
that it has been found more advantageous to ship them hence for those
colonies than from home. Ships going on the South Sea whale-fishery
touch here, and lay in large quantities of spirituous liquors, wine,
sugar, coffee, tobacco, soap, and live stock.
The imports from the mother-country consist chiefly in vinegar,
hardware, coarse linen, hats, silks, wine, and oil. From Sweden some
iron, also pitch and tar are occasionally brought: it is preferred to
English iron, particularly for mules’ shoes, on account of its greater
ductility.
The exports consist principally of cotton, sugar, rum, coffee, rice,
ship-timber, various fine cabinet-woods, hides, tallow, indigo, and
coarse cotton cloths, in immense quantities, for clothing the Peons in
the provinces of the River Plate. Among the more precious articles of
export may be enumerated gold, in chains and other ornaments, diamonds,
topazes of various colors, amethysts, tourmalines, (that are frequently
sold for emeralds), chrysoberyls, aqua-marinas, and wrought jewelry.
This market has been greatly overstocked with English manufactures,
in consequence of the sanguine speculations to which our merchants
were incited by the late emigration. The supply exceeded the demand in
a tenfold degree, and the excess gave rise to auctions, where goods
were sold at unprecedentedly reduced prices. In proportion as English
merchandize lowered, that of Brazil rose in value; and so great was the
demand for it, owing to the numerous vessels waiting for cargoes, that
within a year after the arrival of the Prince Regent, the price of
every article of produce was doubled. Gold quickly disappeared; for the
monied Portuguese, perceiving the avidity and impolitic eagerness with
which the English forced their goods upon them, cautiously withheld
their specie, and, by the alternative of barter, got rid of their own
produce at a very high price, and obtained our merchandize almost at
their own valuation. The losing party in this unequal traffic, though
they had chiefly to blame their own imprudence in engaging in it, were
loud in their complaints and remonstrances against the Portuguese
merchants. A treaty of commerce was concluded, by which the duties
on English merchandize were fixed at fifteen_per cent_. while other
nations were to pay twenty-four _per cent. ad valorem_. A judge was
appointed to attend solely to the concerns of the English, and to
see justice done them: he was entitled the _Juiz Conservador_ of the
English nation. The person who now fills this important office is one
of the most enlightened and upright of men; his official conduct, of
which I have seen much, has secured him the respect of all parties, and
has done credit to the choice of the Prince Regent, confirmed by the
approval of his Excellency Lord Strangford. Further to cultivate and
extend the interests of commerce, his Royal Highness has established a
Board of Trade, in which are some experienced and intelligent men, to
whose consideration every particular case, and every new regulation,
is referred. One of the members of this Board, Dr. José da Silva
Lisboa, has greatly distinguished himself by his zeal for the English
nation, displayed in various publications on commerce, particularly
in one dated May 1810, which contains a fund of solid argument on
the principles laid down and acknowledged by our most celebrated
statesmen and political writers. It is to be hoped that the diffusion
of views so liberal, under the auspices of ministers, will banish that
narrow-minded jealousy with which certain opulent individuals of the
Brazilian capital regard the English merchants, whom they stigmatize as
intruders; and that the general interests of commerce in this thriving
colony will gain, through fair competition, what they have heretofore
lost through overstocked markets.
The business of the custom-house, although still shackled with many
troublesome and tedious regulations, especially with regard to small
articles, has been considerably simplified; and in all cases, where a
stranger finds himself at a loss how to proceed, he is sure to have
every difficulty explained, and every obstacle removed, by appealing
to the judge who presides over this department. The liberality and
disinterestedness of this excellent officer are the more generally
felt and acknowledged, from an apprehension of the inconveniences with
which his situation might enable him to embarrass the trade, if he were
inclined to a more rigorous execution of the laws.
In mentioning the advantages which have resulted to the English
merchants from the liberality of the persons in office, I ought not to
omit stating that much has been effected through the exertions of the
British minister, who, while pursuing that conciliatory and moderate
line of conduct, which gained him the esteem of the Prince Regent, ever
firmly upheld the interests of his nation; and in all deliberations
concerning them, reserved to himself the casting vote. With respect
to individuals, it is true that he declined to be troubled on every
trivial occasion, and scrupulously discountenanced every covert
attempt at monopoly or peculation, from whatever quarter it came; but
in great questions he acted with promptitude and decision; nor was he
averse to use his influence in favor of a private individual, when
a candid and manly appeal was made to him. Considering the peculiar
circumstances attending his embassy, and also the jarring interests he
had to reconcile, Lord Strangford conducted himself in a way highly
honorable to his talents and character; and in continuing to merit the
confidence of his own court, secured that of the Prince Regent and all
his ministers. The treaty of commerce is a proof of the harmony which
subsists between them, and may be regarded on our part as the most
advantageous that, in the existing posture of affairs, could have been
procured.
The harbour is easy of entrance and egress, generally speaking, at all
times, as there is a daily alternation of land and sea breeze, the
former blowing until about noon, and the latter from that hour until
sun-set. Ships find here every conveniency for repairing, heaving down,
&c. but it is to be hoped that docks will soon be formed, which will
render the latter troublesome and dangerous operation unnecessary.
There is an anchorage-duty paid, which forms an item in the bill of
port charges.
Of the state of society in Rio de Janeiro, what I have to observe
differs little from the description of the Paulistas given. The same
habits and manners prevail at both places, allowing for some slight
variation, caused by the greater influx of strangers to the capital.
The Portuguese are in general rather punctilious and reserved in
admitting a foreigner to their family parties; but having once received
him, they are open and hospitable. The ladies are affable and courteous
to strangers, extremely fond of dress, but less proud than those of
other nations. In their mixed assemblies the utmost gaiety prevails,
and is seasoned by that finished politeness for which the Portuguese
are generally distinguished. The conversation of the best bred men,
however, is more lively than instructive; for education is here at
a low ebb, and comprehends a very limited course of literature and
science. It is proper to add that, since the arrival of the court,
measures have been adopted for effecting a thorough reform in the
seminaries, and other institutions for public instruction; and that
the Prince Regent, in his solicitude for the good of his subjects, has
zealously patronized every attempt to diffuse among them a taste for
useful knowledge. Under his auspices, the college of S. Joaquim has
undergone considerable improvement: a lectureship on chemistry has been
instituted, to which our countryman, Dr. Gardner, has been nominated by
his Royal Highness; and it is to be hoped that from this appointment
may be dated the introduction of experimental philosophy in that
establishment.
Resuming my narrative, I am bound in gratitude to state that the
reception I met with here exceeded my most sanguine hopes, and far more
so any individual pretensions on which I could ground them. I must
attribute it to the letter of introduction to the Viceroy, with which
the Portuguese minister in London honored me on my departure thence,
and which I presented to his noble relative, the Conde de Linhares,
minister for foreign affairs. This distinguished statesman shewed me
every attention, and granted me every privilege I could ask, so that,
through his kind condescension, all went well with me. I may state
this without incurring the imputation of vanity, since it is only one
among the numerous proofs he has given of his disposition to serve the
English by every means in his power.
A few weeks after my arrival, I solicited permission of His Excellency
the Conde de Linhares to work an iron mine at Guaraceaba, representing
at the same time the immense advantages which might accrue to the state
from such an experiment, by opening its own resources for the supply of
that useful metal. He in part assented to the proposal, but expressed
a wish that I should previously devote a few days to an inspection
of the Prince’s farm at Santa Cruz; and on my return make a report
of the state in which I found it. While preparing for my journey, it
was intimated to me as the Prince’s particular desire, that I should
endeavour to establish a dairy on the principle of those in England,
and direct the people in the management of it, to which I readily
assented. Being provided with horses and a soldier to attend me, I set
out on the journey accompanied by a gentleman named Paroissien, whose
amiable disposition and scientific pursuits rendered him a very useful
companion. After about fifty miles hard riding, we arrived at the farm
about six in the evening, much fatigued. The accommodations we met
with, fully explained to me the motive of His Royal Highness’s minister
in enquiring into the state of his domain. Having presented my official
letters, I was obliged to wait until ten o’clock before the slightest
refreshment could be procured; not a dish of coffee was to be had; the
only fare set before us was some lean beef half-boiled, certainly the
worst I had ever tasted in Brazil. The mulatto who attended us engaged
to have breakfast ready by seven next morning; we were in readiness at
the hour, and though told it was coming immediately, we waited three
hours, when just as we were ordering out the horses to Rio to avoid
being famished, the repast was announced, with an excuse that it could
not come sooner, because no milk could be procured.
I then took a survey of the establishment and rode over the grounds.
The house, I was informed, was once a convent of Jesuits, who possessed
also the extensive tract of land attached to it, which they managed
much better than their successors, if we may judge by the remains of
their undertakings. The edifice is neither large nor grand: it is built
in a quadrangular form, with an open court in the centre, and galleries
inside to the first and second floors. The apartments are thirty-six in
number, very small, having been adapted to the use of the brotherhood,
and since their departure only in a slight degree altered and decorated
for the reception of the Royal Family, as their summer residence. In
front of the house, to the southward, extends one of the finest plains
in the world, two leagues square, watered by two rivers navigable for
small craft, and bounded by fine bold rocky scenery, embellished in
many parts with noble forest trees. This plain is clothed with the
richest pasture, and supports from seven to eight thousand head of
cattle. A considerable part of it lies low, and abounds with bogs,
which might easily be laid dry and rendered susceptible of cultivation
by proper drainage. The park occupies in its entire extent upwards of
one hundred square miles, a territory almost as large as some of the
principalities of Italy, and capable, by its proximity and connection
with the capital both by land and water, of being rendered one of
the most productive and populous in Brazil. Under the present system
of management it is in a progressive state of deterioration; two
small corners, the best of the land, one about half a league square,
and the other more than a league square, have been already, through
disingenuous artifices, sold off, and the rest may in no long time be
sacrificed to men whose cupidity stimulates them to depreciate its
value, unless proper means are used to thwart their nefarious designs.
The negroes on this estate, including all descriptions, amount to about
fifteen hundred in number. They are in general a very excellent class
of men, tractable and gentle in their dispositions, and by no means
deficient in intellect. Great pains have been taken to enlighten them,
they are regularly instructed in the principles of the Christian faith,
and have prayers publicly read to them morning and evening, at the
commencement and close of their day’s labor. Plots of ground, at their
own choice, are assigned to each, and two days in the week, besides
the incidental holidays, are allowed them to raise and cultivate
produce for their own subsistence; the rest of their time and labor
is devoted to the service of His Highness. The system of management,
however, is so bad, that they are half-starved, almost destitute of
clothing, and most miserably lodged; their average earnings do not
amount to a penny per day each. A reform in the establishment might
have been easily effected on the arrival of the Prince Regent, but it
will now be very difficult, as the abuses have been tacitly sanctioned
by the indifference of those whose duty and interest it was to correct
them. In this extent of fine ground scarcely an inclosure is made; the
cultivated lands are full of weeds, and the coffee-plantations are
little better than a mere coppice-wood, in which the wild shrubs grow
higher than the coffee-trees. The cattle are most deplorably neglected,
and there is not upon the whole premises a horse fit for the meanest
beggar to ride. Such was the state in which I found this rich and
extensive district, which seems to have been destined by nature for the
introduction of improvements that might produce, through the influence
of high example, an entire change in the agricultural system of Brazil.
A short time after I had taken up my residence at Santa Cruz, the
Prince came down, and on the day succeeding his arrival honored me with
a visit, after which I frequently rode out with His Royal Highness. He
one day did me the honor to express a wish that I would undertake to
govern the farm; this proposal I begged leave to decline, on the ground
of my inability to render such an employ compatible with my other
concerns, suggesting at the same time the superior service I could
render by working the iron mine. Notwithstanding this, the Prince, on
the day following, gave me a paper, containing an offer of the whole
direction of the estate, and stating the terms. The repetition of the
proposal not a little embarrassed me; I was aware that, by refusing,
I might probably debar myself from the prospect of any future favor,
yet I anticipated enough of difficulty in the undertaking to make me
decline it at all events. This dilemma occasioned me much uneasiness,
and in order to remove it I applied to Sir Sidney Smith, who was then
on a visit to Santa Cruz, requesting him to explain to His Royal
Highness the circumstances which rendered it impossible for me to
settle in Brazil, and to tender him the offer of my services during my
stay. After some further deliberation, however, I was induced to accept
the appointment, by way of trial, for a few months, under the express
stipulation that I should act without control. On entering upon my
charge I began by making such new arrangements as appeared conducive to
the end for which I was appointed, but I soon perceived that instead of
being principal intendant, I had a superior, who held me accountable
to him for my proceedings, and manifested a fixed determination to
thwart them, as innovations on the established course of things.
But this was not the only inconvenience; it was expected that I
should purchase whatever was wanted on my own credit; but I quickly
discovered, that instead of being reimbursed, according to agreement,
I was trifled with and at length in part defrauded. The person here
alluded to, was one the managers of the Prince’s household; he could
not bear that a foreigner should interfere in a concern over which
he claimed authority, and hold a situation where real services might
induce a comparison unfavorable to those which he contented himself
with rendering. A detail of the artifices and insults which this man
employed to disgust me with the situation, when he found I would not
submit to be his servile drudge, would be tedious; suffice it to say,
that, perceiving no chance of obtaining that discretionary power, which
alone could enable me to be essentially useful, I peremptorily refused
to act any longer. Alarmed at this determination, he at first strove to
overawe and then conciliate me, but I had seen too much of his conduct
to be duped by this stratagem, or to suppose that any cordiality could
in future subsist between us. Imagining himself armed with royal power,
he attempted to play the tyrant, but the reception he met with quickly
forced him to resume his natural character. I did not hesitate to send
in my resignation, and he had the mortification to find that the means
he had employed to embarrass and enslave me, restored me to liberty.
In the letter which announced my determination to give up the employ, I
thought proper to omit stating to His Excellency the Conde de Linhares,
the reasons that led me to this step. Had that nobleman been apprised
of the disagreeable circumstances in which I was placed, he would, I
am confident, have done his utmost to remove them.
On my return to Rio de Janeiro, the Prince sent for me, and desired
me again and again to return to Santa Cruz; I contented myself with
a simple excuse; for that was not a time, nor was I in a place to
enter into explanations. It is well known, that a system of intrigue
prevailed near His Royal Highness’s person, which often tended to
counteract representations on matters of the greatest importance.
In this place, I shall take leave to introduce some remarks on the
province of Rio de Janeiro, from the pen of my friend, the Baron Von
Langsdorff, His communication is dated November 20, 1820.
“The province of Rio de Janeiro, being situated on the confines, and
without the tropic of Capricorn, is in general, in consequence of
that situation, less warm than the countries which lie near the line.
The whole territory extending 90 leagues in length and 35 in breadth
is mountainous, with the exception of the district of Goytacazes,
usually called Campos. It is therefore naturally divided into high
and low lands. In the latter the heat is as great as in the other
countries between the tropics, and consequently favorable to the
culture of coffee, sugar, cotton, indigo, cocoa, rice, and other
colonial productions, as well as to the growth of the most valuable
trees of India, and of its exquisite fruits and spiceries, many of
which have been introduced with success. The mango, the tea-plant, the
bread-fruit tree, from the islands of the Pacific, thrive well here,
as well as the camphire of Japan, the ginger, the cardamum, and the
casawarine of New Holland.
“On the mountains, which rise to the height of three thousand English
feet, which are covered to the summit with impenetrable virgin forests,
and of which the smiling valleys are watered by limpid streams, the
temperature is as various as the productions. The forests abound in
game, and in every kind of wood for ornamental work. In the grounds
newly cleared, the fruit-trees and plants of Europe, the peach, the
fig, the vine, the quince, and the strawberry, are cultivated with
surprising success.
“The fruits of the country are remarkable for their variety as well
as their abundance. Here are bananas, plantains, guyapas, onenas,
oranges, citrons, lemons, pomegranates, many delicate species of the
genus _Eugenia_, as the pitangas, jambas, and cromischamas; besides
an infinite number of other plants, still in their natural state,
which require only the industry of man to improve and add them to the
comforts of civilized life.
“In short, by its situation, its climate, and its products, indigenous
as well as exotic, this country claims distinction as the most happy
and naturally independent, on the face of the globe.
“With regard to climate, there is no winter or summer. The heat is
never excessive, and there is no sensible cold. The whole year appears
a continual spring. The uninterrupted verdure, the vivid and varied
color of the flowers which cover the highest trees of the forests,
and which, appearing to change their form and aspect every month,
constantly surround us with a new world, and fill the most insensible
minds with astonishment and admiration.
“Culinary vegetables and roots, as cabbages, radishes, turnips,
cucumbers, melons, French-beans, potatoes, maize, mandioca, bananas,
and various other products of the first necessity, may be planted
and gathered every day of the year in the mountains as well as in
the plain. As heat and humidity exist here in the most favorable
proportions, it will be readily concluded that vegetation must be
extremely rapid. Of this there are extraordinary instances. Father
Correia, one of the principal farmers of this province, settled at
Estrella, has sown a measure of rice, and gathered more than 500 in
return. The writer of these remarks was astonished at seeing rice grown
on high lands which had not been inundated. It appears to be sufficient
that the soil be humid, and that the rains do not fail. The common
return for maize is 120 or 130 for one. The coffee plant is easily
cultivated, and in favorable soils begins to bear fruit at the end of
two years and a half. It is not uncommon to find plantations of coffee
trees, which yield from ten to fifteen pounds of coffee a year. Grafts
from peaches form, in two years, trees from two to three inches in
diameter, loaded with fruit. Baron Langsdorff saw orange trees loaded
with fruit, raised within three years from seed. In the government
nursery at Lagoa de Tristes, may be seen alleys of _mimosa lebbeck_,
_black wood_, the seeds of which were brought from the Isle of France.
Within three years the trees grew to the height of from twenty to
thirty feet, and in thickness from eight to ten inches in diameter.”
The description extends into a multitude of details; but enough, it is
presumed, has been given, to afford an idea of the fine climate, the
fertile soil, and the richly varied products of this province of Brazil.
CHAP. VIII.
_Journey to Canta Gallo._
SOME time after my return from Santa Cruz, a circumstance of a singular
nature took place, which occasioned me to undertake a journey to a
district called Canta Gallo, distant about forty leagues from the
capital, and one of the latest discovered in this part of Brazil. Two
men reported that they had there found a mine of silver, and brought
to the mint a quantity of earthy matter reduced to powder, from which
was smelted a small ingot of that metal. This report being officially
laid before His Excellency the Conde de Linhares, I was solicited to go
to Canta Gallo, and investigate the business on the spot, the two men
being ordered to meet me there. Before I proceed to relate the result
of my inquiry, I shall briefly describe whatever I observed worthy of
note in the course of the journey.
Being provided with a passport, and also a sketch of the route, taken
from a MS. map in the archives, I departed from Rio on the 10th
of April, 1809, accompanied by Dr. Gardner, the gentleman already
mentioned as lecturer on chemistry at the college of S. Joaquim. Having
to pass to the bottom of the harbour, towards the north, we embarked
in a small vessel, and being favored with a strong sea-breeze, ran
down to the entrance of the fine river Macacu, which we reached after
a five hours’ sail. The wind then dying, our boatmen took to their
oars, and proceeding up the river, we reached a house called Villa
Nova, where numbers of market-boats for Rio, were waiting for the
land-wind and the turn of the tide. After taking some refreshment here,
we rowed onward until the river became so narrow, that the vessel
frequently touched the bank on each side, and the men were obliged to
push her along with poles. At day-break we reached Porto das Caixas,
a place of great resort from the interior, being the station where
the mules discharge their loads of produce from the many plantations
in the neighbourhood. The town consists of several poor houses, and
of stores where goods are deposited for embarkation. The stratum
hereabouts is primitive granite, covered with fine strong clay.
Leaving this place, we proceeded for some distance and came to a large
swamp, which we navigated in a canoe, with very little difficulty, and
shortly afterwards arrived at the village of Macacu. It stands on a
small eminence in the midst of a fine plain, watered by a considerable
stream, over which there are two good bridges. Though almost at the
base of the chain of the mountains that forms a barrier along the
coast, the neighbourhood affords some fine situations; the land, in
general, consists of a strong clay, but appears much worn out. The
commander, Colonel Jose, to whom I introduced myself, gave me a very
polite reception, as did also the brethren of the convent, to whom I
paid a visit. I passed the night at the house of the _Escrivão_, a
worthy gentleman, whose hospitality I still remember with peculiar
gratitude, because it seemed to proceed, not from a cold sense of duty,
but from the impulse of a warm and generous heart.
On the following day, being accommodated by the colonel with a horse
and guide, I proceeded along the winding banks of the river, which, in
many places, present most beautiful views. Here was more cultivated
land than I expected to see; but the sugar-plantations, and, in
general, the low pasture-grounds, are quite neglected. We passed
several farms belonging to convents, which, from their apparent
condition, and the accounts we received, do little more than maintain
the negroes and incumbents upon them. There was rarely a milch cow to
be met with: pigs and poultry were equally scarce. The population of
these fine valleys is deplorably thin and poor; there was a general
sickliness in the looks of the women and children, which may be imputed
to their miserable diet and inactive life. I ought to state that the
manners of the people here are mild and gentle; we were every where
treated with civility, and all our enquiries were answered with the
most friendly marks of respect and attention.
The air, as we drew nearer the mountains, was fresh and indeed cold.
Towards evening we arrived at a farm belonging to a convent of nuns
in Rio de Janeiro, where we were kindly accommodated for the night.
This place is most agreeably situated, and might, under skilful and
industrious management, be rendered a paradise. It has excellent clay,
fine timber, a good fall of water, which forms a beautiful rivulet,
and runs into a navigable river within one hundred yards of the house;
a fine extent of arable land, and a still finer of pasture, which
peculiarly qualifies it for dairy farming. It is distant only one day’s
journey from Porto das Caixas, where there is a navigable communication
with the metropolis. What a scene for an enterprising agriculturist!
At present all is neglected: the house, the out-buildings, and other
conveniences, are in a state of decay, and all the people who manage
the land appear, in common with the animals that feed upon it, to be
half famished.
The next morning we proceeded eastward, and crossing the stream, which
was at least sixty yards broad and full three feet deep, rode along the
farther margin, which is rather more elevated, and presents a view of
some fine plains, stretching from thence to the base of the mountains.
Journeying in that direction we reached the fine plantation of Captain
Ferreira, who received us very politely, and shewed us every attention.
This place, bounded by the alpine ridge behind it, is the extreme point
to which the river Macacu is navigable. It is six or seven leagues
from the village of that name. The estate maintains about one hundred
negroes, who are chiefly employed in raising sugar, cotton, and coffee;
but to me the situation appeared much better calculated for growing
grain and feeding cattle, as the weather is at times cold, the evenings
are often attended with heavy dews, and owing to the proximity of
the mountains, there are frequent rains, accompanied by thunder and
lightning. Numbers of fine springs burst forth from various parts of
the hills, and form rivulets with falls, which, as here is plenty of
fine timber, afford every means for working machinery. The owner lives
in opulence, and is so humane and liberal to his people, that they
seem to revere him as a father. We were much pleased with the air of
domestic comfort and contented industry, which we observed among them
on visiting their dwellings in the evening. Some of the negro-children
were at play; others of more advanced age were assisting the women to
pick cotton; and the men were scraping and preparing mandioca. Their
cheerfulness was not at all interrupted by our approach, nor did they
betray any uneasy feeling of constraint in the presence of their
superiors. In lieu of candles, which are seldom to be met with but in
the capital, they burn oil, extracted from the bean of the palm, or
from a small species of ground-nut, here called _meni_.
About noon, on the following day, horses being provided, and a soldier
appointed for our guide, we left the _fazenda_, accompanied by its
hospitable owner, Captain Ferreira, who conducted us half a league on
our way. The river, along which we passed in an easterly direction,
bursts through vast masses of rock with great force, and in some
parts forms considerable falls. The Captain, ere we parted, led me to
a water-course, in which were found pieces of granite covered with
manganese in a botryoidal form. After crossing the river twice, we
arrived at what is called the first register, or searching-house,
distant about two miles from the _fazenda_. This station is guarded
by a corporal and a private soldier, who are charged with the receipt
of various tolls, and are empowered to search passengers, in order to
prevent the smuggling of gold-dust. After shewing my passport, I took
leave of Captain Ferreira, who made me promise to pay him a longer
visit on my return.
We had been warned of the badness of the roads, and were by no means
agreeably deceived in them, for we were nearly four hours in going the
next six miles. At the close of day, after a laborious and dangerous
passage through abrupt ravines, and along the sides of steep hills, our
guide announced that we were in sight of the second register, where it
was proposed that we should pass the night. On arriving we found it
a most miserable place, inhabited by five or six soldiers under the
command of a serjeant. This good man gave us a hearty welcome, and
with the assistance of his comrades, cooked us a supper of fowls, and
regaled us with whatever else their scanty store afforded. We were not
without music to our repast, for the house is built on the edge of a
roaring torrent, which, bursting through a ravine, has washed away
every thing except some huge masses of rock. A bit of ground, about
ten yards square, is all the garden these poor people have, and even
this is much neglected, for the guards here are so often changed, that
no one thinks of adding to the comforts and conveniences of an abode,
which others are to enjoy.
At day-break, we found that our mules had strayed into a wood
adjoining, but as the road was stopped, we were under no apprehension
of losing them, for the thickets on each side were impervious. This
occurrence gave me an opportunity of seeing more of these remote
regions; and certainly the imagination of Salvator Rosa himself never
pictured so rude a solitude. On one side rose the great barrier of
mountains, which we had yet to cross, covered to their summits with
trees and underwood, without the smallest trace of cultivation; on
the other lay the broken country, between this ridge and the plain,
presenting the same wild features of sylvan scenery. The miserable
hut at which we lodged, partook of the savage character of the
neighbourhood, and seemed formed for the abode of men cut off from all
intercourse with their fellows. On our return we were provided with a
breakfast of coffee and eggs; as to milk there was no possibility of
procuring any; a cow would have been considered here as an incumbrance,
nor would any one of the six idle soldiers have given himself the
trouble of milking her though they all had been dying of hunger.
On resuming our journey, we entered on a road still more steep and
rugged than that which we had passed. We were often obliged to dismount
and lead our mules up almost perpendicular passes, and along fearful
declivities. In some places, the thick foliage of the trees, and that
of the underwood, which grew higher than our heads, sheltered us from
the sun, and indeed scarcely admitted the light. Not a bird did we see,
nor the trace of any living thing, except some wild hogs. We passed
several bare granite rocks of a gneiss-like formation.
In journeying to the next station, we observed nothing worthy of note,
except a small saw-mill, worked by an overshot wheel, of very clumsy
construction. The frame, which contains a single saw of very thick
iron, moves in a perpendicular direction; at every stroke, a boy brings
the timber up, by pulling a cord attached to a crank that moves the
cylinder on which it rests. How readily, thought I, would the meanest
Russian peasant improve this machine!
We proceeded on our way up an ascent so precipitous, that we were
obliged to walk more than ride; after two hours toiling along the side
of a granite mountain, in which we observed some beds of fine clay,
we reached the summit, from whence we saw the bay of Rio de Janeiro,
the sugar-loaf mountain, and the city itself, to all appearance,
not more than four or five leagues distant from us, though, in
reality, more than twenty. At this elevation, which we may state to
be at four or five thousand feet above the level of the sea, the
air was sharp and keen; the thermometer stood at 58°. Continuing in
a north-easterly direction, we passed two poor solitary farms, and
entered upon a range of scenery tremendously grand, composed of bare
abrupt conical mountains, with immense water-falls in every direction.
At the close of the day, we arrived at a farm-house, called _Fazenda
do Morro Queimado_, the manager of which received us hospitably,
and accommodated us for the night. The weather was so cold, that a
double supply of bedclothes scarcely produced sufficient warmth; in
the morning the thermometer was at 48° Fahrenheit. After the heavy
dew had cleared away, we took a view of the grounds, in company with
the manager; they appeared well-suited for a grazing-farm, but the
temperature of the atmosphere is too severe for growing the common
produce of the country; particularly cotton, coffee, and bananas, which
are frequently blighted. I was informed that some wheat has been grown
here, though the people are quite unacquainted with the European method
of farming. Indian corn, for the feed of hogs, is the staple article.
This plantation is infested by ounces, which, at times, prey upon young
cattle; the manager, who is a great hunter, keeps dogs, though of a
poor race, for the express purpose of destroying them, which is thus
practised:—When the carcass of a worried animal has been found, or
when an ounce has been seen prowling about, the news is soon proclaimed
among the neighbours, two or three of whom take fire-arms loaded with
heavy slugs, and go out with the dogs in quest of the animal, who
generally lurks in some thicket, near the carcass he has killed, and
leaves so strong a scent, that the dogs soon find. When disturbed he
retreats to his den, if he has one, the dogs never attempting to fasten
on him, or even to face him, but, on the contrary, endeavouring to get
out of his way, which is not difficult, as the ounce is heavy and slow
of motion. If he caves, the sport is at an end, and the hunters make up
the entrance; but he more commonly has recourse to a large tree, which
he climbs with great facility; here his fate is generally decided,
for the hunters get near enough to take a steady aim, and seldom fail
to bring him down, one of them reserving his fire to dispatch him,
if required, after he has fallen. It generally happens, that one or
two of the dogs are killed in coming too near, for even in his dying
struggles, a single stroke of his paw proves mortal. The skin is
carried home as a trophy, and the neighbours meet and congratulate each
other on the occasion.
This farm, in the hands of an experienced and skilful agriculturist,
might be managed so as to produce amazing returns. Its soil is wet,
adapted to the growth, not only of Indian corn, but of wheat, barley,
potatoes, &c. and it is so well irrigated, by numerous mountain
streams, that the pastures are always luxuriant. Here are fine falls of
water, and abundance of excellent timber, so that corn-mills might be
erected at little more expense than what would arise from the purchase
of mill-stones. Connected with the nun’s farm below, this establishment
might be rendered one of the most complete and advantageous in Brazil.
Leaving _Morro Queimado_ at noon, and descending on the other side of
the ridge of mountains, we passed through an unequal tract, formed of
hills and ravines. Onward the land appeared finer, and the timber of
a superior growth, but there were few cultivated spots, and not many
houses. The first extensive _fazenda_ we reached was that of Manoel
Jose Pereira, a native of the Azores, who managed his agricultural
concerns much better than the other farmers whom we visited. We were
shewn a large field of Indian corn, ready for cutting; the quantity
that had been sown was about eleven _fangas_, or bushels, and the
produce was estimated at fifteen hundred bushels, about one hundred and
fifty for one. This was an ordinary crop; in good years the harvest
yields two hundred for one. The corn, as before stated, is chiefly
consumed in the fattening of pigs; the quantity requisite for this
purpose is six or seven bushels each, and the time, ten or twelve
weeks. The curing of bacon is performed by cutting all the lean from
the flitches, and sprinkling them with a very little salt. This food
has the peculiar effect of giving greater solidity to the fat, which of
itself is not liable to putrefaction.
Though the owner of this farm has occupied it not more than five years,
and has had only the assistance of his two sons, and six negroes, he
has brought it into a very fair state of cultivation. In his coffee
plantation we observed five thousand trees in full bearing, and the
rest of his grounds were in an equally prosperous condition. His
expenses, indeed, are light, and the only difficulties he has had to
contend with, have been the bad roads, which are now much amended. The
example of this man, it is to be hoped, will stimulate the emulation of
his neighbours; for it has fully shewn the unbounded liberality with
which nature here crowns the labors of the agriculturist.
On our way hence to the place of our destination, we passed through
some forests of fine full-grown trees; one, which had fallen, I had
the curiosity to measure; it was full seventy-six inches in diameter,
at the thick end, and above twenty-five yards in length. Such a piece
of timber I had never before seen. Within about three miles from
Canta Gallo, we arrived at an excellent farm belonging to the _Senhor
Tenente_, or treasurer of the district, who treated us very hospitably,
and invited us to visit him on our return. Our reception at Canta Gallo
was highly gratifying; the Governor, and all the principal inhabitants,
overjoyed to see Englishmen in these remote parts, treated us with
great cordiality and friendship; a dinner was provided, at which they
testified to us the great respect they entertained for our nation, as
being the great ally of a Prince whom they adored.
CHAP. IX.
_Description of Canta Gallo.—Of the Gold-washing of Santa
Rita.—Account of the supposed Silver-Mine._
CANTA GALLO, though so near the seat of government, was not known
until about twenty years ago. It is situated in the midst of a
fine well-wooded country, abounding in springs, and intersected by
narrow valleys and ravines. The bottoms of some of these ravines
formerly contained gold, which was accidentally discovered by some
_grimpeiros_[27] from Minas Geraes, in the course of their searches
about the great river Paraiba, and the Rio Pumba. The richness of these
beds of gold, and the fertility of the circumjacent country, attracted
numbers of adventurers, who placed themselves under the direction of
an able chieftain, named Mão de Luva, on account of his having lost
one hand, and his wearing a stuffed glove in its place. The band soon
amounted to two or three hundred persons, who washed every part in the
neighbourhood worth washing, before they were discovered. Being very
determined men, they lived free of control, and bade defiance to the
laws. It was not until about three years after their first settlement,
that the existing government was apprised of them; when, alarmed at the
report of their numbers, which was doubtless exaggerated, they sent out
spies to discover their rendezvous. This, after much time and great
difficulty, was effected; the spies, in wandering through the solitary
woods and fastnesses in the neighbourhood, were attracted toward the
place, by the crowing of a cock:—hence the name of Canta Gallo, which
was subsequently given to it. They introduced themselves as smugglers,
who wished to belong to the fraternity, and after living there some
time, found means to give information to government, at Rio de Janeiro,
who issued proclamations, offering pardon if the whole body would
surrender. This measure was ineffectual; the _grimpeiros_ were well
provided with fire-arms, and determined to defend themselves as long
as any gold could be found. In a year or two afterwards, the washings
began to fail, and thus the great bond of interest which united them
being loosened, some deserted the place, and the rest became less
vigilant in taking measures for their defence. The government seized
this favorable opportunity for reducing them; a considerable force was
assembled in the vicinity, with orders to make an attack at a certain
fixed day, which was known to be celebrated by the _grimpeiros_ as a
festival in honor of some saint. At the expected time, while they were
engaged at a great banqueting, and too much occupied with their wine
to think of their arms, which had been laid aside, (the flints having
been secretly taken out), about a hundred soldiers rushed in among
them; those who were sober enough flew to their arms, exclaiming, “We
are sold! we are betrayed! treason! treason!” The contest was short;
the soldiers seized the ringleaders, who were either sent to Africa,
or imprisoned for life; of the rest, some were taken prisoners, others
fled, but were pursued for years afterwards, and a few fell in the
attack.
The Government, having thus become masters of this territory, and
imagining it to be as rich in gold as when the _grimpeiros_ first
settled there, issued many injudicious regulations, oppressed the
natives beyond example, built registers in various parts, to prevent
contraband, and filled the whole neighbourhood with guards. The
numerous settlers, whom the supposed richness of the place afterwards
attracted, soon found that the cream had been skimmed by the smugglers,
and by degrees turned their attention to agriculture, a less precarious
source of subsistence than mining. So little gold is at present found,
that His Highness’s fifth scarcely pays the officers and soldiers
appointed to receive it. There are some situations alike favorable to
mining and farming; with a small capital, a man may here turn both
pursuits to account, if he can bring himself to conform to the customs
of the place. The land is strong and good; its various inequalities
present spots adapted to the growth of almost every description of
produce. In the valleys, and on the sides of the mountains, the soil,
in some parts, consists of strong clay, but more generally of a fine,
rich, vegetable mould. The rock, or solid stratum, which appears at
various depths below it, is granite, composed of feldspar, hornblende,
quartz, mica, and frequently garnets. When found in a decomposing
state, it is denominated _pizarra_. No metallic substances, except
gold and oxides of iron, appear; the former, which is found in the
interjacent bed of _cascalho_, exists only in grains; I examined a
considerable quantity, but could not discover a single particle in a
crystallized state.
The country appears to be very poorly stocked with cattle; no cows are
kept for milking, nor is any attention here paid to the production of
an article of diet, so essential to the subsistence of a poor family;
a few goats are kept, and the only milk used is that which they yield.
The common food of the inhabitants is as follows:—for breakfast, a
kind of kidney beans, called _feijoens_, boiled, and afterwards mixed
with the flour of Indian corn; for dinner, _feijoens_ boiled with a
little fat pork and some cabbage leaves, and a sort of pudding, made
by pouring the water from the pork on a plate of the _farinha_, which
is eaten with the hand, and much relished; for supper, some poor
vegetables, also boiled up with fat pork. Fowls, which are bred here
in great numbers, are generally cut to pieces and stewed for table.
Wine is rarely used, even among the higher ranks; but here are fruits
in great abundance, particularly bananas and oranges, which form a
considerable part of the general diet.
Very little sugar is grown here: the principal articles of produce sent
to the capital, are Indian corn, and pulse of all kinds, bacon, fowls,
_jaracandá_, or rose-wood, ipecacuanha, and a small quantity of gold.
In many parts of the neighbourhood is found a tree, the bark of which
has been successfully used as a substitute for the quinquina of Peru.
In one of the frequent excursions I took in the neighbourhood of Canta
Gallo, previous to my journey to the reputed silver mine, I obtained
some information respecting the half-civilized aborigines of the
district, from a man who employs himself in procuring ipecacuanha,
and is a kind of chief among them. They reside in the woods, in a
most miserable condition; their dwellings, some of which I saw, are
formed of boughs of trees, bent so as to hold a thatch or tiling of
palm-leaves; their beds are made of dry grass. Having little idea of
planting or tillage, they depend for subsistence almost entirely on
their bows and arrows, and on the roots and wild fruits which they
casually find in the woods. The chief above-mentioned brought about
fifty of these Indians to pay me a visit, which was not a little
gratifying to me, as it afforded an opportunity of examining their
features, and of conversing with the few among them who could speak a
little of the Portuguese language. The dress of the men consisted of a
waistcoat and a pair of drawers; that of the women, of a chemise and
petticoat, with a handkerchief tied round the head, after the fashion
of the Portuguese females. They bore the general characteristics of
their race, the copper-colored skin, short and round visage, broad
nose, lank black hair, and regular stature, inclining to be short and
broad set. Being desirous to see a proof of their skill and precision
in shooting, of which I had heard much, I placed an orange at thirty
yards distance, which was pierced by an arrow from every one who drew
his bow at it. I next pointed out a banana-tree, about eight inches in
circumference, at a distance of forty yards; not a single arrow missed
its aim, though they all shot at an elevated range. Interested by these
proofs of their archery, I went with some of them into a wood to see
them shoot at birds; though there were very few, they discovered them
far more quickly than I could; and, cautiously creeping along until
they were within bow-shot, never failed to bring down their game. The
stillness and expedition with which they penetrated the thickets, and
passed through the brushwood, were truly surprising; nor could any
thing have afforded me a more satisfactory idea of their peculiar way
of life. Their bows are made of the tough fibrous wood of the Iriri,
six or seven feet long, and very stout; their arrows are full six feet
long, and near an inch in diameter, pointed with a piece of cane cut
to a feather edge, or with a bone, but of late more frequently with
iron. They are loathsome in their persons, and in their habits but one
remove from the Anthropophagi; a woman was gnawing at a half-roasted
parrot, which was spiked on a stick, with the feathers scarcely burnt
off, and the entrails hanging out[28]. They are not of a shy or morose
character, but have a great aversion to labor, and cannot be brought
to submit to any regular employment. Rarely is an Indian to be found
serving as a domestic, or working for hire, and to this circumstance
may be ascribed the low state of agriculture in the district; for as
the farmers, when they begin the world, have seldom funds sufficient
to purchase negroes at Rio, their operations are for a long time very
confined, and frequently languish for want of hands. What benefits
would result to the state, and how much would the general cause of
humanity be served, if these Indians were civilized and domesticated! A
tribe of idle and unsettled savages would be converted into useful and
productive laborers; the whole face of the district would be improved;
the roads, which at present connect it with the capital, would be
cleared of the thousand inconveniences which now encumber them, and new
ones[29] would be opened for the more expeditious conveyance of its
produce.
During my stay at Canta Gallo I undertook a journey to the gold-washing
at Santa Rita, distant about five leagues, in a north-east direction.
After passing the uneven country in the immediate neighbourhood of the
village, we arrived at the Rio Negro, a considerable stream formed
by many rivulets, which empties itself into the Paraiba; on crossing
it[30], we entered upon a fine open country, the fertility of which
was evident from the luxuriant growth of the tobacco and other plants:
but it lay in a state of almost total neglect, and the families thinly
scattered upon it appeared in the lowest condition of indolence and
misery. We proceeded a league farther, through a tract entirely
destitute of inhabitants, and arrived about two in the afternoon at
Santa Rita. The proprietor of the works received us very kindly, and
conducted us through them while dinner was preparing. The washing is
in a deep ravine, bounded at one end by an abrupt hill, and open at the
other to the plain. The vegetable earth appeared extremely rich, being
clothed with luxuriant verdure, and the hills on each hand covered with
trees of all sizes. The stratum of _cascalho_, which lies under a bed
of soil four or five feet deep, is very thin and uneven, being no where
more than two feet thick, and in many parts not more than seven or
eight inches. The incumbent soil is removed at great labor and expense,
being dug out and carried away in bowls; and the _cascalho_ is conveyed
with great care to a convenient place for water, where it is washed by
the most expert among the miners, in a way similar to that practised at
the mines of Jaraguá. The proportion of gold produced was moderate: I
was informed that it paid the master the rate of from fourteen pence to
two shillings per day for each negro, which is a large profit, as the
daily subsistence of one costs somewhat less than a penny.
The sides of the ravine towards the top were bare, and of different
shades of color, being tinged by the water which flows from the
vegetable matter above: in the bottom, on the surface that was yet
unworked, lay some huge, half-rounded, amorphous masses. In the parts
which had been worked, I observed two or three substances of the same
kind, which being too large to be moved, the earth which imbedded
them had been cut away, and they appeared like detached nodules.
On breaking a fragment from one of them, with my hammer, I was much
surprised to find it a calcareous substance, a solid mass composed of
hexagonal crystals, with a small portion of brilliant specular iron
ore. I presented this fragment to the proprietor, informing him that it
was limestone, at which he was truly astonished, having never before
heard of stonelime[31]; nor would he believe me until I proved it by
calcination. The mountains, as I afterwards found, are of the same
substance.
As I stood observing the heavy operation of cutting and carrying away
the surface to get at the _cascalho_, it occurred to me that much
time and labor might be saved by arching the work with brick; but, on
suggesting the idea, I was informed that the sole or bottom was quite
decomposed, and subject to much water.
There is reason to suppose that the stratum of limestone, below the
earth in the bottom of the valley, is of very modern formation, and
that, if not too thick to cut through, there might be found, between
it and the granite stratum underneath, a bed of _cascalho_ of prior
formation, much richer in gold than the upper stratum.
After having investigated these works, we made an excursion of seven
or eight miles, chiefly over a rich plain, abounding with the finest
timber. On the margins of the rivulets which we crossed, I observed
that the moss was incrusted, somewhat like the tuffa at Matlock; and,
on more particular examination, I found a stratum of tuffa in all
the valleys, a few inches below the surface, which, as I conjecture,
must have proceeded from the deposition of calcareous matter by the
overflowings of the streams after heavy rains. The hills, even at
this distance, were composed of the same sparry limestone as at the
gold-washing. It is much to be wished that the value of this material
were duly appreciated at the capital, where the cost of the wood used
in burning shells into lime, exceeds the price at which lime brought
from Santa Rita might be delivered, if proper roads were made for its
conveyance from this district to Porto das Caixas. Such an undertaking
highly deserves the attention of His Highness’s ministers; the benefits
likely to result from it are incalculable, and the expense attending it
would be trifling; for in no part of the globe are roads made so cheap,
or public works of any kind done on such moderate terms, as in Brazil.
This fine but almost uninhabited district produces spontaneously many
valuable articles of commerce, which run to waste for want of hands to
cultivate and gather them. Here is found that celebrated variety of
the palm-tree, the long, serrated, lancet-formed leaves of which are
composed of innumerable fibres, that rival silk both in fineness and
strength. I bought some fishing-lines made of them for a mere trifle;
and I have no doubt that, if proper means were employed to propagate
the growth of the trees, this valuable substance might be produced in
as great plenty, and at as cheap a rate, as flax is in England. I laid
before His Highness’s ministers, a project for using it as a substitute
for that article in the manufacture of fine cordage, and I shewed by
experiment that it was fully adequate to the purpose.
We remained two days at Santa Rita and its vicinity, and on the third,
set out on our return, taking the same route by which we came. In some
parts we observed numerous flocks of birds, particularly parrots, and
a few fine wild hens of the wood, and these were the only objects that
engaged our attention. We reached Canta Gallo without having met with
any monstrous serpents, or any other uncommon sights which travellers
often see or fancy in a strange country.
After a few days’ rest, I set out, accompanied by a guide, to the
supposed silver-mine, notice having previously been sent to the men to
prepare them for my coming. We travelled for about two miles through a
deep valley, and arrived at a rapid stream called Macáco, which runs
between two almost perpendicular mountains of very inconsiderable
height, along one of which the road leads for about a mile and a half.
Having passed this gloomy and dangerous ravine, we proceeded half a
league farther, and halted at a neat farm-house called Machado, with
a portion of good and well-cultivated land around it, which looked
like a garden in the wilderness. The owner, a native of the Azores,
received us very politely, and introduced us to his lady, who, with her
blooming family of daughters, was engaged in needle-work on materials
of their own spinning. The neatness of their dress, and the general
air of propriety and comfort in the apartment where they sat, strongly
reminded me of my country; and when they regaled us with liquor made
from the fruits of their own farm, the image of our domestic scenes in
rural life was complete: I could almost have fancied myself transported
from the rugged wilds of Brazil to the smiling vales of England.
We left this peaceful abode; and, advancing for six miles through
thickets and forests, and over some plain land, we reached a farm
called St. Antonio, belonging to a widow named Dona Anna, who is
noted throughout the country for making excellent butter and cheese.
The dwelling is of two stories, and neat, but very inconvenient. The
good lady gave me a hearty repast of milk, and we entered into some
conversation respecting her dairy, in which I learned that she knew no
other mode of making butter than that of agitating the cream in a jar
or bottle; and her notions of cheese-making were equally defective,
In looking about the grounds for an hour, while our mules rested, I
noticed an excellent fence, formed by planting a strong thorny shrub,
that seemed of very rapid and luxuriant growth. The few cows that were
grazing in the inclosures appeared to be of a superior breed, but were
not managed with either method or foresight. The principal produce of
the farm is Indian corn, and a little cheese; the latter is only made
occasionally, when there happens to be a sufficient supply of milk for
the purpose.
We were here shewn various samples of earthy matter, wrapped very
carefully in paper, and preserved with great secrecy, under the names
of platina, silver, &c. They proved to be merely small crystals of
shining iron ore, and pyrites.
Proceeding a league over a fine country, we reached the Rio Grande, a
stream as large as the Derwent at Derby, which we crossed in a canoe,
our mules swimming after us as usual. We passed several groupes of
Aborigines, and occasionally saw many of their huts and places of
abode. The road now led along the bases of some huge bold mountains
of granite, from whose summits rushed fine cascades of water. The low
ground was interspersed with fragments of the same rock, lying in
heaps in every direction. In many places the grass was so tall that
it reached above the skirts of my saddle, and, the weather being wet,
rendered me very uncomfortable. After a laborious, and latterly a slow
progress, we arrived by sun-set at the house of Father Thomas de Nossa
Senhora da Conceição, who kindly accommodated us for the night.
The house was new, and neatly built, containing only four rooms, with
boarded floors; a convenience very rarely to be met with in these
parts. It is absolutely encircled with fine streams, abounding with
water-falls, which render the roads to it at all times indifferent,
and in wet weather almost impassable. The father, an intelligent and
industrious man, informed me that he took up that land about four years
since, that he had only one negro, and had no funds wherewith to carry
on his undertaking, except seven or eight pounds _per annum_, which he
gained by his profession as a clergyman; this he expended in hiring
those who chose to work. He shewed me his garden, which was full of
fine coffee-trees, and was kept in the neatest order; his fields were
covered with Indian corn; his live-stock consisted of a good milch
cow, a number of pigs, and one mule. On asking him how he disposed
of his produce, he told me that dealers came and purchased it on the
spot. The whole of the _sesmaria_, or plantation, with the stock upon
it, he valued at four hundred pounds sterling, and said that he had
no doubt he could obtain that price for it. These were clear data for
calculating the profits of farming, when managed with prudence and
industry. Here is a man who, having begun with little or nothing,
finds himself, at the end of four years, worth four hundred pounds; a
snug independency in these parts, and not more than his exertions and
perseverance deserved. Father Thomas lived more comfortably than any
person I had hitherto met with in this district: he was economical, but
not parsimonious; liberal in his sentiments, frank and communicative in
his conversation, and polite in his manners.
Here I was met by the discoverers of the reputed silver-mine, who came
to conduct me to it. We set out on foot, and, after walking about
six miles over mountains impassable for mules, fording rivulets, and
passing thickets that left me scarcely a single article of dress
untorn, we arrived at the miserable hut of these poor men; a perfect
contrast to the neat dwelling of Father Thomas. Never in my life was
I so exhausted by fatigue; I sat down, unable to go any farther, and
rested about an hour, when, being somewhat recovered, I accompanied
the men, along the edge of a beautiful stream, to the foot of the
mountain, where they shewed me a hole which they had dug, about two
feet deep, and informed me that the sand it contained at the bottom
abounded with grains of silver. Having ordered a quantity to be taken
out, I proceeded to examine the base of the mountain, which I found to
be of granite-like gneiss, with garnets, and small crystals of pyrites.
Near this place the margin of the rivulet contained rounded stones
and sand, but no where was there to be found any metallic substance,
except the one before mentioned. Indeed, the very idea of silver
appearing here in dust or grains, as gold does, would be preposterous,
and contradictory to every principle of nature, as, in such a state, it
would probably have been attacked by the sulphur in the pyrites, so as
to have assumed the form of a sulphuret.
I returned extremely wearied and much exhausted to Father Thomas’s,
where, after some needful repose, I proceeded to examine the sand and
stones I had collected at the supposed silver-mine, but no particle
of metal was to be found. I then ordered the men to produce their
samples, which I examined both by the blow-pipe and by acids, but
no silver appeared. After equivocating very much, they acknowledged
that they had rubbed and beaten substances to powder, and when they
found specular iron ore they thought it was silver. In one of the
samples there certainly was silver, but it appeared to have been filed
probably from an old buckle or spoon, or rubbed on a stone and mixed
with a pulverized substance. The farce could no longer be carried on:
I charged them, in a most determined manner, with imposture, which,
after some hesitation, they confessed: an officer who was with me
would have secured them, but I restrained him; for, having obtained a
confession, I was unwilling to bring them to punishment, or to render
them more miserable than they already were, by having them sent to the
army. Perhaps that would have been doing them a greater service than
setting them at liberty; for they were too lazy to work, and would, no
doubt, return to their old habits of prowling about, and subsisting
on the credulity of the public by spreading fallacious reports about
mines, precious stones, &c. Such impositions are not uncommon in South
America: I have known instances in which copper-filings, mixed with
earth, and afterwards washed, have been produced as samples, in order
to enhance the value of land, or serve some other sinister purpose. A
passion for mining is fatally prevalent among some of the lower orders
of the people: by deluding them with prospects of becoming speedily
rich, it creates in them a disgust for labor, and entails want and
wretchedness upon them. Even among the few families of this district,
I observed some examples of its effects; those who devoted themselves
wholly to mining were in general badly clothed and worse fed, while
those who attended to agriculture alone were well provided with every
necessary of life.
Having concluded the affair, I took leave of Father Thomas, and
returned to Canta Gallo, where I prepared my papers for a report
respecting it, as the Conde de Linhares, had desired me. During the
remainder of my stay I collected specimens of the different species of
wood, which the neighbourhood produces. The following is a list of
them:
_Tapinhoam Canella_—Hard, and excellent for sheathing ships.
_Venatico_—excellent timber.
_Cedar_—good and durable.
_Socupira_, also called _pao ferro_—hard and good.
_Olio_—very solid, and of a peculiar fragrance.
_Cubiuna._
_Jaracandá_—cabinet-wood, variegated, black and yellow—This is
called rose-wood in England: but the best sorts, as it appears to me,
have not hitherto been imported.
_Jaracatangá._
_Ubatanga._
_Palms_—many varieties, among which is the iriri, before described.
Its wood, though small, is unrivalled for strength and elasticity.
_Garfauna_—the bark of which, as I was informed, affords a yellow dye.
_Embé_—a creeping plant. The stems are used instead of cords, and
often made into bridles.
Many species of thorny trees.
Most of the above-named species of woods are of large growth, and well
calculated for ship-building. It is remarkable that this district
produces none of the dye-wood called Brazil wood.
Here are innumerable fruit-trees and shrubs which I have omitted to
particularize. Tobacco is cultivated in some parts, and is always
manufactured into roll by uniting the leaves with each other, and
twisting them with a winch. By this operation the juice is expressed,
and after a short exposure to the atmosphere, the color of the tobacco
changes from green to black.
Of wild animals, ounces are the most common; they are met with of
various colors, some black and brown-red. Tapirs or antas are not
unfrequent, but I saw only the footsteps of some of them. Wild hogs
breed here in great numbers, and also long-bearded monkeys; the
latter, when asleep, snore so loud as to astonish the traveller. The
most formidable reptiles are the corral snake, the surocucu, the
surocucu-tinga, and the jararaca, all said to be mortally venomous,
none of which I ever saw on the journey, except a small one of the
former species.
The prevailing method of clearing and cultivating the land here, is
precisely similar to that practised in the neighbourhood of S. Paulo.
After the timber and underwood have been cut down and burnt (often
very imperfectly), the negresses dibble the seed; in about six weeks
a slight weeding is performed, and then the ground is let alone till
harvest. The seed-time begins in October and lasts until November; the
maize is ripe in four or five months. The next year they commonly sow
beans on the corn land, which they then let lie, and proceed to clear
new ground. It is not common to molest the land from which they have
had two crops in succession, before eight or ten years have elapsed.
The sugar-cane and mandioca require from fourteen to eighteen months.
Coffee, planted by shoots, bears fruit in two years, and is in
perfection in five or six years. Cottons and palma Christi, raised from
seed, bear the first year.
Transplanting is only practised with tobacco; engrafting is little
known and rarely attempted.
The Indian corn is ground by a horizontal water-wheel, which acquires
great velocity from the rush of water upon it. On the upper end is
fixed the mill-stone, which makes from fifty to sixty revolutions in a
minute. They have likewise a mode of pounding the corn into flour, by a
machine called a Sloth. Near a current of water a large wooden mortar
is placed, the pestle of which is mortised into the end of a lever
twenty-five or thirty feet long, resting upon a fulcrum at five-eights
of its length. The extremity of the shorter arm of this beam is
scooped out, so as to receive a sufficient weight of water to raise
the other end, to which appends the pestle, and to discharge itself
when it has sunk to a given point. The alternate emptying and filling
of this cavity cause the elevation and fall of the pestle, which take
place about four times per minute. This contrivance surpasses all
others in simplicity; and in a place where the waste of water is of no
consequence, it completely answers its purpose.
[Illustration: HORIZONTAL CORN MILL.
POUNDING MACHINE.]
[Illustration: Mandioca first set cuttings.
Commencing to grow & form Root.
Nearly full grown & appearance of the Root.]
Having finished my affairs at Canta Gallo, I set out on my return to
the capital, accompanied for about a league of the road by the worthy
governor, the captain, the treasurer, and almost all the inhabitants.
During a residence of about fifteen days among these excellent men,
my table had been sumptuously supplied without cost, and I had been
treated with a degree of respect far exceeding my expectations or
merits. I took leave of them with regret, wishing most sincerely that
it might be in my power to be of service to them at court, by making
representations in their favor.
I arrived at Morro Queimado at night, after a journey of thirty-four
miles[32], and on the next day, in good time, reached the house of
my worthy friend Captain Ferreira. Being now less pressed for time,
I took a more leisurely survey of his establishment, particularly of
his sugarwork and distillery, both which are very ill conducted. When
I saw the furnaces for heating the coppers in the latter, I freely
told the Captain, that they could not have been constructed on a worse
plan, but I received for answer, that no better was known. It would,
indeed, be extremely difficult to introduce improvements into this
or any other parts of the distillery, for every thing is left to the
management of the negroes. When I asked any question concerning the
process, the owner professed his ignorance of it, and sent for one of
the African foremen to answer me. With this man I reasoned respecting
the excessive quantity of fuel consumed to no purpose, and proposed a
method for saving it, as well as for correcting the disagreeable taste
of the rum, caused by the empyreuma; which was, to redistil it with an
equal quantity of water, taking care previously to clean out the still;
but he only laughed at me, and signified that his certainly must be the
best method, for he had learned it of an old sugar-maker. Thus it is,
that from the indifference of the owners to their own interest, things
are suffered to go on in the same routine, being left to the direction
of men who shrink from a temporary increase of labor, even when it
promises them a lasting advantage. This aversion to improvement I have
often observed among the inhabitants of Brazil: when, for instance, I
have questioned a brick-maker, a sugar-maker, a soap-boiler, or even
a miner, as to his reasons for conducting his concerns in such an
imperfect manner, I have been almost invariably referred to a negro for
answers to my interrogatories.
Some parts of this estate are said to contain gold, and at the time
of my visit, Captain Ferreira was negociating for permission from
Government to work them. I presented to him a drawing of a plan for
washing the _cascalho_ in a manner superior to that commonly practised,
and explained to him the use of grinding or stamping those concrete
masses frequently found in it, which generally contain particles of
gold, but being too hard to be crushed by the hand, are thrown aside
among the debris.
In this _fazenda_, as in most others, the conveniences for storing
the produce, are so very poor and imperfect, that the weevil soon
gets into the corn, and the cotton, coffee, and other produce are
liable to be deteriorated in a thousand ways. The stabling, too, is
bad, and the cattle are deplorably neglected; indeed, the only part
of the live-stock that seems to be tolerably well attended to, is the
swine. In the dwelling-house I observed a total inattention to domestic
comfort; its general appearance confirmed a remark which I had often
heard made, that the owners of estates here, dislike to live upon them,
and considering their residence as only temporary, make shift with poor
accommodations.
The tract of land belonging to the farm is full two miles square, and
though still susceptible of great improvement, has not been wholly
neglected; the parts already cleared have produced many valuable crops,
and the rest will no doubt, in a few years, be brought to an equally
promising state of cultivation.
Having staid two days with Captain Ferreira, I set out on the morning
of the third for Porto das Caixas, where I arrived at two o’clock,
after a journey of thirty miles, and was delayed some time, as the
river was crowded with vessels, laden with ship-timber, for the
capital. As soon as the navigation became sufficiently open, I embarked
in a large boat, of about ten tons burthen, and rowing all night to
the mouth of the river, sailed with a land wind, and arrived at Rio
de Janeiro about noon. My first care was to inform His Excellency the
minister of my return, after which I employed a few days in drawing up
my journal for his inspection. He received it in the handsomest manner,
and laid it before his Royal Highness, who was pleased to signify, that
my description of the country, through which I had travelled, merited
his approbation.
[Illustration: _Published as the Act directs, 1822, by Longman & C.^o
Paternoster Row._]
CHAP. X.
_Permission obtained to visit the Diamond Mines.—Account of a
pretended Diamond presented to the Prince Regent.—Journey to Villa
Rica._
AFTER I had thoroughly recovered from the fatigues of my late journey,
I solicited his Royal Highness for permission to go and explore the
diamond mines of Cerro do Frio. This favor had never as yet been
granted to a foreigner, nor had any Portuguese been permitted to visit
the vicinity where the works are situated, except on business relative
to them, and even then under restrictions, which rendered it impossible
to acquire the means of giving an adequate description of them to the
public. Through the kind friendship of the Conde de Linhares, the
permission was granted, and my passports and letters of recommendation
were speedily made out. Lord Strangford was much pleased at my being
so highly favored, and willingly offered his service, and represented
me favorably at court. I obtained admission to the archives, for the
purpose of examining all the manuscript maps, and of copying from any
of them whatever might be necessary to guide me in my route. It may
here be proper to observe, that the most eligible mode of travelling
in the interior of Brazil, especially on such an excursion as I had
undertaken, is to procure orders from the government, and an escort of
soldiers, who have a right, under such orders, to require proper relays
of mules from all persons who reside on or near the road. The Conde
de Linhares intimated to me, that I might select any two soldiers I
thought proper, and while I was deliberating on the choice, a singular
occurrence took place, which was the means of furnishing me with two
men of the corps of miners, who were appointed to attend me, under an
injunction on the part of His Excellency, that their future promotion
would depend entirely on the report which I should give of their
conduct after my return. I am happy to say that their services merited
every commendation.
The occurrence to which I allude was this:—A free negro of Villa
do Principe, about nine hundred miles distant, had the assurance to
write a letter to the Prince Regent, announcing that he possessed an
amazingly large diamond which he had received from a deceased friend
some years ago, and which he begged he might have the honor to present
to His Royal Highness in person. As the magnitude which this poor
fellow ascribed to his diamond was such as to raise imagination to its
highest pitch, an order was immediately dispatched to the commander
of Villa do Principe, to send him forthwith to Rio de Janeiro; he was
accommodated with a conveyance, and escorted by two soldiers. As he
passed along the road, all who had heard the report hailed him as
already honored with a cross of the order of S. Bento, and as sure
of being rewarded with the pay of a general of brigade. The soldiers
also anticipated great promotion; and all persons envied the fortunate
negro. At length, after a journey which occupied about twenty-eight
days, he arrived at the capital, and was straightway conveyed to the
palace. His happiness was now about to be consummated, in a few moments
the hopes which he had for so many years indulged, would be realized,
and he should be exalted from a low and obscure condition, to a state
of affluence and distinction:—such, no doubt, were the thoughts which
agitated him during the moments of suspence. At length he was admitted
into the presence; he threw himself at the Prince’s feet, and delivered
his wonderful gem. His Highness was astonished at its magnitude; a
pause ensued; the attendants waited to hear the Prince’s opinion, and
what he said they seconded. A round diamond, nearly a pound in weight,
filled them all with wonder; some ready calculators reckoned the
millions it was worth; others found it difficult to numerate the sum
at which it would be valued, but the general opinion of His Highness’s
servants was, that the treasury was many millions of crowns the richer.
The noise which this occurrence created among the higher circles, may
be easily conceived; the general topic of remark and wonder, was
the negro’s offering. It was shewn to the ministers, among whom an
apprehension, and even a doubt, was expressed, that a substance so
large and round might not prove a real diamond; they, however, sent it
to the treasury under a guard, and it was lodged in the deposit of the
jewel-room.
On the next day, the Conde de Linhares sent for me, and related all the
circumstances which had come to his knowledge respecting this famous
jewel, adding, in a low tone of voice, that he had his doubts about
its proving a genuine diamond. His Excellency directed me to attend
at his office in a few hours, when letters from himself and the other
ministers to the Treasury should be given me[33], for permission to see
this invaluable gem, in order to determine what it really was. Readily
accepting a charge of so interesting a nature, I prepared myself, and
attended at the hour appointed, when I received the letters, which I
presented at the treasury to an officer in waiting, I was led through
several apartments, in which much business seemed to be transacting,
to the grand chamber, where presided the treasurer, attended by his
secretaries. Having my letters in his hand, he entered into some
conversation with me relative to the subject; I was then shewn through
other grand apartments hung with scarlet and gold, and ornamented with
figures as large as life, representing justice holding the balance. In
the inner room, to which we were conducted, there were several strong
chests with three locks each, the keys of which were kept by three
different officers, who were all required to be present at the opening.
One of these chests being unlocked, an elegant little cabinet was taken
out, from which the treasurer took the gem, and in great form presented
it to me. Its value sunk at the first sight, for before I touched it,
I was convinced that it was a rounded piece of crystal. It was above
two inches in diameter. On examining it, I told the governor it was
not a diamond; and to convince him I took a diamond of five or six
carats, and with it cut a very deep nick in the stone. This was proof
positive; a certificate was accordingly made out, stating, that it was
an inferior substance of little or no value, which I signed.
Other boxes were now unlocked, from one of which they showed me two
large slabs of diamond, each a full inch on the superficies, and about
the eighth of an inch in thickness, of a very bad brown color. When
found, they formed one entire piece, which, being amorphous, was not
known to be a diamond, until the administrator or chief of the working
party, after keeping it by him many days, had recourse to the old
experiment of placing it on a hard stone and striking it with a hammer.
The result of this experiment is, that if the substance resist the
blow, or, separate in laminæ, it must be a diamond; the latter was the
case in the present instance, and the man having thus made two diamonds
from one, transmitted them to the intendant.
The river Abaité, from whence these pieces came, has produced one of
an octahedral form, which weighs seven-eights of an ounce Troy, and is
perhaps the largest diamond in the world. It was found about twelve
years ago by three men who were under sentence of banishment for high
crimes; but on presenting this valuable gem to the then Viceroy, they
were pardoned and rewarded. It is now in the private possession of the
Prince Regent.
I was afterwards favored with a sight of the remaining diamonds in the
Treasury; they appeared to be in quantity about four or five thousand
carats. The largest did not generally exceed eight carats, except
one of a fine octahedral form, full seventeen. Among the few colored
diamonds, one of the smallest was of a beautiful pink, one of a fine
blue, and several were of a green tinge; the yellow were the most
common and least esteemed.
Having now finished my business, I took my leave of the treasurer, with
thanks for his polite attention, and on my return home wrote a letter
to the Conde de Linhares, stating the result of my visit. It was no
agreeable task to a stranger to have to announce that a substance which
had been considered as an inestimable addition to the treasures of
the state, was in reality, though singular in its appearance, of very
trifling value, and this too in a letter which was to be laid before
the Prince. His Highness, however, was prepared for the intelligence,
and was too noble-minded to manifest any chagrin at the disappointment.
The poor negro who had presented it was of course deeply afflicted by
this unwelcome news; instead of being accompanied home by an escort,
he had to find his way thither as he could, and would, no doubt,
have to encounter the ridicule and contempt of those who had of late
congratulated him on his good fortune.
When I had nearly completed my preparations for the journey, Mr.
Goodall, a most respectable merchant, expressed a desire to accompany
me to Villa Rica, which I readily acceded to, as he was a most
agreeable companion. Lord Strangford having procured him passports from
the ministers, he was enabled to join me without delay. On the 17th
of August, 1809, we set out on a journey which no Englishman had ever
before undertaken, nor had any ever yet been permitted to pass the
barrier of alpine mountains that stretch along the coast.
Having embarked in a large market-boat with our retinue, which
consisted of the two soldiers before mentioned, and my servant, a most
trusty negro-boy, we made sail at mid-day with a sea-breeze, and ran
down the bay about six leagues. We then passed the island of Governador
and various others, one of which was the beautiful Cocoa-nut island.
Proceeding along the strait, formed by it and another of similar
extent, we crossed a fine open bay, and arrived at the mouth of the
Moremim, a picturesque river which presents in its serpentine course
a great variety of beautiful scenery. It was now sun-set; the weather
was mild and serene, and we paused awhile to enjoy one of the finest
rural prospects which we had ever seen in Brazil—a fine romantic
fore-ground, enriched by the vivid foliage of the woods on the banks of
the stream, and contrasted by the bold outline of the mountains in the
distance, among which we noticed that singular chain of perpendicular
rocks, called the Organpipe mountains, from their resemblance in form
and position to the front of the instrument alluded to. Having advanced
two leagues up the river, we arrived at a village on its margin,
called Porto da Estrella, a place of great stir and bustle, on account
of the hourly arrival of numerous droves of mules laden with produce
from the interior. Here are some poor dwellings, and a number of large
storehouses for the reception of the produce. The muleteers, being
provided with bedding and cooking utensils, never leave their cattle,
so that good inns are to them unnecessary. We were shewn into the best
in the place, which was as dirty and inconvenient as can possibly be
imagined. I shall forbear to detail the discomforts of the night, and
merely observe that they were such as to make us early stirrers in
the morning. Our soldiers procured us mules, but owing to the great
bustle of loading and unloading, we were not in travelling order until
ten o’clock. We now proceeded about three leagues along the low land,
having the range of mountains on our left, and passing the village
of Piedade entered on a beautiful plain at their base. We stopped at
a house at which the Prince Regent had remained three nights for the
benefit of the air; but not being able to procure refreshment there, we
passed on and began our ascent along an excellent paved road, extending
five miles on a very steep elevation along the sides and over the
ridges of the mountains. Having rested awhile at the half-way-house,
which we had been near an hour in gaining, we toiled on, relieving
ourselves at times by turning to take a view of Rio de Janeiro, and the
bay, which from this lofty eminence appeared to great advantage. With
some difficulty we reached the summit, which, as I suppose, is four
thousand feet above the level of the sea; the atmosphere was at least
ten degrees colder than on the plain.
Our next halting place was a small village called Corgo Seco, situated
in a most rugged and uneven district, with not half an acre of level
ground in any part of its vicinity. Having taken some refreshment here,
we proceeded to Belmonte, a beautiful spot, situated by the edge of a
rapid stream, which washes the base of an immense mountain of granite
on the left. We journeyed along this stream until we reached a station
called Padre Correa, from the name of its owner. It consists of a
house and chapel, with a handsome area in front. The Father maintains
a large establishment of negroes, many of whom are employed in beating
out mules’ shoes from the cool Swedish iron, after they have been
forged into form. For these articles there is a considerable demand,
as the unwrought material pays no duty on this side the river Paraiba,
while on the other it is taxed full 100 _per cent_. which is also the
case with salt. The great consumption of these necessary articles has
probably induced Government to lay these heavy duties upon them, but
certainly every principle of good policy furnishes an argument against
the measure. Padre Correa received us very hospitably, afforded us an
asylum for the night, and assisted us in regulating our baggage by
supplying a pair of cane panniers for one of the mules, which proved
very serviceable. Before sun-rise we were awakened by the clatter
of hammers in the forges; the weather was dewy, and so cold that my
thermometer was down at 46 degrees. We passed some time in viewing the
garden, which was in tolerable order, and contained some fine peach
trees in blossom. Our host informed us, that he had a good plantation
a few miles distant, but his chief concern was the selling of corn and
shoes for the use of the mules.
Leaving this station we skirted the Piabunha, a river abounding in
falls, which flows into the Paraiba. Among the hills and dales which
we traversed, we at times observed farm-houses and plantations; but
the road, farther on, was quite confined by continual wood-scenery.
After proceeding about twenty miles we reached Cebolla, a tolerable
establishment, consisting of a house of two stories, a small chapel,
and a sugar-engine, in an unfinished state, situated in the bottom of
a valley. The owner, Captain Jose Antonio Barbosa, was a Portuguese
of the old school; he seemed much vexed that His Royal Highness had
permitted strangers to travel the country, and treated us with a
constrained civility, which shewed us that he thought we were come
about no good. His conversation ran continually against the operations
of Government in laying taxes upon rum and other commodities; and
though he tasted the sweets of office, being part-renter of the
lucrative ferry of Paraiba, which post he obtained through the
interest of a very worthy gentleman in Rio de Janeiro, yet he had
all the acerbity of a disappointed place-hunter. His self-interested
and narrow-minded views were but too plainly directed to one object,
monopoly; the mere mention of the Prince Regent’s liberality in
permitting strangers to reside in Brazil appeared to torture him,
and in short, so much of the snarler did he display while discussing
this topic, that no character could have more forcibly reminded us of
the dog in the manger. It is, however, but fair to add, that while
indulging in severe reflections on strangers, he did not forget the
duties of hospitality; before we went to rest, he invited us to partake
of a family supper, consisting of a boiled duck smothered in rice, and
a stewed pullet, to which sat down eight people, including ourselves.
Having thanked our host for his kindness, we retired to the apartments
allotted to us. My bed was so uneasy that I was obliged to sit up
during most of the night, having no alternative, for as the clay floor
was neither boarded nor paved, I could not venture to throw the bed
clothes upon it, and sleep there. Never did mortal hail day-break with
greater satisfaction; but my agreeable feelings were soon damped by one
of those little vexatious accidents which in some states of mind are
more hard to bear than real misfortunes. I had placed my thermometer in
a _wind-door_ or air-hole (for the aperture was not glazed); a stupid
fellow, in fastening the bridle of a mule to one of the bars, threw
down the instrument and broke it. Luckily I had another, therefore the
loss was not so grievous.
Our soldiers having, with their wonted alacrity, provided mules, we
set out at an early hour, and entered upon a much more level road than
that of the preceding day. We passed along several valleys, the surface
of which presented clay and decomposed granite, in some places more
ferruginous than in others. There are numerous sheds all the way for
the refreshment of travellers and their cattle. This day’s journey
being only sixteen miles, we soon completed it, arriving about noon
at the ferry of Paraibuna. This river, though as wide as the Thames at
Westminster, is unnavigable, by reason of the large rocks which impede
its course. The ferry-boat arriving, we went into it with all our
mules, and were conveyed with oars and setting poles to the other side,
where we found a Register for the examination of passengers, their
passports, and property. The place is guarded by a few old soldiers,
under the command of a lieutenant, who, though in ill health, shewed us
every attention. Our soldiers got us a dinner cooked at a _venda_[34],
kept by a young man originally from Oporto; we took tea and supped with
the commandant, who assigned to us an apartment in the Register. He was
very civil, and seemed highly pleased to see us, frequently exclaiming,
“Os Inglezes são grande gente,” (the English are a great nation). We
were gratified by this and other national compliments which he paid us,
and not less so by the respect which every one who came to visit us
testified for our country, as being in alliance with a Prince to whom
they were enthusiastically devoted.
The Register is a substantial edifice of wood, built on posts to
preserve it from the overflows of the river, which frequently inundate
the sandy flat on which it stands. It contains a few rooms, which serve
as barracks for the guards, and has a handsome gallery fronting the
ferry. The station is low, and in summer is said to be very hot and
unhealthy; a circumstance which, joined to the indolence and poverty of
the inhabitants, may sufficiently account for the general appearance of
debility observable among them. The little employment they have arises
chiefly from the passengers who frequent this great thoroughfare, and
from the numerous troops of mules which are continually arriving on
their way to, as well as from, the interior. The barges of the ferry
are as fine vessels as any I ever saw used for the purpose; and indeed
they ought to be, for a considerable toll is paid, not only for every
mule, or other beast of burden, but for every person crossing the
river. The annual amount collected yields, no doubt, a handsome profit
to the renters; but it might be considerably augmented if a regular
road were opened to Canta Gallo, which is only eighteen leagues distant.
Being informed that our next day’s journey would be an arduous one, on
account of the hilly district through which we should have to pass,
we retired to rest betimes, and were stirring at an early hour. We
mounted fresh mules, and proceeded along a good road through a rugged
and thinly peopled district; in the course of five leagues, we passed
over seven very high granite mountains, and eight smaller ones, and at
length reached the ferry of the Paraiba, a river considerably larger
than the Paraibuna. At the Register belonging to it, which is more
extensive and better guarded than the former, all goods are examined
and weighed, paying duty according to their weight, whatever be their
kind, quality, or value. This regulation bears very unequally upon
different articles; salt, for instance, pays nearly _cent. per cent._
iron and lead about the same; while woollens, cottons, and other light
goods do not, on an average, exceed eight or ten _per cent._
The commandant of the Register offered us every assistance, and was
kind enough to provide us a fresh mule for our baggage. The short time
we staid here did not allow much leisure for observation; and, indeed,
there was little of novelty to observe. The situation of the Register
is pleasant; the country around is well wooded and fertile, though
mountainous. The river is almost destitute of fish.
We proceeded about a league and a half farther, through thick woods,
and arrived at a place named Rosina de Negra, where we halted for the
night. Our next day’s journey presented the same varieties of hill
and ravine as those we had already passed. In one part of the road we
observed a kind of barracks, consisting of an _estalagem_ and some
_ranchos_ or huts, where an officer and about twenty horse-soldiers
are stationed; they patrole the road, and are authorised to stop
travellers, and make the strictest search of those whom they suspect
of having gold-dust or diamonds concealed. Proceeding two leagues, we
arrived at the Register of Mathias Barboza, situated in the midst of an
almost impervious wood. It was built about sixty or seventy years ago,
by the gentleman whose name it bears, and who was an ancestor of the
noble family of Sousa.
This Register is a large oblong building, with two great doors at each
end, through which all travellers, with their mules, are required to
pass. On entering, they stop, and deliver their passports to a soldier
for examination by the commander, who, if he judges that a correct
account is given of the property, suffers them to proceed: but if
any grounds of suspicion occur, the mules are unloaded, and all the
contents of their cargoes are examined with the strictest scrutiny. In
these examinations it not unfrequently happens that a negro has been
suspected of swallowing a diamond; in which case, he is shut up in a
bare room until such time as the truth can be proved. The command of
this station is entrusted to a major. The inner part of the building
consists of apartments for the officers, _ranchos_ for the soldiers,
cells for the confinement of suspected persons, and stabling for the
mules. In the yard there are numerous posts, to which the cattle are
tied while loading or unloading. There is also a _venda_ for the
accommodation of travellers.
Leaving this place, we proceeded through an extensive tract of wood,
in which we occasionally observed a few deer, but no birds, except now
and then a green parrot or a wood-pecker. The road, as far as the eye
could reach, was bounded on each hand by close continuous thickets, and
rarely enlivened by traces of habitation. Those persons who live by the
way-side are commonly of the lowest order, who settle there with the
view of selling refreshments to travellers, and corn for the mules;
they are in general an idle, gossipping race: the more respectable
classes reside at a distance from the public road.
We arrived about four in the evening at a farm-house called Madeiras,
belonging to Captain José Pinto de Sousa. The situation is cold and
salubrious, the vicinity well-watered, and abounding in fine tracts of
arable and pasture land, but deplorably neglected. The owner seemed to
prefer ease, with inconvenience, to labor, with comfort; and, satisfied
with the spontaneous bounty of nature, cared little about improving it
by industry. The house itself was miserably out of repair: its walls,
which consisted of lattice-work plastered with clay, were full of holes
and crevices, and its roof was in a very crazy and shattered condition.
We fared but poorly, and passed a very indifferent night; often
reflecting on the apathy and listless indolence of the people: who,
thought we, in a cold climate would live in a dwelling full of cracks
and air-holes, when a few dashes of mud might render it comparatively
comfortable!
From this place, which is an hundred miles from Porto da Estrella,
we continued our route next day over a chain of mountains, among
which we encountered other falls of the Paraiba nearer its source,
and, traversing a tract of close woodland, arrived at a station
called the Fazenda do Juiz de Fora. Here we procured fresh mules, and
proceeded for a considerable distance on the ascent, when we met with
two planters from Minas Novas, who were going to Rio de Janeiro with
forty-six mules loaded with cotton, packed in raw hides, each beast
carrying two packages. They had been nearly three months on the road.
We availed ourselves of their kind offers to carry intelligence to our
friends in the capital, and gave them letters for that purpose.
The remainder of our day’s journey afforded few incidents worth
notice. We observed several pines of a singular species, which yielded
abundance of resin. In one part of the road I shot a most beautiful
bird, the name of which I could not learn, but was informed that it
flew about much in the night. In another part, we noticed a beast of
prey, which was crossing the road before us, and fled at our approach.
I killed a small water-snake with two fins near its vent.
We arrived towards evening at the _fazenda_ of Antonio Ferreira,
formerly a good house, but now almost in ruins. The owner was not
at home; but his old negro-servants provided as handsomely for us as
we could have expected them to do if he had been present. We made a
tolerable supper of stewed fowls, with the addition of a fine wild
turkey, which I had killed in the vicinity. I may here observe, that a
traveller in this country should neglect no opportunity of providing
for himself with his gun, as he is never certain of palatable fare at
the places where he alights.
The surface of the country is in general good strong clay; all the
rocks are of gneiss and granite, in the composition of which hornblende
predominates. We this day passed the site of the first gold-washing,
which is very small, and has been many years abandoned. The rivulets
have a great deal of oxide of iron in small grains mixed with the
sand in their eddies. In some places the granite is in a decomposing
state, and there are large nodules of what the Germans call grünstein,
which appear not unlike basalt. The air in these elevated districts is
fresh and cool, except from two to four o’clock in the afternoon, when
I found it rather hot. In the evening, while amusing ourselves with
shooting, we observed a man in a friar’s habit, with a box bearing a
picture of the Virgin, fastened to his waist by a belt. His face was
overgrown with hair, and his whole appearance exceedingly wild and
uncouth. On inquiry, we were informed that this extraordinary figure
was a hermit; and that he had embraced this austere life by way of
doing penance for some great crime.
Having pursued our diversion while day-light lasted, we returned to
the house, where, for the first time since our departure from Rio, we
partook of a comfortable meal, and regaled ourselves with a bottle
of excellent Madeira, which my worthy companion by good fortune had
brought with him.
We set out next day by sun-rise, and proceeded some miles along a
tolerable road. The vallies as we advanced were wider, and more easy
of cultivation, but the mountains were excessively steep. On even
ground our general pace was three or four miles an hour, but on the
acclivities we proceeded slowly, and were obliged to observe every step
of our mules, and to balance ourselves accordingly. This action of the
body produces no perceptible consequences for the first few days, but
afterwards it begins to torture the loins with a species of lumbago.
After a journey of twenty-eight miles, which occupied nine hours, we
found ourselves at six in the evening at a small farm-house called
Fazenda de Dôna Clara e Dôna Maria. These two good ladies honored us
with a more polite reception than we had hitherto experienced on the
journey. It being the festival of St. Bartholomew, a great holiday
among the Brazilians, they had prepared a more sumptuous dinner
than usual, of which they kindly invited us to partake. We were
the more sensible of this act of hospitality, because it evidently
proceeded from sincere good-will; and, like the widow’s mite, derived
additional merit from the smallness of the store which supplied the
means of performing it. Their establishment seemed barely provided
with necessaries; and the house in which they lived was ill built and
scantily furnished. We could not but smile at the earnestness with
which one of these worthy ladies complained of the hardness of the
times; they paid, she observed, a moidore every three years in taxes.
How happy, thought we, would our English spinsters of slender incomes
deem themselves in being so lightly assessed!
We passed the evening tolerably, having provided ourselves with
candles, which we found very necessary both here and in other places
on the road; for the rooms in general are lighted only by a glimmering
lamp, which rather augments than diminishes their melancholy gloom.
In the morning we were informed that the mules which had been provided
for us over-night were taken away from the stable. This so enraged
our soldier, that he immediately rode in quest of them, brought them
back, and pressed others for our service. We here saw the convenience
of travelling under official orders: had we not been so provided, we
might have been exposed to a most vexatious delay. These military
requisitions of cattle may be considered by the owner as a grievance;
but he generally indemnifies himself by high charges to other
travellers, and by impositions in the way of trade.
Being now within the province of Minas Geraes, (a country famed at
Rio de Janeiro for its excellent cheese), I expected to see some
improvement in the condition of the country,—some establishment
worthy of being called a farm,—some dwelling, constructed not merely
for shelter but for comfort. I hoped to remark among the inhabitants
that air of health and animation which springs from the invigorating
occupations and cheering pursuits of husbandry; but no such pleasing
change was perceptible: the same want of exertion prevailed here as
in other parts of the country; the people seemed to act as if the
tenure by which they held their lands was about to be abolished; all
around them had the appearance of make-shift; their old houses, fast
hastening to decay, bore no marks of repair about them; wherever a bit
of garden-ground was inclosed, it appeared overrun with weeds; where
coffee-trees, planted in former years, still existed, the present
occupiers were too indolent to gather the fruit; no inclosures were
made for pasturage; a few goats supplied the little milk that was
consumed; and cows’-milk was rarely to be procured. On observing these
deplorable consequences of the apathy of the inhabitants, I could not
but reflect on the advantages which might accrue from the introduction
of the English system of agriculture among them. The example of a
single farm, conducted on that system, might go far towards rousing
the people from their slothful state; and, when they once felt their
faculties awakened, they would be ashamed to lounge about as they now
do, under an old great coat, for days together, burthens to themselves,
and objects of contempt to all strangers who see them.
The next place we visited, after quitting the residence of these old
ladies, offered every requisite for making the experiment above alluded
to. It was a _fazenda_ called Mantiqueira, situated in the largest
plain we had hitherto traversed, consisting of rich land watered by
numerous streams. The establishment was in a fit state to begin with:
the house was falling to ruin, and the grounds about it were overrun
with weeds and brushwood. What more desirable situation, exclaimed
I to my companion, could an English farmer select! Here cattle of
every description are cheap; cows and oxen at two years old may be
purchased at 30s. or 40s. per head; excellent horses from 60s. to
£8. each; and pigs, poultry, and other live-stock, at a price too
trifling to mention. Here is land which, under the influence of this
genial climate, is capable of yielding two hundred-fold; here is wood
in abundance for every purpose; excellent clay for making bricks; and
water at command. Yet all these advantages are lost to the present
occupiers, who consider them too cheap to be valuable; and, perpetually
hankering after the precious minerals, seem to think that the only
standard for estimating the gifts of nature, is the difficulty of
obtaining them.
Having passed the hamlet of St. Sebastian, we arrived late in the
evening at Borda do Campo, a village consisting of about twenty houses,
the best of which is that of Captain Rodrigo de Lima, who, on learning
our situation, kindly took us in for the night. While supper was
preparing, we had some conversation with him respecting the agriculture
and produce of the neighbourhood, in the course of which he paid much
attention to our observations, and promised next day to shew us the
system he pursued. At the repast, which was speedily announced, he
introduced us to his wife and daughter, and a lady who was then on a
visit to them. This was an unexpected act of politeness, and one which
had never yet been exercised towards us by any master of a family in
the whole course of our journey. The few females we occasionally saw
at any former place generally secluded themselves on our arrival and
during our stay; and, when they came near us by chance, they commonly
ran away in as much apparent alarm as if they had been accustomed to
be frightened at the name of an Englishman. The ladies appeared in
very neat dresses of English manufacture, with a profusion of gold
chains about their necks, which are always worn on receiving or paying
visits. Their conversation was gay and enlivening; they were very
inquisitive respecting the costume of English women, and seemed quite
astonished at hearing that they wore caps, it being never the custom
among the Brazilian females to cover their heads until advanced in
years. They ornament their hair with combs, frequently of gold, and
very richly wrought. Wine was introduced, of which the ladies could
not be prevailed on to partake: they gave our healths by putting the
glass to their lips. After supper, the table was covered with delicious
sweetmeats; when, being desirous of paying the lady of the house a
compliment, I spoke highly of their excellence, and presumed that the
fruits were preserved under her immediate direction; but she assured
me to the contrary, and observed that her negress did all that sort of
domestic work. I perceived, or imagined, that she was rather offended
at my remark, and therefore apologized by saying, that it was not
uncommon for the ladies in England to interest themselves personally in
the concerns of housewifery. The remainder of the evening passed off
very agreeably.
On looking out of my chamber-window the following morning, I was
surprised to see two small and very neat inclosures, in one of which
flax was growing, and in the other wheat. The latter, which apparently
had been sown about seven weeks, was very poor and unpromising: the
ground had too much water, and seemed of late to have been flooded. Our
host regaled us with a breakfast of stewed fowl, excellent coffee and
milk, and a dish of _feijones_, with mandioca and buttered toast; after
which he conducted us to his inclosures.
The flax was very healthful and strong: he told us he cut[35] it three
or four times a year, and that it was dressed, spun, and woven in his
own house. He grew but little, having occasion for no more than what
answered his domestic purposes. The wheat, he told us, was blighted. He
shewed us a sample of last year’s growth, which was very poor, coarse,
and foul. The mills are of similar construction to those used at Canta
Gallo, but I did not observe a pair of stones fit for the grinding of
wheat.
I now expressed a wish to see his dairy, which the good gentleman
immediately complied with. Instead of an apartment, such as I expected
to find, fitted up and kept in order for that sole purpose, I was shewn
into a kind of dirty store-room, the smell of which was intolerable.
The present, I was told, was not the time for making cheese, as
the cows gave milk only in the rainy season. I begged to see the
implements used in the process; and, on examining them, found, to my
utter astonishment, that neither the vats nor cloths had been washed
since they were last used; and the milk-pails, &c. were in the same
condition. This sufficiently accounted for the offensive smell which I
had perceived on entering the place. When I asked to see the utensil
used for making butter, an apology was made, by stating that it was
not in the way: they had observed my disgust at the other vessels, and
probably thought that this was equally unfit to be inspected. I did all
in my power to inform our worthy host of the manner in which English
dairies were conducted, and gave him several directions, which he wrote
down, but seemed quite indifferent about adopting them. On enquiry, I
found that no provision was made for the cows; there were no houses
erected for milking, and that operation was frequently neglected, and
at all times badly performed.
The premises bore traces of the industry and taste of the former
occupants: there was a mud-wall round them, encompassing about an acre
of ground, which, when perfect, must have given the whole a retired and
comfortable appearance; but it was now partly broken down in ruins.
The steps leading to the front door of the dwelling were of the lapis
ollaris, or pot-stone, of which substance there is a stratum in the
vicinity.
Our cattle being ready, we mounted about eleven in the forenoon,
returning thanks to our host, and offering to pay for the accommodation
we had met with; but the only compensation he required, was a promise,
on our part, to pass a day or two with him on our return. The ladies,
who had not appeared at breakfast, came out upon the gallery, and very
pleasingly and politely wished us a good journey.
Resuming our route, we passed several small farms, and observed
that the blight had destroyed all their bananas, and withered their
coffee-trees. My thermometer at the time was not lower than 52°, but
the damage had been done some days before by a sharp southerly wind.
In some parts of the road there were very small inclosures of flax
and rye. The country now appeared more open, and the wood-scenery
lay at a greater distance. We rode by the side of a barren mountain,
which was covered to an extent of three miles with quartz, and
produced little or no herbage, except a species of wiry or windle
grass, which was much parched by the sun. We descended a declivity
tremendously steep, and full a mile in length, at the bottom of which
we crossed the Rio das Mortes, here a small rivulet. On its further
bank is an _estalagem_, or inn, called Registro Velho, (Old Register)
having been originally built as a searching-office, to prevent the
smuggling of gold. Proceeding hence, the eye is again relieved from
confined wood-scenery by the prospect of a grand amphitheatre of
mountains, which are bounded by others of amazing magnitude, covered
with forests. On the side of one hill, which we skirted obliquely, I
observed several crystallized masses, which, on examination, proved
to be clusters of cubes of ferruginous quartz of a dark-brown color.
We shortly afterwards arrived at a village called Barbacena, situated
on a commanding eminence, in a most fertile country, and apparently
containing about two hundred dwelling-houses. While we stopped to take
some refreshment, numbers of the inhabitants came to look at us, having
never before seen Englishmen, and being on the rack of curiosity to
know the objects of our journey. At this place two great roads from the
mining country unite, and form the main road to Rio de Janeiro. That
to the westward leads from S. João d’El Rey, Sabará, and Cuiabá; the
other from Villa Rica, Mariana, Villa do Principe, Tejuco, Minas Novas,
&c. Being a sort of half-way station to the capital, and the last open
place on the road, it is much frequented by people from different parts
of the interior, and has a considerable traffic in various articles,
particularly baizes, cotton goods, salt, and iron. Many of the shops
were well stocked with English manufactures. The place is governed by
an _Ouvidor_, or justice of the peace, and a military officer. In its
neighbourhood there is a quarry of soft, whitish granite, from which
mill-stones are made; but, from the specimens I saw of it, the material
must be very unfit for such a purpose.
We arrived, about four in the evening, at a poor place called
Resequinha, the owner of which made every provision for us which his
scanty means afforded. He dispatched a negro to gather grass for
the mules, which is here incredibly scarce; and killed us a fowl
or two for dinner. The time previous to that meal hung heavy on our
hands; there were no birds to afford us an hour’s shooting, and we
had no source of diversion, except that which the lively fancy and
inexhaustible humor of my companion afforded. We dined heartily about
seven o’clock on stewed fowls and mandioca, which fully supplied the
want of bread. That article is so extremely scarce in these parts,
that even the populous village of Barbacena, though situated in the
richest corn-district of the province, could furnish us only one rusk.
Being overcome with weariness, we prepared for rest. One of our beds
was placed on the table, the other on a dried hide stretched upon the
clay floor. These were miserable accommodations; but sleep knows little
distinction between the hovel and the palace, and a man thoroughly
disposed may enjoy it as soundly in one as in the other. So it was
with my companion; he was in a profound slumber within five minutes
after he had lain down, in despite of the rough materials of which his
pallet was composed. Mine prevented me from sleeping, and compelled me
to sit up during most of the night; it consisted, as well as his, of
the leaves of Indian corn crammed into a bag, with the mouth tied up;
but the careless negro who performed that operation had neglected to
pick out the core or pith from which the grain is rubbed, so that there
was no finding an easy posture upon it. I sat musing on the absolute
wretchedness of every thing around; a miserable lamp hung over our
heads and threw a dismal glimmer about the apartment; the floor was
uneven and broken into holes; the table, on which we had dined,
consisted of one large plank of a quality not discoverable without the
assistance of a scraper, as it had never been cleaned since it was
made; there was not a chair or any thing resembling a seat, except an
antique bench with a back to it, fixed at a distance on one side of the
table, so that some of the guests had to take their repast standing.
The very beasts in the out-houses were better provided for than the
master, if we might judge from the healthy condition of those we saw,
whose slothful apathy could be matched only with that of the swine they
fed.
We left Resequinha an hour after day-break, and entered on some clayey
ground which caused our mules to come down frequently, as they were
unshod. The day being Sunday we found some difficulty in procuring
fresh mules, as they were all engaged in taking their masters to mass.
After proceeding about a league and a half we arrived at the _fazenda_
do Gama, consisting of a good mansion and some out-buildings. The
house, which is the residence of a major, stands on an eminence in
a fine open country, beautifully interspersed with clumps of trees
and small patches of wood, but wholly uncultivated and destitute of
inclosures. The land appeared much burnt up, and ill supplied with
water, but the vallies, we were told, abounded in numerous streams
and rivulets. Having stopped at the door, we were saluted by the voice
of a fine motherly-looking lady, apparently about forty, who invited
us to alight, and we readily obeyed, having occasion to change our
baggage-mule. Two young ladies, the daughters of the one whom we had
first seen, came on the gallery to welcome us. As the morning was
cool, they were covered with purple mantles of baize, which left only
a part of the face exposed, but shewed us sufficient to prove that the
females of this province, here called _mineras_, are above mediocrity
in personal charms. This opinion was confirmed on entering the house,
where these ladies appeared to much greater advantage; they were in
the bloom of health, rather tall in stature, and in their air and
gestures extremely graceful. We had just entered into conversation
when in came our soldier to announce that the baggage-mule was loaded,
and that the day was so far spent as barely to allow time enough to
reach the next station before night. This honest fellow for the first
time on our journey was the bearer of unwelcome news. I asked him why
he did not bring us to this mansion last night, instead of halting
at the miserable dog-hole of Resequinha. “Ah, Sir,” replied he, “the
mules could travel no further.” “Then you might have told us of this
delightful place, and we would have walked hither had it been double
the distance.” How much more merrily we should have passed the
evening, thought I, on observing two fine guitars hung up in a closet
that was accidentally opened. The mother, who now came in, gave us an
invitation to stop, regretting that her husband, being confined by
illness to his bed, was unable to pay his respects to us in person. We
expressed our disappointment at not being able to avail ourselves of
this invitation, and again related how ill we had passed the night at
Resequinha. “Yes,” observed one of the daughters very facetiously, “men
alone make very insipid society; you would have been much better here,
would not you?” Our soldier again came to say that the baggage-mule
was out of sight, and that we should be in danger of losing our way.
The mule, said I, may surely for once fall lame to accommodate us, or
some lucky misfortune may occur to give us a pretext for prolonging our
stay. We were at length obliged to yield to the pressing remonstrances
of our soldier, and took leave of the good lady and her amiable
daughters, promising to visit them on our return. We pursued our
journey with reluctance, over a dreary tract of country, passing at
intervals through small woods, where we shot a few wood-peckers, here
called _carpinteros_, a name sufficiently characteristic of their
peculiar habits. The incessant hacking which they make with their beaks
may be heard at a considerable distance. No incident worth mentioning
occurred in this day’s journey, which terminated at Bandeira de
Coelho, where we arrived at sun-set. A more dirty and slovenly place,
in a finer situation, we never visited. It was with great difficulty
that my negro-boy procured us a pot of any sort to dress us a fowl and
some beans for supper. The kitchen was a mere dirt-hole, blackened with
soot and smoke above and all around, and covered with mud and filth
below: the cooking utensil was a pot placed on three stones and heated
by a fire of green wood. The owner was very assiduous in helping us,
and heartily desired us to make free. He was reputed to be a man of
considerable property, which he had accumulated by selling corn for the
troops of mules which frequently stop here, and are generally better
accommodated than his biped guests. We procured something in the form
of a supper, and passed the night under the same sort of shed as that
which sheltered our cattle, and on bedding very little superior in
quality to theirs.
The experience of this night completed the catalogue of inconveniences
to which we had been exposed since the commencement of our journey. I
would advise every traveller who pursues the same route, to provide
himself with a hammock and blankets, a stock of tea, sugar, candles,
liquors, soap, and salt, two kettles, and a drinking-horn, (for in
few places will he meet with any of these articles), as well as an
umbrella, which can by no means be dispensed with. This equipage,
(together with proper instruments), is necessary for a person who
travels to make observations on the country, and will require two
baggage-mules to carry it.
We set out next morning at six, without breakfast, not being able to
procure either coffee or milk; and proceeding six miles, through a fine
open country, arrived at a large village called Louza, containing full
two thousand inhabitants. It is well built, but as I was informed, has
much declined from its former consequence, which it owed principally
to the rich mines in its vicinity, now almost exhausted. We procured
a tolerable breakfast of coffee and eggs at a _vend_; and, while we
partook of it, were much amused by the numbers of inhabitants, who
crowded the door in eager curiosity to see us, asking a variety of
questions of a political nature, and forming endless conjectures
respecting the object of our journey.
Leaving this village about eleven o’clock, we proceeded along a range
of mountains composed of argillaceous schistus, and passed a hill
covered with micaceous iron ore: in one part of it there was a break
that showed marks of stratification, which appeared vertical, or it
was probably a strong vein of ferruginous matter, which traversed the
mountain. I was not a little surprised to find that the road, for above
half a mile, was covered with rich oxide of iron.
We passed a place called Alto de Virginia, where, as well as in the
vicinity, to a considerable extent, there are gold-washings, which
bear the general name of Lavras de Virginia. I examined the heaps of
debris, but found in them nothing but rounded quartz and ferruginous
matter. Journeying half a league further, we came to the gold-washings
of S. Antonio do Ouro Branco, where hillocks of the same materials
abounded; and we soon afterwards entered the poor and almost deserted
village of the same name, containing about five hundred souls. We had
an interview with the commandant, but could obtain nothing in the way
of refreshment; indeed the few people we saw were so needy, that far
from being able to supply our wants, they seemed to crave all we had to
satisfy their own, and eyed us as if they expected we had brought them
something. Glad to get away from this wretched place, we continued our
journey through a succession of fine vallies, and arrived about four
o’clock at the foot of a tremendous mountain, overhung with clouds.
The ascent was so steep that, judging it in vain to attempt to ride, I
dismounted; our soldier, who was a lighter man than myself, exchanged
mules with me, and up we went in a zig-zag direction for half an hour,
when we found ourselves immersed in a thick cloud, which for some time
hindered us from seeing our way. We were at length able to proceed, and
in many parts had to mount up ledges nearly two feet perpendicular,
which we performed without alighting, as our saddles were secured from
slipping off behind by a strong strap passing round the mule’s neck.
It is considered very unsafe to dismount in these ascents, for the
animals go much less steady when led than when ridden. At seven o’clock
we reached the summit, where, though night was setting in, we found it
necessary to rest half an hour, and then proceeded a league in the dark
without our baggage-mule, which, being unable to keep pace with us, had
been left in charge of two men and the negro-boy. We were under little
apprehension for the safety of our property, though, as we afterwards
learnt, the poor animal was down above twenty times in the course of
the ascent. About eight o’clock we reached Alto do Morro, our baggage
arriving about an hour after. Here we halted for the night in one of
the best inns we had hitherto seen, the hostess of which soon provided
us with a comfortable supper, of which we partook very heartily, and
passed an agreeable evening. The good order and propriety which reigned
in this inn confirmed an observation we had often made, that of all
houses on the road those under the direction of females were managed
with most ability, and certainly afforded the best accommodations. I
may add, that there prevailed in them that evident disposition and wish
to oblige which generally makes up for any deficiency, and by appealing
to a stranger’s liberality makes him satisfied with whatever is set
before him.
The land, through which we this day passed, appeared much burnt up,
being in general very bare of vegetable soil, and having few trees to
defend it against the heat of the sun. In the mountains we observed
several slips or breaks, which presented abrupt and singular masses
lying in all directions like confused heaps of architectural ruins,
disclosing veins of soft talc, and some _cascalho_, poor in gold. The
stratum was argillaceous schistus, very ferruginous, and friable.
At the bottom of these slips, which appeared to be caused by the
disrupture of one part of the mountain from the other (probably through
the infiltration of water), there were small streams, which in rainy
weather swell into torrents, and burst through their channels with
great velocity.
The next day, it being our intention to reach Villa Rica before
night, we set out at an early hour, notwithstanding the cold cloudy
weather and the heavy dew which prevailed. We passed through a bare
and uneven tract of country, presenting similar characteristics to
those above described. Near a place called Capão, I rode down a hill
covered with rich iron ore in such profusion, that tons might have
been gathered from the surface. Proceeding a short distance farther,
we arrived at a house, the owner of which, we afterwards understood,
possessed a topaz-mine in the neighbourhood. The mention of a _mine_
of topazes excited my curiosity, as it gave me the idea of a vein
worked under-ground, and containing those substances in the matrix as
originally formed. On expressing to the owner my desire to see the
works, he kindly undertook to accompany me to the spot. After walking
about half a mile up the mountain just mentioned, I was shown two
breaks or slips, in which my guide informed me were the topaz-mines. We
entered one of them, which was in extent little short of two acres; the
argillaceous schistus, which formed the upper stratum, appeared in a
variety of stages, the greater part migrating into micaceous schistus.
In one part I observed two negroes poking in the little soft veins,
which the slips disclosed, with a piece of rusty iron, probably part
of an old hoop; and on enquiring what they were about, I was informed
they were the _miners_, searching for topazes. I took one of their
instruments, and on using it as they did, found these veins to contain
a very minute micaceous substance approaching to earthy talc, also some
quartz, and large crystals of specular iron ore. I had the good fortune
to find two or three topazes, which, as they had only one pyramid each,
and appeared fractured, I judged to be out of their original place. It
had hitherto been my opinion, that all the topazes which I had seen
at Rio de Janeiro, or elsewhere, and which were of similar form to
these, had been broken from the matrix by the miners; I now, therefore,
fully expected to meet with some having double pyramids, but, to my
great disappointment, all that I found were entirely detached. From
a great quantity (at least a cart-load) of inferior topazes, which
were afterwards shown to me in the owner’s house, (and any number of
which I might have taken away), I could not select one with a double
pyramid. They informed me that sometimes, but very rarely, topazes had
been found attached to quartz, but even in these instances the quartz
was fractured and out of its original place[36]. The topazes which were
shewn me, were very imperfect, and full of flaws. The negroes employed
in these works were superintended by two Creolians, who received what
they found.
After I had collected a variety of specimens, we returned to our mules,
continued our journey over bleak and sterile mountains, through roads
covered with dust, and arrived about three o’clock in sight of Villa
Rica. Though the town stands on an eminence rather steep and lofty, the
approach to it is not noble or striking, neither is there any thing in
a near view of it, which, to the eye of a traveller, corresponds with
the grandeur of its name. The environs, unlike those of opulent towns
in general, exhibited few signs of cultivation; not an acre of good
pasture was any where to be seen, nor an inclosure of any kind. We
arrived a little after four, and alighted at one of the first houses
to the left, on entering the town; it had been recommended to us as
one of the best inns, but we found, that, in point of cleanliness and
accommodation, report greatly overrated it. The owner, being a priest,
entrusted the entire management to a mulatto, who acted as if he was
seldom under the eye of his master. Having ordered dinner, we walked
into the town for about a mile; the streets were very irregular, and
so badly paved as to give us no favorable idea of the opulence of the
inhabitants. As night was coming on, and we felt fatigued, we postponed
delivering our letters until next day, and returned to our inn. Our
dinner, which was served up in as slovenly a manner as we had ever
witnessed, even in the poorest _rancho_ on the road, consisted of some
stewed beef and a fowl. The bread was tolerable, but dear. Being little
inclined to sit up after our repast, we retired early to rest; our
rooms, though destitute of almost every appropriate convenience, were
better than those to which we had of late been accustomed.
Notwithstanding the fatigue of the journey, which heartily disposed me
to sleep, my mind was for some time occupied in reflecting on the place
at which we had now arrived, and which had long been the theme of our
wonder and conjecture. Villa Rica—the rich village! The capital of
the province of Minas Geraes, and the seat of its government; a place
which had for many years been reputed the richest in Brazil, as to it
was brought all the gold found in the vast district around. Impatient
to see some vestiges of that splendor which its name implies, I slept
but little, and rose at an early hour. We, with difficulty, obtained
our breakfast, consisting of coffee and eggs, with bread and English
butter, after which we dressed and went to deliver our letters.
Our arrival being announced, we were directed to present ourselves at
the audience-chambers, which form part of a large edifice, containing
also the post-office and other public rooms for the transaction of
Government business. We were introduced to the General of the Forces,
and to Dr. Lucas Antonio Monteiro de Barras, Judge of the Supreme
Court; the latter held the principal authority in the absence of the
Viceroy, who was gone to Rio de Janeiro, another from Goyazes being
expected shortly to succeed him. We were honored with a most handsome
reception, and various houses were put in our choice, with a kind
invitation to make use of any of them during our stay, but we preferred
taking lodgings in the centre of the town, within three minutes’ walk
of the Palace, in Rua Dereita, the very Bond Street of Villa Rica.
After our interview with the Judge, we devoted some hours to a
perambulation of the town, and returned much fatigued to dine at our
inn. In the evening I paid a visit to the vicar, who gave me a hearty
welcome, and in the usual style of Portuguese compliment, told me his
house was mine. The saying, had it been verified, would have put me
in possession of one of the best mansions in Villa Rica. At tea the
worthy pastor introduced me to several officers, among whom was the
late governor of the Diamond district, who gave me much information
concerning it, and shewed me an aqua-marina, which had been found in
one of the washings. It was a perfect hexagonal prism, full seven
inches in length, and three quarters of an inch in diameter, clear
and free from flaws. After some hours of very agreeable conversation,
the party broke up, and it being dark, I was conducted to my inn by
a servant of the vicar’s, with his lantern. At the corners of the
streets, along which we passed, there were groups of the lower order
of people offering their prayers; in a niche above them was a figure
of the Virgin, with tapers burning before it. A voice in a low solemn
tone uttered the vespers, the responses were made by the multitude. I
took off my hat as I passed, knowing that such a token of reverence is
always expected.
The next day was occupied chiefly in removing our equipage to our new
lodgings in Rua Dereita; to this service our soldiers were particularly
attentive, and left us nothing to do which they could do for us. On
the day following we were honored with visits from the judge, the
general, the vicar, and many of the principal inhabitants, all of whom
testified their respect for us in the most polite manner. Many of
them afterwards sent me presents of fine sugar, coffee, sweetmeats,
cheese, and some good bread. One gentleman, to give me a proof of the
richness of the soil and salubrity of the climate, sent me a cabbage,
full fourteen inches in diameter, when stripped of its outside leaves;
a finer vegetable never was produced.
When our leisure permitted, we took excursions to view the town and
its vicinity, sometimes on horseback and sometimes on foot, generally
going and returning in a different direction. It is situated on the
side of a large mountain, connected with others forming an immense
chain, of which it is one of the highest. Most of the streets range,
in steps, as it were, from the base to the summit, and are crossed by
others which lead up the acclivity. It is most admirably supplied with
water, which is conducted into almost every house in a most convenient
and pleasant manner. In the streets are many fountains, which, though
not to be compared with those of Italy in architectural taste, are well
constructed. One cistern in particular contained water which tasted
strongly of sulphate of iron; the natives consider it serviceable in
the cure of cutaneous diseases, and frequently bathe in it. The town is
divided into two parishes, and contains a population of about twenty
thousand inhabitants, of whom there are more whites than blacks. The
climate is delightful, and perhaps equal to that of Naples. Though the
latitude of the place is only 20° south, yet owing to its elevated
site, the temperature of the air is generally moderate. The thermometer
never exceeds 82° in the shade and rarely below 48°, but its usual
range is from 64° to 80° in summer, and from 48° to 70° in winter. The
greatest heats prevail in January. Owing to its great elevation various
changes from heat to cold prevail in the same day, and there are
frequent showers of rain. Thunder-storms are common, but by no means
violent. The sun is sometimes clouded by dews and mist so dense as not
to subside until the forenoon is far advanced.
The gardens here are laid out with great taste, and from the
peculiarity of their construction present a curious spectacle. As there
is scarcely a piece of level ground, even ten yards square, on the
whole side of the mountain, the defect has been remedied by cutting
spaces one above another at regular distances, and supporting them by
low walls, the top of one being on a level with the base of that next
above it. An easy flight of steps leads from one level to the other.
These terraces seemed to me to be the very kingdom of Flora, for never
did I before see such a profusion of delicate flowers. Here were also
excellent vegetables of every kind, such as artichokes, asparagus,
spinach, cabbage, kidney-beans, and potatoes. There are many indigenous
fruits which might be much improved by a better system of horticulture.
The peach appears to be the only exotic fruit which has been hitherto
introduced; it florishes amazingly. I have frequently seen the
branches of the trees so loaded as to require perpendicular support.
The town is of considerable extent, but by no means so well peopled as
when the mines were rich. Few of the inhabitants have any employment
except the shopkeepers, who are indeed a numerous class. English
woollens were by no means dear, superfine cloth being at 30s. to 35s.
per yard; coatings, &c. nearly as cheap as in England; common cotton
prints at 1s. 6d. to 2s. per yard; hats, handkerchiefs, kerseymeres,
and Manchester piece goods in great plenty. There seemed, indeed, to
be a glut of English merchandise and produce of all sorts, except
earthenware, hams, porter, and butter, which were dear on account of
the risk of carriage. Common Figueira wine was 3s. 6d. the bottle. The
shops that sold the produce of the country were few in number and very
indifferent. There were a great many tailors, shoe-makers, tin-workers,
and venders of hardware, some smiths, and no inconsiderable number of
saddlers. In a country where every one is a horseman, this trade must,
one would imagine, take the lead of most others. The saddles that were
shewn me here, were of a much superior make to those which I saw in Rio
de Janeiro. I was surprised to find no workers in gold in a place so
renowned for the production of that precious metal, but I was informed
that the trade was prohibited by law, to prevent the gold from being
worked before it was permuted.
The market of Villa Rica was but ill supplied, notwithstanding the
fertility of the district around it. Pulse and vegetables for the table
were scarce, even grass was an article in great demand[37], and milk
was as dear as it is in London. Poultry sold at from 3s. 6d. to 4s.
6d. per couple. Beef of a tolerable kind, but by no means good, might
be had at 1-1/2d. per pound. Pork was very fine: mutton was utterly
unknown. Tallow was exceedingly dear, and candles were more than double
the price at which they sell in this country.
Though our arrival in the town excited some surprise, as we were the
first of our nation who had visited it, yet the people did not regard
us entirely as strangers, many of them having seen Englishmen in their
frequent intercourse with Rio de Janeiro. My worthy companion had
letters to some of the principal shopkeepers, which we took an early
opportunity of delivering. When we spoke to them of the richness of
the country, and of the quantity of gold with which it was reputed to
abound, they seemed glad of the opportunity of telling us, that they
believed the gold was all sent to England, adding that their capital
ought now to be termed Villa Pobre, instead of Villa Rica. Indeed we
were surprised to observe the comparative poverty which prevailed
among them. Of above two thousand habitations, which the town
contained, a considerable proportion was untenanted; and the rents of
the rest were continually lowering. Houses were to be purchased at one
half their real value; for instance, a house built a few years ago at
one thousand pounds cost, would not now sell for more than five hundred
pounds.
The mountain on which the town stands, appeared to me in length from
eight to nine miles, in every part narrow and almost insulated, being
surrounded by deep ravines. In riding over it in various directions,
I observed it to be composed of argillaceous schistus in almost every
gradation, migrating from the compact blue slate into micaceous
schistus. In some parts it lies in regular strata, in others it appears
in confused masses. The slate is sometimes, but not very generally,
used for paving, roofing, and other similar purposes. In some parts
I noticed a few slender, confused, and irregular quartzose veins of
little consequence, a large proportion of ferruginous accumulations
and stalactitic aggregates, together with pyrites, and a considerable
quantity of quartz pebbles of all sizes. That side on which the town
is built presents many small hills, which form a number of gulleys in
narrow ravines. Numerous streamlets flow down from the springs in the
mountain in various channels, and in rainy weather swell into cascades;
they form a rivulet at its base called Rio do Carmo, which in its
course from hence is joined by many others, and changes its name first
into that of Rio S. Jose, and then into Rio Doce. Of the latter I shall
have occasion in the sequel to speak more at large.
CHAP. XI.
_Origin and present State of Villa Rica.—Account of the Mint.—Visit
to the City of Mariana.—Excursion to the Fazendas of Barro and
Castro, belonging to His Excellency the Conde de Linhares._
THE history of an establishment, which, twenty years after its
foundation, was reputed the richest place on the globe, was an object
of considerable interest with me, and I made many enquiries respecting
it from some of the best informed men on the spot. It appears that
the first discovery of this once rich mountain was effected by the
enterprising spirit of the Paulistas, who, of all the colonists in
Brazil, retained the largest share of that ardent and indefatigable
zeal for discovery, which characterized the Lusitanians of former days.
They penetrated from their capital into these regions, braving every
hardship, and encountering every difficulty which a savage country,
infested by still more savage inhabitants, opposed to them. They cut
their way through impervious woods, carrying their provisions with
them, and occasionally cultivating small patches of land to afford
them food to retreat to, in case of necessity, as well as to keep up
a communication with their city S. Paulo. Every inch of ground was
disputed by the barbarous Indians, here called Buticudas, who were
constantly either attacking them openly or lying in ambush, and but
too frequently succeeded in surprising some of them, or their negroes,
whom they immediately sacrificed to their horrible appetite for human
flesh. They believed the negroes to be the great monkeys of the wood.
The bones of the unfortunate sufferers were frequently found exposed,
shocking testimonies of the barbarity of their murderers, whom the
Paulistas, roused to revenge, invariably shot, wherever they met them.
These examples of vengeance answered their desired end; the Indians,
terrified as well by the noise as by the fatal effect of fire-arms,
fled with precipitation, believing that the white men commanded
lightning and thunder.
It does not appear that in exploring this territory they received any
assistance whatever from the Aborigines: they followed the course of
rivers, occasionally finding gold, of which they skimmed the surface,
and continued to proceed until they arrived at the mountain which
is our present subject. Its riches arrested their course; they
immediately erected temporary houses and began their operations. The
principal men of the party that first settled here, were Antonio Dias,
Bartholomo Rocinho, Antonio Ferreira (_filho_) and Garcia Ruis. It
appears that they took the most direct way to the place, for the roads
they then opened are the same which are still used. The fame of their
success soon reached the city of S. Paulo; fresh adventurers arrived
in great numbers, bringing with them all the negroes they had means
to purchase. Other adventurers went from S. Paulo to Rio de Janeiro
to procure more negroes, their own city being drained; and thus the
news of the lately discovered gold mountain being made known in the
Brazilian capital, men of all descriptions went in crowds to this land
of promise by the way of S. Paulo, which was the only route then known.
The first settlers might have prevented the exposure of their good
fortune, had they been able to moderate their joy, and consented to act
in concert; but as gold was in such great abundance, every individual
appropriated a lot of ground, and thus became a capitalist. Each strove
which should make the most of his treasure in the shortest time, and
thus there was a continual demand for more negroes, more iron, &c. and,
in the general eagerness to obtain them, the secret, which all were
interested in keeping, was disclosed. The Paulistas independent in
spirit, and proud of their wealth, were desirous of giving laws to the
new-comers; but the latter determining to oppose this measure, formed
themselves into a party under the guidance of Manuel Nunes Vianna, an
adventurer of some consequence, who strenuously asserted their claim
to equal rights and advantages. Disputes arose on both sides, and were
at length aggravated into hostilities, which proved unfavorable to the
Paulistas, the greater part of whom fled to a considerable station of
their own, and there awaited reinforcements. Vianna and his followers,
without loss of time, went in pursuit of their foes, whom they found on
a plain near the site of St. João d’El Rey. The two parties met on the
border of a river, and a sanguinary battle took place, which ended in
the defeat of the Paulistas, who afterwards made the best terms they
could. The slain were buried on the margin of the river, which, from
that circumstance, took the name of Rio das Mortes.
The Paulistas, bent on revenge, but weakened by defeat, appealed to the
sovereign, King Pedro, denouncing Vianna and his followers as rebels,
who were attempting to take the district to themselves, and set up an
independent government. The King’s ministers apprised of the state of
affairs, and learning by report the immense riches of the country,
immediately sent a chief, with a competent body of troops, to take the
advantage of the strife between the two parties; which in a country
tenable by a few men, on account of its numerous strong-holds, was a
most fortunate circumstance. The name of this chief was Albuquerque;
a man of enterprise and perseverance, in all respects qualified for
the service on which he was sent. His appearance at first occasioned
much confusion and discontent among both parties; and though he was not
openly opposed, yet he was in continual alarm. The Paulistas now saw
that the riches which they in conjunction with their rivals might have
retained, were about to be seized by a third party, which would reduce
them both to subordination. Disturbances prevailed for some time, but
reinforcements continually arriving from Government, tranquillity was
at length perfectly established; and in the year 1711, a regular town
began to be formed; a government-house, a mint, and a depôt for arms
were built. A code of laws was enacted for the regulation of the mines;
all gold-dust found was ordered to be delivered to officers appointed
for that purpose; a fifth in weight was taken for the King, and the
remaining four parts were purified, melted into ingots at the expense
of Government, then assayed, marked according to their value, and
delivered to the owners, with a certificate to render them current. For
the greater convenience of trade, gold-dust was likewise permitted to
circulate for small payments. Notwithstanding these strict regulations,
a considerable quantity of the precious metal in its original state
found its way to Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and other ports, clandestinely,
without paying the royal fifth, until Government, apprised of this
illicit traffic, established Registers in various parts for the
examination of all passengers, and stationed soldiers to patrole the
roads. By these means, gold in immense quantities was seized and
confiscated; the persons on whom any was found, forfeited all their
property, and, unless they had friends of great influence, were sent as
convicts to Africa for life. The greatest disgrace was attached to the
name of smuggler; and such was the rigor of the law against offenders
of this description, that every person quitting the district was
obliged to take a certificate stating whither he was going, and what he
carried with him. This regulation is still in force, and is rigorously
observed.
Villa Rica soon enjoyed a considerable trade with Rio de Janeiro; the
returns were negroes, iron, woollens, salt, provisions of various
kinds, and wine, all which at that time bore amazingly high profits.
About the year 1713, when Dr. Bras da Silva was appointed governor,
the quantity of gold produced was so considerable that the royal fifth
amounted to above half a million sterling annually. The mountain
became pierced like a honey-comb, as the miners worked every soft
part they could find, and penetrated as far as they could, conveying
the _cascalho_ which they dug out to a convenient place for washing.
In rainy weather the torrents of water running down the sides of
the mountain, carried away much earthy matter containing delicate
particles of gold, which settled in the ground near its base. When
the waters abated, this rich deposit gave employment to numbers of
the poorer sort of people, who took it away and washed it at their
convenience.
Antonio Dias, the person already mentioned as one of the leaders of
the Paulistas, who discovered the place, having become extremely
rich, built a fine church, and dying soon after, bequeathed to it
considerable funds. It bears his name. Five or six others were begun
and soon finished, as neither wood nor stone was wanting; and the
inhabitants were all ready to contribute a share of their property,
and to employ their negroes in furtherance of these pious works. A law
highly creditable to the wisdom of the Portuguese government was now
enacted, to prohibit friars from entering the territories of the mines.
What treasures were thus saved to the state, and what a number of
persons were thus continued in useful labor, who would else have become
burthensome to the community!
The town now underwent many improvements; its streets were more
regularly built, and some parts of the side of the mountain were
levelled, to afford more convenient room for the construction of
houses, and the laying out of gardens. Reservoirs were formed, from
which water was distributed by means of conduits to all parts, and
public fountains were erected in the most convenient and central
situations. The mint and smelting-houses were enlarged, and rendered
more commodious for the transaction of business. About this period the
inhabitants amounted to twelve thousand or upwards; those who possessed
mines, were either the first settlers or their descendants, and as
the best part of the district was occupied, the new adventurers who
continued to arrive from time to time, were obliged to enter into the
service of the existing owners until they had learned their methods
of working, after which they generally went in search of fresh mines,
proceeding along the water-courses and ravines, where they sometimes
discovered new sources of wealth. Between the years 1730 and 1750, the
mines were in the height of their prosperity; the King’s fifth, during
some years of that period, is said to have amounted to at least a
million sterling annually.
The mines which produced this immense wealth, at length became
gradually less abundant; and, as the precious metal disappeared,
numbers of the miners retired, some to the mother-country, loaded with
riches, which tempted fresh adventurers, and many to Rio de Janeiro and
other sea-ports, where they employed their large capitals in commerce.
Villa Rica, at the present day, scarcely retains a shadow of its former
splendor. Its inhabitants, with the exception of the shopkeepers,
are void of employment; they totally neglect the fine country around
them, which, by proper cultivation, would amply compensate for the
loss of the wealth which their ancestors drew from its bosom. Their
education, their habits, their hereditary prejudices, alike unfit
them for active life; perpetually indulging in visionary prospects
of sudden wealth, they fancy themselves exempted from that universal
law of nature which ordains that man shall live by the sweat of his
brow. In contemplating the fortunes accumulated by their predecessors,
they overlook the industry and perseverance which obtained them, and
entirely lose sight of the change of circumstances which renders those
qualities now doubly necessary. The successors of men who rise to
opulence from small beginnings, seldom follow the example set before
them, even when trained to it; how then should a Creolian, reared in
idleness and ignorance, feel any thing of the benefits of industry! His
negroes constitute his principal property, and them he manages so ill,
that the profits of their labor hardly defray the expenses of their
maintenance: in the regular course of nature they become old and unable
to work, yet he continues in the same listless and slothful way, or
sinks into a state of absolute inactivity, not knowing what to do from
morning to night. This deplorable degeneracy is almost the universal
characteristic of the descendants of the original settlers; every trade
is occupied either by mulattoes or negroes, both of which classes seem
superior in intellect to their masters, because they make a better use
of it.
During my stay here, I paid frequent visits to the mint, and was
liberally permitted by the officers to see every process performed
there. In the smelting-house were eight or ten small blast-furnaces, in
form much resembling blacksmiths’ hearths. The fuel used is charcoal.
When a quantity of gold-dust is brought, (no matter whether large or
small), say, for instance, six ounces, it is first permuted, and a
fifth taken for the Prince; the rest is put in a Hessian crucible,
about three inches in diameter, which is immediately placed in the
furnace. A quantity of corrosive sublimate is then put to it, which,
on being heated, exhales very strong fumes; the scoriæ, if any be
formed, are taken off with a pair of tongs, and more sublimate is added
if required. Ebullition sometimes occurs, in which case the crucible
is covered with a bit of common tile. As soon as the mercury is
evaporated, the gold is poured into an ingot-mould, previously rubbed
with animal fat; it is afterwards turned out into a tub of water. The
ingot generally, in some part or other, has mercury attached to it,
(which it seizes immediately), and the part of the gold thus affected
assumes the appearance of lead[38]. To remove this, they hold it in
a strong fire with a pair of tongs until the mercury is evaporated.
It is afterwards sent to the assay-master, who first compares it on
the touchstone with gold bars of different alloys, ascertained and
marked, and then assays it. The two methods being found to agree, the
assay-master stamps upon the ingot its degree of fineness, (called
_toque_), also its weight, its number, the name of the place, and the
year. It is then registered in a book kept for that purpose, and a copy
of the entry is made out on a slip of printed paper, in which the ingot
is wrapped, and delivered to the owner for circulation. The operation
of melting a given quantity seldom occupies more than ten minutes or a
quarter of an hour; that of cupelling about double the time: but I have
seen men deliver their gold-dust, and receive it in a circulating form
in less than an hour; so that little delay takes place, and, as there
are six furnaces, the bringers of gold have seldom to wait for their
turn. The pale color and low quality of various bars of gold are always
imputed to the silver, platina, or other metal contained in them. I
have seen some as low as sixteen carats, and others as fine as 23-1/2
carats, which is within half a carat of what is denominated pure gold.
Twenty-two is the standard, and gold exceeding that receives a premium
according to its fineness.
Considerable quantities of arsenical pyrites, said to be cobalt, were
brought to me: I examined some specimens with the blow-pipe, but found
no vestige of that metal, as the substance in no stage imparted a
blue color to borax or glass. Iron pyrites is found about three miles
from the town, where there is a very strong vein of it in quartz.
Antimony was brought to me from some distance, and also a few bits
of copper much oxidated, which were said to have been found in the
washings at a place called Caldeiroens, but this I had great reason
to doubt. Not a few impositions respecting the discovery of copper
were attempted upon me. One man brought a rounded piece of jasper,
about an ounce in weight, and with it half an ounce of copper, of the
form and about the size of a duck-shot, which he told me had been
produced by a smelting stone similar to the jasper then before me. I
with much difficulty persuaded him that the person who had performed
the operation for him had dropped a copper coin into the crucible.
I was astonished to find that many persons, even gentlemen of some
consequence, had a notion that almost every red-colored stone in the
pavement of the streets was copper. One fellow had circulated a report
that he possessed several pieces rich in that metal; but, on being
sent for, and questioned closely, he stated that he had lost them in
removing to another house. It is not surprising that tales of this kind
should gain easy credit among persons stimulated by avarice and blinded
by ignorance, and that the artful men who invent and propagate them,
should be tempted by success to repeat their impositions, and corrupt
others by their example. The rich iron ores with which the district
abounds, and of which I saw many specimens, might furnish employment
much more profitable than washing for gold, or following other idle and
chimerical speculations.
During the first few days of my residence here, my soldiers procured
me a quantity of the finest porcelain clay I have ever seen; that used
in the manufactory at Sèvres, near Paris, is inferior to it. This clay
is found at the foot of a mountain of argillaceous schistus, called S.
Antonio, near Congonhas do Campo, in a vein accompanied with quartz and
specular iron ore.
A week after my arrival here, I was invited to go to a pottery about
three miles distant. Crossing a bridge over the Rio do Carmo, at the
foot of the town of Villa Rica, we ascended another steep mountain, on
the summit of which I found iron ore in great quantities. Though not
very rich, I have no doubt it would produce 25 _per cent._ of metal.
The want of wood, which is here complained of as an objection to
working it, might be remedied by planting; for this summit is a fine
plain, which proper cultivation would render highly productive. At
present, though so near the town, it lies totally neglected, without
a single inclosure upon it. The pottery, at which we soon arrived,
has been but recently established. The clay is used in its native
state, without any admixture, and is cleared of its coarse particles
by washing. After the water has been let off and evaporated so as
to leave it of a sufficient consistency, it is put on the wheel and
formed into plates, mugs, jars, &c. which are bulky and heavy, but by
no means strong. They are rendered less fragile by being covered with
an excellent thick glazing. The furnaces have no chimneys, but consist
merely of a low arch in which are several vent holes. The glazing
furnace is reverberatory, but it is so ill constructed as to destroy
much fuel and produce little heat. Throughout the whole district there
is good coarse clay, for bricks, tiles, &c.
I was here invited to taste some wine, made from grapes grown on
the spot, which was excellent. A more happy situation than this
vicinity affords for the growth of fruits of every kind can scarcely
be imagined. The pear, the olive, and the mulberry would thrive here
equally well with the grape, if proper pains were taken with them. A
skilful agriculturist would with great ease, I am certain, bring it
into such a state of improvement, as to serve the double purpose of
a corn and dairy farm; excellent wheat might be grown, and a certain
quantity of the land kept under artificial grasses for cutting. A fine
stream of water runs through the whole, with a sufficient fall to turn
mills.
The principles of husbandry seem as little understood here as in any
part of the territory through which we had hitherto travelled. Perhaps
there is no country on the globe where the vicissitudes of plenty and
scarcity do not prevail, and where human experience has not shewn the
necessity of laying by a store in time of abundance, as a provision for
a season of famine; but here this salutary practice is almost wholly
disregarded. The cattle are turned out on the uninclosed tracts[39],
and left to subsist on whatever they can find. In the summer months,
when the grass throughout the wide extent is burnt up, they flock to
the margins of the rivulets as their last resource, which soon fails.
Numbers of them die of famine, and those that survive the season are so
exhausted and weakened, that they seldom thoroughly recover.
A small mount in the vicinity of this pottery presented much
ferruginous matter, and a heavy substance that appeared to me barytes
in a botryoidal form, a specimen of which I took with me. Since my
return to England it has been proved, by analysis, to be Wavellite,
without fluoric acid.
During my stay at Villa Rica, I rode to the city of Mariana, distant
eight miles, by a tremendous and almost impassable road, along a
ridge of mountains; and afterwards went thither by the general road
which passes between two high hills, and for some distance along the
river-side, all the way on the descent. The margins of the Rio do
Carmo, which runs through the town, have been washed the whole way
from Villa Rica: parties from which place held possession of this
settlement as early as the year 1710, claiming it on account of the
gold brought down from thence by the current of the river. It was
made a bishop’s see about the year 1715, and was called Cidade de
Mariana, in honor of the then reigning Queen of Portugal, the present
Prince Regent’s grandmother. It is a small, neat, and well-built town,
containing from six to seven thousand inhabitants. Here is a college
for the education of young men destined for the church. The bishop
is a prelate of exemplary character, and is beloved by all who know
him. The place has very little trade, and depends chiefly on the mines
and farms in its vicinity. Many miners reside here whose works are
several leagues distant, some of them have also washings extending to
the village of Camargo, situated beyond a large plain which stretches
westward from the confines of the city.
Having resided in Villa Rica nearly a fortnight, I expressed a desire
to visit two estates, forty miles distant, known by the names of
Barro and Castro, both belonging to the Conde de Linhares. Between
the years 1730 and 1740 these estates produced much gold, and were
then in the possession of Senhor Mathias Barboza, a settler of great
respectability, who took up these lands and drove the Aborigines from
them. He becoming very rich, sent his only daughter to Portugal to
be educated, where she remained, and after his death inherited his
whole property. She was married in Lisbon to a gentleman of the family
of Sousa, and from them are descended the two noblemen of that name,
who now hold high official situations under the Prince Regent. His
Excellency the Conde’s steward furnished me and my worthy friend with
mules, and Dr. Lucas, the Judge, obligingly ordered every necessary to
be provided for our journey. We rode through Mariana, and arrived at
Alto do Chapada, a village, three miles distant from it, situated on an
elevation in the midst of a fine plain. We soon afterwards reached a
very high and confined situation, between two perpendicular mountains,
from whence we had a bird’s eye view of the village of S. Sebastian.
From this steep we descended, with great difficulty, on foot, to
the Rio do Carmo at its base, over which is a very high-arched and
picturesque bridge. Passing this ravine we proceeded a full league by
the river side, through a rich country abounding in fine sloping hills
and fertile plains, watered by numerous streams, which flow into the
river in various directions, and all of which bear vestiges of having
been formerly washed for gold. The road-side exhibited similar remains,
and seemed to have been at some period connected with the river, which,
in this part, is as large as the Thames at Windsor. We passed through
San Giatanha, a straggling, thinly peopled village, and proceeding
about three miles farther, arrived at an indifferent house, called
Lavras Velhas, where we halted for the night, having performed half
our journey. The owner of this place found it difficult, with thirty
or forty negroes, to maintain himself decently, though the land was
susceptible of every species of culture, and needed only the hand of
industry to render it productive. Every thing about the establishment
exhibited a pitiful spectacle of neglect, indifference, and sloth. It
is but justice to add, that he treated us with the greatest civility,
and amply supplied our necessities.
Leaving Lavras Velhas at eight next morning, we passed Morro dos
Arreaes, the country presenting still finer valleys and excellent
timber, but totally destitute of cattle. Ascending a high hill, we
were immerged for about an hour in a cloud, and exposed to some small
rain, but not sufficient to penetrate our coats. This was the only rain
we experienced on the road by day. In the night the rain sometimes
fell plentifully. We observed some exceedingly large worms, stretched
motionless on the road, which our guide told us were sure signs of wet
weather. From this height we saw the Rio Gualacha, which, with another
river, joins the Rio do Carmo about ten leagues below, and forms the
Rio San Jose. Proceeding in that direction through a fine country,
we reached Altos de St. Miguel, where the river last mentioned is of
considerable width, but not deep. Its waters are extremely turbid, on
account of the mud brought from the gold-washings along the banks, from
its source to this place. These heights command a fine view of three
windings of the river; at their base there are vestiges of one of the
oldest and most extensive gold-washings, which yielded much treasure to
its discoverer and proprietor, Senhor Mathias Barboza. The country is
well wooded, but rather thinly peopled; I expressed some surprise at
observing no good dwelling-houses in a district which formerly produced
so much wealth, and was informed that the first miners, eager to take
the cream of the gold to as large an extent as they could, seldom
remained long on the same spot, and contented themselves with building
sheds, or _ranchos_, to serve for their temporary residence.
Descending this mountain, we entered upon the estate of His Excellency,
called Fazenda do Barro, and were shewn the house at a distance of
nearly a league, on a pleasing eminence, near the river-side. On
arriving, an excellent dinner was provided for us, of which, having
been eight hours on our mules, we partook very heartily.
The house, and indeed the whole establishment, were strikingly superior
in point of convenience, to the miserable places we had lately passed.
Having dined, we refreshed ourselves with a walk in the garden, where
the coffee-trees in full blossom showed, at a distance, as if their
branches were loaded with snow. This spot afforded a view of a most
enchanting country, diversified with gentle eminences and large valleys
well clothed with timber. From the farther margin of the river, which
flows at one hundred yards’ distance in front of the house, rises a
fine hill, well calculated for the culture of every species of produce,
and connected with others of equal fertility.
On the following day I was chiefly occupied in visiting every part
of the establishment. The distil-house, sugar-engine, and corn-mill,
were very much out of repair; the two latter were worked by horizontal
water-wheels of great power. The buildings of the _fazenda_ form
a square, the southern side being occupied by the house, and the
three others consisting of dwellings for the negroes, storehouses,
carpenters’ and blacksmiths’ shops, and other offices equally useful.
Having requested to see the cattle, I was shown seven fine well
proportioned cows; their calves were old, and they being unaccustomed
to be milked regularly, gave very little. I signified to the people my
wish to instruct them in the way of making butter after the English
mode; and the carpenter hearing my description of a churn, readily
assured me that he could make one, and set about it forthwith in the
following manner. He procured a trunk of a tree of the length and
girth required; sawed it length-wise in two equal parts, which, (after
hollowing them sufficiently, and preparing a bottom), he joined with
two iron hoops so tightly as to hold water. The churn-staff and top
were soon finished: but now an unexpected difficulty occurred; here
was no place free from dust and dirt to serve for a dairy, nor any pan
fit to hold the milk. All the cooking-pots that could be spared were
cleaned for this purpose, but they were quite of the wrong make, being
wide at the bottom and narrow at the brim. They were, however, laid by
along with the churn, to be used the first time the cows were milked.
The good lady of the house assisted in our preparations, and seemed
much interested in them.
In the afternoon I rode out to see the gold-washings. On the way
thither I observed a man training a horse, with a cord attached to the
bridle in one hand, and a whip in the other. Two pieces of leather,
in the form of breechings, were sewed to two iron rings; one part
was put over the back of the animal, the other part slipped down as
a breeching; the part on the back was to prevent its slipping lower.
To these rings were tied cords from the horse’s fore-feet, capable
of being shortened or lengthened at pleasure. The horse being put in
motion, took very short fore-steps, somewhat like those of the chargers
in equestrian performances. Horses thus trained are here called
_pacers_, and are in great request among persons of distinction of both
sexes, their gait being very easy and graceful.
On arriving at the washings, I saw a great extent of ground already
worked, and immense heaps of quartzose stones. On the margin of the
river where they were then working, I found them cutting away the
bank, to the depth of at least ten feet, to get at the _cascalho_
incumbent on the rock. The substance they had to cut through was clay,
so strong that, though falls of water were let upon it, and negroes
were constantly working it with hoes of various kinds, it was with
difficulty to be removed. This was not the only impediment, for, by the
constant precipitation of mud, the _cascalho_ was five feet below the
bed of the river; hence, when they had sunk their pits, they had to use
means for drawing the water from them. The hydraulic machines employed
for this purpose are constructed as follows: A trough or spout, made
of four stout planks, forming a trunk, about six inches square, is
placed in an inclined position, with its lower end in the pit, where
a roller is properly secured to a pile driven in the ground: an iron
chain, with peculiar links, on every one of which is fixed a piece of
wood, nearly answering the interior dimensions of the spout, is passed
through it, then under the roller, and over the outside, up to the axis
of a water-wheel, which, being put in motion, causes the discharge of
a column water equal to the cavity. These machines are calculated to
raise a great deal of water, but they are liable to be thrown out of
repair. In many cases hand-pumps would serve the purpose better, being
made at little trouble or expense, easily repaired, and always ready
at an hour’s notice. They are here utterly unknown.
In the operation of getting gold, the heavy work is assigned to the
male negroes, and the lighter labor to the females. The _cascalho_,
dug from these pits by the former, is carried away by the latter in
_gamellas_, or bowls, to be washed. When a sufficient quantity has been
procured, the men proceed to that process, which they perform much
in the way already described in treating of S. Paulo. I perceived,
however, that here they did not, in the first instance, attempt to
separate the gold from the black oxide of iron, but emptied their
_gamellas_ into a larger vessel, by rinsing them in the water which
it contained. The substance deposited in this vessel was delivered
out, in small portions of about a pound each, to the most skilful
washers, as the operation of washing, or, as it was termed, purifying
it, required great niceness and dexterity. Some of the grains of gold
were so fine as to float on the surface, and of course were liable to
be washed away in these repeated changes of water; to prevent which
the negroes bruised a few handfuls of herbs on a stone, and mixed the
juice in small proportions with the water in their _gamellas_. Whether
this liquid did in reality tend to precipitate the gold, I could not
positively ascertain, but the negroes certainly used it with the
greatest confidence.
There is another mode of separating the gold from the _cascalho_ called
canoe-washing, which is extremely interesting. The canoes are made in
the following manner:—Two ten or twelve-inch planks, about twelve or
fifteen feet in length, are laid on the ground, forming an inclined
plane, sloping about one inch in twelve: two other planks of similar
dimensions are fixed in the same direction at the lower end, forming a
second inclined plane, with a fall of six inches from the former. On
their sides are boards placed edge-wise, and staked down to the ground
so as to form long shallow troughs, the bottoms of which are covered
with hides tanned with the hair on, having the hairy side outwards, or,
in defect of these, with rough baize. Down these troughs is conveyed
the water containing the oxide of iron and the lighter particles of
gold; the latter substance precipitating in its course is entangled by
the hair. Every half hour the hides are taken up, and carried to a tank
near at hand, formed of four walls, say five feet long, four broad,
and four deep, and containing about two feet depth of water. The hides
are stretched over this tank and well beaten, then dipped and beaten
repeatedly, until all the gold is disentangled, after which they are
carried back and replaced in the troughs. The tanks are locked up at
nights, and well secured. The sediment taken from them being light, is
easily washed away by the hand in the manner before described, leaving
only the black oxide of iron, called _esmeril_, and the gold, which is
so fine that mercury is used to separate it. The process, as I saw it
performed, was as follows: About two pounds weight of oxide of iron,
very rich in fine grains of gold, was put into a clean bowl; a quantity
of mercury, about two ounces, was added to it; the mass of oxide, which
was very damp, was worked by the hand for about twenty minutes, when
the mercury appeared to have separated the _esmeril_, and to have taken
up all the gold, assuming a soft doughy mass, that retained any form
into which it was squeezed. The grains of gold, however, remained, not
amalgamated with, but merely enveloped in the mercury. The mass was put
into a folded handkerchief, and an ounce or more of mercury was wrung
or squeezed from it. The rest was put into a small brass dish, covered
with a few green leaves, and then placed over a charcoal fire, where it
was stirred with an iron rod to prevent the gold from adhering to the
sides of the dish. The leaves were occasionally changed as they became
parched by the heat. When taken off, they exhibited, in some parts,
small globules of mercury, and in others white oxide; on washing them
with water, nearly half an ounce of the former substance was obtained
from them[40]. I ever observed that the gold, after this operation,
was changed in color from an agreeable soft yellow to a dirty brown,
and presented a very different appearance from that which was not
subjected to mercury.
By way of suggesting an improvement, I made some drawings and models of
earthen vessels for evaporating, and afterwards condensing the mercury;
but the quantity of gold in the hands of individuals requiring this
mode of separation is so inconsiderable, that it would scarcely be
worth their while to alter the process now practised.
I rode over various parts of the estate, and more particularly along
both banks of the river, which, as well as the bed, appeared to have
been much washed. The bends, or parts where eddies were formed, were
the places noted as being rich in gold. Wherever the margin formed a
flat, or level, the _cascalho_ continued under the surface to some
distance, appearing like a continuation of the bed of the river, which,
in all probability, it was, as the river is known to have been much
wider formerly. The parts that were then working, and others that had
yet to be worked, bore a very unpromising appearance.
An opportunity was soon afforded me of carrying into execution the
proposed dairy experiment. Having obtained about six quarts of milk,
(which, on account of the scarcity of grass, was very poor), I put it
into the culinary vessels that had been set apart for it; but such
was the state of the place in which they were deposited, that that
though I placed banana leaves over them, the surface next morning was
covered with dust. I took off the cream in the best manner I could,
but not being able to find a cellar or cold place for it to stand in,
I was obliged to leave it in the same room with the milk, where it was
hardly secure against the pigs. On each of the two following mornings,
I obtained about two gallons of milk, which, being added to the other,
was in due time churned; and, notwithstanding the disadvantages of poor
milk, improper utensils, and bad keeping, a tolerably fair proportion
of good butter was obtained. The people seemed highly satisfied with
the success of the process; but I had strong doubts that they would
not pursue it after my departure, as they must naturally dislike
the trouble and care which it required. Such was the force of their
habitual and long-cherished prejudices, that I have no hesitation
in saying they would take ten times more pains to procure forty
shillings-worth of gold, at an expense of thirty shillings, than they
would to obtain forty-shillings worth of butter, though it were only to
cost them five.
It may be expected that I should assign some reasons for entering so
frequently into detail upon one of the simplest branches of rural
economy. I have to observe, then, that ere I left Rio de Janeiro to
undertake this journey, I was informed that the cheese generally
consumed in that capital, and regarded there as a luxury, was the
produce of the district to which I was going. Its taste was sometimes
so extremely rancid and disagreeable, as to be utterly unwholesome, and
from this circumstance I judged that there must be great mismanagement
in the preparation of it. All the farms which I had occasion to visit
on my journey to Villa Rica, and from thence to this place, fully
confirmed my opinion; for, miserable as was the condition of every
department belonging to them, that of the dairy was still worse. In
the few places where they pretended to prepare milk for cheese, not
only were the various utensils in an extremely filthy condition,
but the rennet was so putrid as to be in the last degree sickening.
I endeavoured to make the people sensible of the advantages of an
improved mode of management, and wherever I had an opportunity, gave
them information how to proceed; but as oral or written instructions
were little calculated to make a durable impression, I determined, when
leisure and convenience should concur, to enforce them by example. The
first and only opportunity of this kind presented itself at the Fazenda
do Barro; and I was the more induced to avail myself of it, from
considering that the precedent which I wished to give to the farmers
of the district, would have greater influence by being sanctioned by
the approval of His Excellency the Conde de Linhares. The result, as
I have just observed, was not very flattering to my hopes; a solitary
experiment can do little towards reforming a general evil of long
continuance; and there is no probability that this or any other branch
of the farming system of the country will be improved, until the great
and the opulent zealously unite for the accomplishment of an object so
highly important.
In our excursions through various parts of the estate, we observed on
the exterior of many of the trees a great variety of crimson lichens,
which, on being steeped in water, imparted a very strong tinge of that
color. Here were excellent barks for tanning, particularly that of a
tree called Canafistula, which does not redden or color the hide. We
found many beautiful varieties of the jacarandá, or rose-wood.
Having resided at Barro some days, we set out for the Fazenda de
Castro, distant about seven miles, where we arrived, after a pleasant
ride over a mountainous and finely-wooded district, containing large
tracts of rich virgin land, watered by many excellent streams. This
noble mansion was erected by the first possessor of the district,
Senhor Mathias Barboza. It is very spacious and airy, having a gallery
in front forty-eight yards long, to which open fourteen folding-doors,
or windows, extending nearly from the top to the bottom of the rooms.
It is situated near the confluence of the Ribeiro do Carmo and the Rio
Gualacha, which form the San Jose, a river as large as the Thames at
Battersea.
We did not rest above an hour at this _fazenda_, it being our
intention to visit the _aldea_ or village of S. José da Barra Longa,
situated on the confines of the territory inhabited by the Buticudos
Indians. Crossing the river by a fine wooden bridge, built about fifty
years ago, but still in tolerable repair, we proceeded along the bank,
which was embellished with several gardens, and presented more frequent
appearances of cultivation than we had of late been accustomed to
view. The climate is much hotter than at Villa Rica, on account of the
lowness of the situation; and we were informed that fruits of every
kind, particularly the pine, grew in this soil to great perfection in
size and fineness of flavor. The truth of these accounts we could not
ascertain, as this was not the fruit season.
After travelling about four miles, we arrived at the village. It
being Sunday, numbers of people had come from various parts in the
neighbourhood to attend divine service, and, after it was over, flocked
in crowds to the place where we alighted. It appeared as if the whole
population of the village, men, women, and children, were possessed
with the same spirit of curiosity, so great was their eagerness to get
a sight of us. We dined in a mixed company of ladies and gentlemen, at
the house of the worthy vicar, who kept a very hospitable table, and
paid us the most flattering attention. A military officer and a judge,
who were of the party, entered into conversation with us; and it was
difficult to decide who were the most inquisitive, they, respecting
the motives and objects of our journey, or we, respecting the state of
the country, the Aborigines, &c.
We learnt that the village was founded about twenty-three years ago
by a number of Portuguese, who were tempted to settle, in a spot thus
exposed to the depredations of the Buticudos, by the gold with which
it abounded. At the present day, I was informed that it contains about
four hundred inhabitants, and that the vicinity is well peopled, so
that a sufficient force is always at hand to repel the savages; who, no
longer daring to attack openly, now have often recourse to stratagem.
When they have marked out a house, and ascertained its strength, they
set fire to it by shooting arrows with fire-brands into the roof, and
fall on the unfortunate inhabitants as they are attempting to escape.
These savages, accustomed to live in the woods, and well practised in
all the arts requisite for catching the wild animals on which they
subsist, have a thousand stratagems for way-laying the settlers.
Sometimes they render themselves invisible by tying branches and young
trees about them, and fix their bows imperceptibly, so that, when a
poor negro or white happens to pass near them, they seldom miss their
aim. At other times they rub themselves with ashes and lie on the
ground, or make pit-falls, in which they place pointed stakes, and
cover them with twigs and leaves. They have a great dread of fire-arms,
and betake themselves to flight whenever they hear them: but these
weapons are by no means so general among the settlers as they ought to
be, and the few they have are of very indifferent make, and frequently
altogether useless. It sometimes, though rarely, happens, that the
soldiers surprise the aborigines, in which case no combat takes place;
the latter run away as speedily as possible; and their pursuers, taking
vengeance for injuries sustained, seldom give quarter. Those whom
they make prisoners they are obliged to tie hand and foot, and carry
on a pole to a place of security: if any one of them be loosed but
for a moment, he bursts away, and flees into the woods like a tiger,
leaving his pursuers behind. They are untameable, either by stripes or
kindness; and, if they find no means of escaping from confinement, they
commonly refuse sustenance, and die of hunger.
The injuries occasionally done to settlers by these savages have
excited the attention of Government, who have passed a decisive law
against them. A proclamation has been issued by the Prince Regent, in
which they are invited to live in villages, and become Christians,
under a promise that, if they come to terms of peace and amity with the
Portuguese, their rights shall be acknowledged, and they shall enjoy,
in common with other subjects, the protection of the state; but, if
they persist in their barbarous and inhuman practices, the soldiers
of His Royal Highness are ordered to carry on a war of extermination
against them. Those who are taken prisoners are at the disposal of
their captors as slaves, for the space of ten years. It is doubtful
whether the offers of conciliation contained in this proclamation
will produce in any degree the desired effect; for the Buticudos have
an unconquerable aversion to a settled way of life, and a rooted
antipathy to every other nation; nor have they intelligence enough to
appreciate the benefits of civilized society; so that there appears
no hope of reducing them but by the dreadful alternative proposed in
the latter part of the decree. One reason for having recourse to this
summary mode of dealing with them, which will probably outweigh any
arguments in favor of gentler proceedings, is, that the country they
inhabit contains gold, and the settlers and adventurers are desirous
to obtain speedy possession of it. Some officers, well acquainted with
the locality of the territory, and skilled in the art of conducting an
Indian war, are already employed in this difficult enterprise. About
two leagues from this village is another, called Piranga, situated
near the margin of a river of that name, which at a distance of four
leagues joins the San Jose, and with it forms the Rio Dôce. This river
runs through a fine country, in a northerly and afterwards an easterly
direction, discharging itself into the sea in lat. 19° 30′ south. There
are three islands at its mouth, called Os Tres Irmâos, (the Three
Brothers).
Were this river rendered navigable, what benefits might accrue to
the fine country through which it flows! Large quantities of sugar,
cotton, and other produce, which the soil is capable of growing,
besides excellent timber for exportation, would then form the basis of
an extensive commerce, by stimulating the industry of the planters,
who are at present averse from cultivating beyond the extent of their
own consumption, on account of the heavy expense attendant on a
land-carriage of above five hundred miles to the nearest sea-port.
Piranga is perhaps more exposed to the attacks of the Indians than
the village of San Jose, but there are some gold-washings in its
neighbourhood which tempt the inhabitants to brave that danger. A small
band of horse-soldiers is stationed here to parade the confines, enter
the woods, and go in quest of the natives whenever information is
given. Yet, notwithstanding these precautions, the village is never in
perfect security; a house in its immediate vicinity was surprised a few
months previous to our visit to this district.
We now took leave of the vicar and his guests, and, I may add, of
all the villagers, who came out to salute us as we passed. Returning
to Castro, I remained the whole of the next day to examine the
establishment. It is built, like that at Barro, in the form of a
square, the dwellings of the negroes forming three sides, and the
mansion the fourth, the entrance being in front through a pair of
gates, which, when shut, secure the whole. The rooms in the mansion
were like ancient halls, adorned with carvings, and fitted up and
furnished after the old fashion. Here were blunderbusses, swords, and
other weapons for defence, used in former days, when the house was
liable to the continual attacks of the Buticudos. The stairs, gallery,
and floors, were of fine wood, of a quality which time had not in any
degree perceptibly injured. Attached to the house were the remains
of a sugar-mill, distil-house, corn-mill, and a machine, worked by a
strap and spindles, for spinning cotton, all in a state of neglect. The
whole establishment bore marks of former opulence and grandeur, from
which it appeared to have gradually declined as the gold-washings at
the confluence of the rivers and in other parts had become exhausted.
The negroes were now all removed to Castro, except a few infirm and
sick, who were stationed here to keep the mansion in order, (this being
considered as a light employment for them), until such time as their
convalescence should fit them for resuming their labors along with
their brethren at the other estate.
Having made a sketch of the house, and visited every part which
interested me, I returned by the same road to Barro, where I employed
myself in making a topographical map of the river, distinguishing by
different colors the places already washed for gold, those which were
then washing, and the yet unworked grounds. This sort of map might be
made on a large scale, so as to include a whole district or parish,
where the several mines, or gold-beds, in their different stages, might
be exhibited at one view.
On this estate are employed one hundred and fifty-six negroes, of all
descriptions, who, on such excellent land, producing every necessary
for food and clothing, might be expected to earn considerably more
than their own maintenance; yet a former steward managed so ill for
twenty successive years, that, although he had nothing to purchase but
a little iron, and though the gold-mines were then more productive
than at present, he ran the establishment annually into debt to the
shopkeepers of Villa Rica. A single circumstance may account for this
mismanagement; the noble proprietor resided in Portugal. At present the
estate is in a much more prosperous way, being entrusted to the care of
another steward, and three overseers, all Creolians. The latter receive
a salary of thirty _milrees_ (about nine pounds sterling) _per annum_,
besides their maintenance; their business is to execute the orders of
the steward, and to superintend the labor of the negroes committed to
their charge. They lead a life of extreme indolence, never putting
their hands to any species of work.
The general diet of the country-people in this land of Canaan is
somewhat similar to that of the miners in the vicinity of S. Paulo,
already described. The master, his steward, and the overseers, sit
down to a breakfast of kidney-beans of a black color, boiled, which
they mix with the flour of Indian corn, and eat with a little dry pork
fried or boiled. The dinner generally consists, also, of a bit of pork
or bacon boiled, the water from which is poured upon a dish of the
flour above mentioned, thus forming a stiff pudding. A large quantity
(about half a peck) of this food is poured in a heap in the middle of
the table, and a great dish of boiled beans is set upon it: each person
helps himself in the readiest way, there being only one knife, which is
very often dispensed with. A plate or two of colewort or cabbage-leaves
complete the repast. The food is commonly served up in the earthen
vessels used for cooking it; sometimes on pewter dishes. The general
beverage is water. At supper nothing is seen but large quantities of
boiled greens, with a little bit of poor bacon to flavor them. On any
festival occasion, or when strangers appear, the dinner or supper is
improved by the addition of a stewed fowl.
The food prepared for the negroes is Indian corn-flour, mixed with hot
water, in which a bit of pork has been boiled. This dish serves both
for breakfast and supper. Their dinner consists of beans boiled in the
same way. This unfortunate race of men are here treated with great
kindness and humanity, which, indeed, their good behaviour seems to
deserve. They are allowed as much land as they can, at their leisure,
cultivate, (Sundays and holidays being by law allotted to them for
that purpose), and are permitted to sell or dispose of their produce
as they please. Their owners clothe them with shirts and trowsers made
of coarse cotton, which is grown and woven on the estate. Their days
of labor are rather long; before sun-rise a bell rings to summon them
to prayers, which are recited by one of the overseers, and repeated
by the congregation; after worship is over they proceed to work, at
which they continue till after sun-set, when prayers are said as in
the morning. An hour after supper they are employed in preparing
wood to burn, taking Indian corn from the husk, and in other in-door
operations. Swelled necks are not uncommon among the men-negroes, but
in other respects they appear healthy: I saw few or none afflicted with
elephantiasis, or with any cutaneous disease. There were many very
aged of both sexes; a few even remembered their old master, the first
possessor, though he has been dead upwards of sixty years.
Their principal article of diet, the _farinha de milho_, or flour of
Indian corn, appeared so palatable and nutritive, that, after living
upon it for some time, I had the curiosity to enquire into the mode
of preparing it from the grain. It is first soaked in water, and
afterwards pounded in its swelled and moist state, to separate the
outer husk. It then appears almost granulated, and is put upon copper
pans, which have a fire underneath, and in these it is kept constantly
stirred until it is dry and fit for eating. This substitute for bread
is as common among the inhabitants here as is the _farinha de Pao_,
or mandioca, among the people of Rio de Janeiro, S. Paulo, and other
districts.
The grain is grown always on virgin lands, cleared by burning, after
the manner already described. In good seasons, or, in other words, when
the dry weather allows the felled wood to be completely reduced to
ashes, the return is from one hundred and fifty to two hundred bushels
for one. Weeding is only performed after the seed has been a short
time in the ground; indeed, the growing crops suffer less from the
neglect of that operation than from the depredations of rats, which are
frequently very considerable.
On the state of society here I had little leisure to make observations.
A general debility seemed to prevail among the females, which I imputed
to the want of better food and more exercise: they confine themselves
principally to the sedentary employments of sewing, or making lace.
While at San Jose I saw many females from the country, dressed in gowns
made of English prints; some of them had woollen mantles, edged with
gold lace or Manchester velvet, thrown loosely over their shoulders.
Their hair was invariably fastened with combs, and they in general
wore, out of doors, men’s hats. The men, most of whom belonged to the
militia, appeared in uniforms. No two things can be more different
than the deshabille and full-dress of a nominal militia officer. When
at home he seldom puts on more than half his clothes, over which he
throws an old great coat; and saunters about the house in this attire
from morning till night, a true picture of idleness. On Sundays, or
on gala-days, after some hours spent in decorating his person, he
sallies forth, completely metamorphosed from a slip-shod sloven into
a spruce-officer, glittering in a weight of gold lace, on a horse
caparisoned with equal splendor, forming as fine a sight for the gazing
multitude as a general at a review. He observes no medium between these
extremes, being always very shabby or very fine.
During my stay at Barro I was presented with some singularly fine
fruit, equal in flavor to fresh almonds, and capable of being preserved
by drying only, so as to become a valuable article of commerce. Having
never before heard of this fruit, I am induced to give a brief account
of it. The exterior substance is about the size of a full-grown
cocoa-nut with the rind on, say nine or ten inches long and five or
six in the thickest part. It grows suspended from the branch by a
very slender but strong stem. This shell is full of kernels, to the
number of from thirty to fifty, of the shape of almonds, but twice or
thrice the size, disposed in ranges or layers, and separated from each
other by a white pithy substance. As these kernels ripen, the top of
the shell, which appears like a lid, is gradually forced open, and
when they are at full maturity, the larger part, which contains them,
separates and falls to the ground. The trees, at the season of shedding
their fruits, are frequented by wild hogs, herds of monkies, flocks of
parrots, and other birds, which never quit them, while any of these
delicious nuts remain. I was credibly informed that some trees have
been known to produce above a ton weight in a season. One of the nuts I
preserved and brought with me, which I sent to Sir Joseph Banks.
We now took leave of the good people at the _fazenda_, and returned to
Villa Rica by the way we came. I had, with great difficulty, procured a
few pounds of butter, made after the new process, as a present for Dr.
Lucas, the Judge, which arrived perfectly fresh and sweet. On passing
Lavras Velhas, as we returned, we were shown some excellent cinchona,
very like that of Peru, and said to possess similar properties in
a high degree. From the specimen we saw, there was every reason
to believe, that, if fairly introduced into practice, it might be
administered in many cases with as much success as Peruvian bark; and,
as great quantities might be procured here, the experiment is certainly
worth attending to by medical men. I sent a parcel of it home, but by
some accident or other it was lost at the Custom-house.
In many parts of our route we might have collected insects, but they
require so much attention and care in preserving them for conveyance
so great a distance, that I gave up the pursuit. It appeared to me
extraordinary, that I had not, since my arrival in Brazil, seen (except
in the cabinets of the curious,) more than one _curculio imperialis_
(diamond-beetle), though I had frequently searched for them in almost
every variety of plantation.
During my absence from Villa Rica one of my soldiers had procured me a
full pound of native bismuth in lumps, none of which exceeded an ounce
in weight. It is frequently found in this state, which proves that it
is out of its place, as it originally occurs in veins. Many pieces of
pyrites, and various iron ores, were also brought to me.
I had commissioned some persons to collect land shells for me during my
absence, and was now to my great gratification presented with six, of
a fine chesnut brown color, with beautiful pink mouths, belonging to a
new variety of the helix. Having kept them a few days, without taking
out the animals, I was surprised to find that one of the latter had
laid two eggs. I had before imagined that they were oviparous. I took
one of the shells in my hand, while the animal was crawling, when it
immediately folded itself, and entered very quickly, in which exertion
another egg was deposited in the mouth of the shell. All the eggs were
about the size of a sparrow’s. These were the only land shells I had
seen on this journey.
On resuming my visit to the mint I took an early opportunity of stating
to the acting governors my ideas respecting a new regulation for
supplying mercury to the miners. One great impediment to the use of
that metal, so essential in certain branches of the process, was the
exorbitant price at which it was exclusively sold by the apothecaries,
generally upwards of two shillings the ounce. I suggested that the mint
should be the general depository for it, and that it should be issued
from thence to the gold-washers without profit. By this regulation
the article would be brought into general use, much to the benefit
of the state as well as of private individuals. I also gave them
models of earthen vessels, which might be made at a small expense, for
evaporating and condensing the mercury, which, if universally adopted,
would effect a great saving in the consumption of that article.
The remainder of my stay, previous to my journey to Tejuco, passed
very agreeably. In the evening-parties to which I was invited, and
which generally consisted of ladies and gentlemen, I observed that the
English style of dress prevailed, particularly among the former. The
houses of the higher classes in Villa Rica are much more convenient and
better furnished than any I saw in Rio de Janeiro and S. Paulo, and
are for the most part kept in the exactest order. Their beds seemed
to me so elegant as to deserve a particular description. The posts
were of fine wood, fluted or carved in various ways; the sides plain,
the bottoms of boards or leather. The bed itself was of cotton, the
sheets of fine linen edged with lace of home manufacture, full nine
inches broad. The bolster was covered with fine muslin, the ends of
which were edged also with lace. The pillows were made round at the
ends and covered with pink sarsnet, over which was another of fine
muslin, terminated with broad lace, which being starched and delicately
managed had a very rich appearance. The coverlet was yellow satin of a
Damask pattern, edged like the sheets and pillows with broad lace. The
hangings were of the same materials, in the form of a canopy, without
curtains. Not excepting the refinements of recent date in this article
of furniture, I never saw beds so magnificent as those of the opulent
in this captaincy.
Every thing being now in readiness for my departure, I waited upon
the several inhabitants to whom I had been introduced, to express
my thanks for the polite attentions they had shewn me, and received
from them the most obliging assurances of friendship, and the kindest
wishes for my welfare. I also, much to my regret, took leave of my
valued friend and fellow-traveller, Mr. Goodall, whose affairs required
him to go to St. João D’El Rey, and thence return to Rio de Janeiro.
Never was a traveller more fortunate in a companion; always cheerful
and in spirits, he had the happy faculty of regarding every thing on
its bright side, and in all the various inconveniences of bad roads,
wretched inns, miserable fare, and worse accommodations, he exemplified
the truth of the adage that, “a merry heart hath a continual feast.”
Being perfectly master of the language, and well acquainted with the
character and manners of the people, he made himself at home every
where, and generally contrived to draw from the conversation of those
around him, some topic either for lively remark or instructive comment.
These amiable qualities, the offspring of a cultivated understanding
and an excellent heart, gave him a double claim to that respect and
confidence which we ever entertain for those whom we distinguish by the
name of friend.
CHAP. XII
_Journey from Villa Rica to Tejuco, the Capital of the Diamond
District._
HAVING previously sent letters to his Excellency the Conde de Linhares,
giving him an account of my proceedings, I set out from Villa Rica,
attended by the two soldiers and my negro servant. I passed through the
city of Mariana, and entered upon the plain in its vicinity already
mentioned, which, in the rainy season, is often entirely overflowed.
To the left I observed a beautiful and romantic mountain, called Morro
de Santa Anna, on which stood many small neat houses, surrounded
by coffee-plantations and orangeries; its base was watered by a
_corvinha_, or rivulet, the banks of which contain much gold, and are
worked by the inhabitants of the mount. Passing onward, the road became
very confined; and the land, though now covered with wood, appeared to
have been formerly under cultivation. We here met a number of mules
laden with sugar, destined for Villa Rica, or, if not sold there, for
Rio de Janeiro.
We arrived and refreshed at a little village called Camargo, and passed
an excellent house, situated near a rivulet of that name, where there
is a gold-washing, which employs about two hundred negroes, and is said
to be very productive. About a league farther we passed a poor little
place called Bento Rodriguez, and about six in the evening arrived at
a very considerable village, called Inficionado, which contains full
fifteen hundred inhabitants. It had been more populous, but its mines
having decreased, it was then on the decline. Finding no inn that
offered any thing tolerable, I alighted at the house of a shopkeeper,
who very civilly provided me an apartment to sleep in, and introduced
me at supper to his wife, and three other ladies, whose society was
very pleasant and cheerful. On the next day, after some trouble,
my soldiers at a late hour procured mules, when I set out about ten
o’clock upon a bad road, and, after travelling half a league, arrived
at the Corgo do Inficionado, a fine rivulet flowing through a country
rich in gold, particularly near the village of Santa Barbara, where
washings appear in all directions. From hence to the village of Catas
Altas, two leagues distant, is a tract of the finest open country I
ever travelled in Brazil; it has many features resembling that between
Matlock and Derby, and its mountains bear a strong similarity to those
of Westmoreland. There are slips in some of them in which topazes are
found, but rarely any of good quality. This district appeared equally
suited for mining and agriculture, the ground being rich above as well
as below. The village of Catas Altas, through which we rode, contains
at least two thousand inhabitants, and is situated in a populous
neighbourhood. The public buildings are well constructed, and the
private houses in general appear very respectable, but bear evident
marks of decay. We crossed the river which is broad but shallow, and
has works on its banks of greater extent and under better management
than any I had hitherto seen. The whole vicinity is irrigated by
numerous rivulets, many of which are diverted from their courses to a
great distance for the purpose of gold-washing. In all parts, even on
the tops and sides of the hills, we observed operations of this kind
going on; in the valleys there were many spots still rich in gold,
which had not yet been washed.
Continuing about six miles over this naked country, we entered on a
more confined road, and passing a village called Cocaes, proceeded half
a league further in the dark, to the mansion of Senhor Felicio, the
_Capitao Mor_ of the district, where we alighted, having travelled this
day above thirty miles. On being announced, I was immediately shown
up stairs into a suite of handsome apartments, furnished with great
magnificence, where I was introduced by the _Capitao_ to his amiable
lady and daughter. We were joined by Dr. Gomides, a man of talents and
science, with whom I entered into conversation, and who afterwards
showed me a fine collection of gold in various forms, some like
duck-shot, others laminated with micaceous iron, others arborescent.
He had also some specimens of stalactitic matter, on which nitre was
forming, others of specular iron ore, and three or four fine pieces
of chrome, which I at first took for realgar. From this gentleman I
received considerable information respecting the mineralogy of the
country, which is so difficult to be obtained accurate, that I found
reason to reject all which did not correspond with what I saw. In the
course of the evening the party was joined by the Count de Oeyenhausen,
who commands a corps of cavalry in the district. He made many enquiries
of me respecting England, that being the country in which he had
received his education, and to which he seemed as much attached as to
his native soil.
This large establishment, though still rich in gold, is worked by
only two hundred negroes. One part of the estate is an auriferous
mountain of schistus, containing beds of micaceous iron ore; the
latter substance forms a thin stratum, which contains gold in grains
laminated with it. It is singular to remark, that the _cascalho_, which
generally, nay, almost invariably occurs in ravines and low situations,
is here found at a very small depth below the surface on the summit.
The discovery of the original gold mine in this rich _sesmaria_,
is said to have been owing to the following accident. Some negroes
employed in clearing the land, broke up an ant-hill of considerable
size, when, on laying it open to the air, for the purpose of destroying
or dispersing the insects, large grains of gold were found. It is,
however, highly probable that the general characteristics of the soil
had led to the discovery long before this period, and that the accident
here related, served only to indicate the presence of gold in a part
which had not been supposed to contain any. The estate is situated
almost in the centre of the mining country, and is reputed one of the
richest portions of it. The owner and his brother, who are partners,
have conducted their concerns in a liberal way, and are said to be very
wealthy. It was my wish to have staid a day or two for the purpose of
inspecting the extensive works which they have opened; but I forebore
to make any request of this nature, as I perceived, or supposed, some
little jealousy or suspicion respecting my views. It seemed to be the
opinion here, as well as in other places, that I had a mission from
Government, authorizing me to enquire into the state of the mines, and
give a report concerning them.
In riding past the works, after having taken leave of the _Capitao_
I did not perceive any machinery used for facilitating manual labor.
The tedious process of washing by hand was most generally practised;
in some instances inclined canoes were used, which, if carried to the
degree of improvement of which they are susceptible, might much more
effectually answer the purpose.
Between the mountain on _Capitao_ Felicio’s estate and the village of
Sabará is a rich mining district, which extends also to Bromare, over
a continuation of hilly country. It is occupied by several opulent
miners, who possess many fine grounds still unworked. A tract of land
a few miles in extent is appropriated to agricultural purposes, being
reputed to be destitute of gold.
I proceeded four leagues, over a well-watered and finely-wooded
country, to a hamlet called Vaz, a name which had become familiar
to my ear through the frequent mention which my soldiers made of
“the good old man of Vaz.” This person, whose reception of me fully
justified the appellation with which he had been distinguished, was
a farmer from Oporto, who had been resident here about forty years.
He bought the estate with twenty negroes upon it, and paid for it by
yearly instalments in twenty years afterwards. This mode of disposing
of estates is much practised, being at once easy to the purchaser,
and advantageous to the seller, as it ensures to the latter a better
price than he could obtain on the condition of immediate payment.
The house, which is well-built and convenient, has a sugar-mill and
distillery attached to it. The sugar is generally sent to Rio, under an
agreement with the carrier, giving him half or sometimes two-thirds of
the proceeds, with a promise of back-carriage of salt, iron, and other
commodities.
Owing to the kind assiduities of my worthy host, the evening passed
very agreeably. Many of the neighbours came to see and converse with
me, as I was the first Englishman, or perhaps foreigner, who had ever
travelled so far into the interior. Their curiosity led them to examine
almost every implement I carried with me; my saddle, bridle, and
stirrups, were viewed with great attention; nor could they imagine how
it was possible to sit in the former with any degree of safety. There
was no convincing them that it was much preferable to the Portuguese
saddle, which has a ridge about eight inches high, both before and
behind, so that the rider is, as it were, in the stocks, and, though
not so liable to be thrown out, has a most galling and uncomfortable
seat.
The next morning I visited the negroes’ houses, and was much pleased
to find one set apart for the reception of poor distressed travelling
negroes, who here find a fatherly protection, and are allowed to
stay as long a time as may suit their necessities. On taking leave
of the good old gentleman, I could not prevail on him to accept any
remuneration for his kindness, and he replied to my thanks with the
warmest assurances of welcome. I crossed a fine stream, and rode
through several plantations of sugar-cane, which were at this season
nearly ready for cutting. The country, as we proceeded, gradually
became more mountainous, and abounded with argillaceous schistus
very full of quartz. After riding about sixteen miles, we saw a very
singular mountain, or bare rock of granite, called Itambé, forming part
of a high ridge which lay on our left. About four o’clock we arrived
at a poor village, also called Itambé, situated near a fine river of
the same name. This place was formerly of some consequence, but as the
gold in its vicinity failed, it sunk into poverty and wretchedness.
It contains about a thousand inhabitants, who, degraded to the lowest
stage of inactive apathy, looked as if they were the ghosts of their
progenitors haunting the ruins of their departed wealth.
Every thing about them bore a cheerless aspect; the houses were ready
to fall to the ground through want of repair; the door-places were
overgrown with grass, and the patches of garden-ground that here and
there appeared, were covered with weeds. The face of the country, too,
was entirely different from that which I had passed on my way hither,
being universally sterile, dry, and stony. It may well be supposed,
from this description, that our accommodations here were of the worst
kind: we halted at a miserable abode, where they offered us some mouldy
Indian corn and _feijones_, and, after a great deal of difficulty,
procured us a fowl. My servant was obliged to clean all the utensils
before they could be used; and the soldiers while cooking, were obliged
to guard the pot lest some half-famished prowler should steal it. The
commandant of the place, with whom we had afterwards some conversation,
answered our remarks on the visible signs of starvation in the looks of
the villagers, by coolly saying, “While they get Indian corn to eat,
and water to drink, they will not die of hunger.” I was glad to depart
from this home of famine as fast as possible, heartily joining in the
exclamation which the Portuguese have bestowed upon it; “Das mizerias
de Itambé _libera nos Domine_!”—(From the miseries of Itambé the Lord
deliver us!)
After riding about five miles, we came to the River Das Onzas, so
named from the numbers of those animals which formerly infested its
banks. Changing our mules at a village called Lagos, cosisting of a
few miserable _fazendas_, we proceeded a league over a most rugged
and mountainous road, and passing a ridge, entered on a fine country,
presenting to view a grand picturesque mountain nearly a league distant
from us; about mid-way up was a large house, to which we directed our
course. We forded a rather deep river called Rio Negro, on account of
the blackness of its waters, caused by the decomposition of bituminous
or vegetable matter. Its margin, along which we rode for some distance,
presented some fine grazing land. Passing through a broken and
irregular tract of country, we arrived at another deserted village
called Gaspar Soares, and rode up to the house above-mentioned, the
owner of which was from home, but his lady received me very politely.
Having arrived rather early in the evening, I employed myself some time
in walking about the grounds: the mountain on which the house stands
consists almost entirely of micaceous iron ore[41]; the wall before
the door of the house was built of that substance. In some parts, to
my great surprise, I observed it lying in regular strata, not more
than an inch in thickness, between beds of white sand. The quantity of
ore found in this neighbourhood is so considerable as to have induced
Government to commence an iron-work, under the direction of Dr. Manoel
Ferreira da Camara, Intendant of the Diamond District. In aid of this
undertaking, the gentleman, at whose house I was a guest, has presented
a square league of woodland, the only tract of that description in the
neighbourhood. The ground for the intended works is marked out, and
a few blocks of stone are prepared; but the undertaking seems to go
on very slowly, and probably will not arrive at any great degree of
perfection.
This hill and the streams near it were formerly rich in gold, but they
have been completely washed, and are at present as much exhausted
as the works at Itambé. A rivulet which runs over the top of the
hill afforded conveniences for washing, which are very rarely to be
met with; it is now intended to be converted to the use of the iron
manufactory.
On the following day I continued my route northerly, over a fine
country, and, after riding, or rather walking, about six miles of
bad road with wretched mules, ascended a hill abounding with rich
compact iron ore. Two leagues of the way were covered with excellent
oxide of iron, and it appeared as if the hills were entirely covered
with that substance. Without any material occurrence, we arrived at a
beautiful 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 Lagos, and also bears the name
of Ouro 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 _cascalho_ 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 was small, and 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 substance is known to be platina,
it is doubtful whether the work might be resumed with advantage, as
the demand for that article is at present so small, that the quantity
sold would hardly pay expenses. Near this place is a work called Mata
Cavallos.
The rivulet of Lagos empties itself into the Rio de St. Antonio,
along which we rode a small distance, and proceeding about four miles
farther, arrived at Conceição, a large and tolerably handsome village.
I was conducted to the house of the curate, who kindly assigned 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
them were upwards of eighty years of age, and, as they had resided
here more than fifty, they were able to give many curious accounts of
the country, and of the progress and decline of its mines. I was much
pleased with the information they communicated, but more so with the
attention of the good curate, who corrected every misrepresentation,
and seemed anxious that I should not be led into error, either through
accident or design. By some means or other, an opinion circulated
among them that I was a medical man, and numbers of infirm persons,
principally old men, women, and children, were brought to me for
advice. In the evening we were entertained with music by some of the
younger females, who brought their guitars, and sung several pleasing
airs.
I was here shown a Buticudo Indian boy, apparently about nine years of
age, who had been taken about six months before. He could not utter a
word of Portuguese; but, from the expression of his countenance, his
mind seemed capable of receiving any tuition. His eyes had so much
vivacity in them that they almost spoke, especially when his attention
was attracted by any thing agreeable, as I found by offering him
a few sweetmeats, with which he seemed much delighted. I examined
his features and the construction of his frame with some curiosity,
as exhibiting the characteristics of the singular race of men from
whom he sprung. The face was short, the mouth rather wide, the nose
broad, the eyes large and black, skin of a dusky copper color, hair
jet-black, strong, straight, and of regular length, limbs stout and
well-proportioned, feet large, probably from going without shoes. He
lived with a poor woman, who clothed and brought him up exactly as
one of her family. On enquiring how he came there, I was informed
that he belonged to a party of Indians who were surprised at a place
about six leagues distant, and all either fell or escaped, except this
little fellow, who was taken care of, and brought hither by an officer
resident in the village.
Being still too unwell to travel, I remained another day, and met with
every attention and care from the good clergyman and his housekeeper.
In the course of conversation, he informed me that he studied and had
been ordained at S. Paulo; and when he learnt that I had been there so
recently, seemed much pleased, and asked me many questions respecting
the present state of that city, which showed his attachment to it as
the scene of his youthful days.
About a week previous to my arrival, this village was the scene of
a somewhat remarkable adventure. A _tropeiro_[42] going to Rio de
Janeiro with some loaded mules, was overtaken by two cavalry soldiers,
who ordered him to surrender his fowling-piece; which being done, they
bored the butt-end with a gimblet, and finding it hollow, took off the
iron from the end, where they found a cavity containing about three
hundred carats of diamonds, which they immediately seized. The man
in vain protested his innocence, stating that he had bought the gun
of a friend: he was hurried away, and thrown into prison at Tejuco,
where I afterwards saw him. The diamonds were confiscated, and the
soldiers received half their value. The fate of this man is a dreadful
instance of the rigor of the existing laws: he will forfeit all his
property, and be confined, probably, for the remainder of his days
in a loathsome prison, among felons and murderers. What must be the
feelings (if, indeed, he can be said to possess any) of the fellow who
betrayed him; for, doubtless, the poor man owed his misfortune to some
secret villain, in the shape of a confidential friend, who, having
learned his mode of carrying diamonds concealed, had, for the sake of
a paltry premium, or from some mean spirited motive, given notice of
it to Government! How must the miscreant recoil at having brought to
irreparable ruin, and plunged into that lowest state of human misery,
perpetual imprisonment, a man who not only claimed his sympathy as a
fellow-creature, but was united to him by the ties of friendship!
The village of Conceição, seemed to me large enough to contain
two thousand inhabitants, but, like most others in this exhausted
district, it was fast hastening to decay. The rent of a tolerable
house is about two shillings a month. The only manufacture carried on
here is that of a little cotton, which is spun by the hand and woven
into coarse shirting. It appears to be a maxim among the inhabitants
rather to go naked, than labor to clothe themselves. The vestiges of
old gold-washings in every direction, and the slight quantities still
found in all parts, from the summits of the mountains to their bases,
might almost lead a traveller to conclude that the whole country was
at one period auriferous. The surface is in general fine red earth,
and in many parts presents fine situations for iron works, as there
is ore and wood in abundance. It is much to be wished that such works
were established; for iron is so dear at Conceição, and the people in
general so poor, that the mules have seldom a shoe to their feet, which
is irksome to the riders, and dangerous to the animals themselves,
as they are continually coming down, particularly when ascending a
clay-hill, after a shower of rain.
Neither here, nor in any other part of my journey from Villa Rica,
did I observe any limestone, though I was informed that considerable
quantities were found near Sabará.
Taking leave of the worthy curate, I set out for Tapinhoá-canga[43],
distant about thirty miles. After an unpleasant ride through a rough
stony country, abounding in quartz laminated with schistus, I reached a
village called Corvos, where there are some gold-washings, one of which
produced, about half a year ago, a net profit of £800, though only
four negroes were employed a month upon it. The road to the village
above mentioned led through a most uneven tract, presenting formidable
precipices, which required us to travel with so much caution, that
we did not complete our journey until an hour after sun-set. I was
received into a very respectable house, which had the appearance
of former opulence. The owner, Captain Bom-jardim, a venerable old
gentleman, came to welcome me: on entering into conversation, he
informed me that he had emigrated hither from Oporto at the age of
seventeen, and had lived here sixty-two years. He was tempted to settle
here by the hope of participating in the rich treasures for which the
country was then famed; but he arrived two or three years too late:
the mines were already on the decline, and he was obliged to turn his
attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he persevered with such
success that he was enabled to realize a comfortable independency, and
to bring up a numerous family in credit and respectability. It had been
well if his neighbours had profited by so eminent an example, instead
of deserting the country when the gold on its surface disappeared.
That many did so was evident from the declining state of the village;
a great number of its houses were falling to decay, others were
untenanted, and its population, which formerly amounted to near three
thousand, was dwindled to a third of that amount.
Continuing my journey next day, I crossed the ridge of a lofty chain of
mountains, abounding with streams, that were much swoln in consequence
of the late rains; one of the largest, called Rio dos Peixes, I forded
thrice, and entered on a wide champaign country. In many parts I saw
large tracts of bare places, where the grit-stone alternated with
argillaceous schistus. The next ten miles led through an elevated
and fertile plain, intersected with rivulets in every direction, and
well calculated for farming, but very thinly inhabited. Early in the
afternoon I reached an eminence, from which I had a fine view of Villa
do Principe, situated on the rise of a lofty hill opposite, the base of
which was washed by a rivulet called _Corvinho dos Quatro Vintens_[44].
On arriving in the town, I was conducted to the house of the governor,
or chief magistrate, who received me very politely, and introduced me
to his lady and a party of friends, with whom I took tea.
Villa do Principe was established as a _comarco_, or district, in
the year 1730, when the gold-washings were most productive: but it
dates its origin fifteen years earlier, at which period the place was
discovered by the Paulistas, who had then commenced to migrate from
Villa Rica and the adjacent settlements. The town at present contains
about five thousand inhabitants, the most considerable proportion of
whom are shopkeepers, and the rest artisans, farmers, miners, and
laborers. Here is a house of permutation, to which every miner in the
district brings the gold he obtains, and pays the royal fifth, as is
done in Villa Rica. The _ouvidor_ holds the office of mint-master,
which renders his situation one of the best in the gift of the crown.
Here are several inferior officers belonging to various departments of
the public service. As this town is situated very near the confines of
the Diamond District, and on the high road leading to it, the strictest
regulations prevail respecting the passage of all persons thither. No
one, except travellers on business, with certificates to that effect,
is suffered to proceed, until a formal notification has been made to
the governor of that district; the laws of which are so strict, that
any person found within it, out of the regular road, is liable to
be apprehended on suspicion, and subjected to an examination, which
frequently occasions much trouble and delay.
The country around Villa do Principe is very fine and open, being free
from those impenetrable woods, which occur so frequently in 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 possession, one of
which is considered 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 recompence, 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 but that he would attend to them.
As we journeyed on, I perceived that the country bore an aspect
entirely different from that in the neighbourhood of Villa do
Principe: its surface, consisting of coarse sand and rounded quartz
pebbles, was almost destitute of wood or herbage. One hillock near
the road exhibited perpendicular laminæ 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 before 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, resembling 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 Gonzales, the first which occurs in the
Serro do Frio. It has been some time on the decline, and employs about
200 negroes. The intendant, a very intelligent man, had been apprised
of our coming by a letter from the governor at Tejuco, and gave me
a very friendly reception. While engaged in conversation with him,
I observed (it being now moon-light) some fine cows in front of the
premises, and concluded that they were come to be milked, but this I
understood was not the case. They were licking the doorposts and sides
of the houses, with much apparent eagerness, and, on enquiring what
this signified, I was told that they wanted salt. They were so tame
and gentle that, on holding out my hand, they licked it; when, being
desirous to see the effect which salt produced on them, I procured
some, and gave them a handful: but they became so very unruly for more,
that had I not immediately desisted and retired, their fury might have
produced serious consequences. This article is so necessary for the
support of the cattle, that their very existence depends on it, yet it
is encumbered with a heavier duty than any other article of import,
iron alone excepted. Surely, when it is considered that vast herds are
daily sent from this province to Rio de Janeiro, each paying a toll of
nearly twelve shillings on crossing the river Paraibuna, the impolicy
of this duty must be self-evident, because, in raising the price of the
commodity to an excessive degree, it checks the breed of cattle, and
thus ultimately defeats the purpose for which it was imposed.
The next day, before we left this romantic place, I devoted some
time to an examination of the refuse-hillocks contiguous to the
diamond-works, but found nothing among the heaps of quartzose stones,
which had been washed when this place was more in repute. I here
noticed a thin stratum below the roots of the grass, which I had
elsewhere seen, but never so distinctly characteristic. It is called
_bergalhão_, and consists of quartz pebbles, generally angular, and
not unfrequently large beds of solid quartz not more than four or
five inches thick. This stratum does not appear to have been formed
at the same time, or by the same means as the _cascalho_, from which
it is invariably separated by a stratum of vegetable earth unequal
in thickness; it has more the appearance of a thin bed of quartz
subsequently shattered into innumerable fragments.
Having taken leave of the administrator, I proceeded through a
continuation of mountains and sterile country, very thinly inhabited.
I stopt at one of the best of the few miserable houses on the road to
procure some refreshment. There was a half-starved cat in the door-way,
the sight of which plainly evinced to me what I had to expect. Poor
animal, thought I, the habitation in which thou existest, will not
afford maintenance for a mouse, much less for thee! While musing on
this picture of distress and famine, a poor meagre woman came to the
door, of whom I requested a little water, which she brought me, and
while I was drinking it she began to implore charity. Her countenance
had already expressed what her tongue now uttered: I gave her the few
provisions my soldiers had with them, together with a small piece of
money, and took leave;—the last words I heard from her were those of
gratitude.
Ere we arrived at this place, we had seen Tejuco at full twelve miles’
distance, and were now much nearer. We crossed two rapid rivulets,
one of them called Rio Negro, the waters of which were of a very black
color, and afterwards passed a guard-house, or register, called Milho
Verde, situated near a stream of the same name, formerly much noted for
diamonds. Here a band of soldiers are stationed, who are always on the
alert, riding after and examining passengers. The country is extremely
rough, and destitute of vegetation, covered in all directions with
grit-stone rocks full of rounded quartzose pebbles. We rode two miles
along the Corvinho de St. Francisco, which runs through the ravine
at the foot of the mountain on the side of which Tejuco is built,
presenting much the same appearance as Villa Rica. I entered the town,
and took up my abode at the best inn, which contained some neat rooms,
and afforded tolerable accommodations.
This was Sunday the 17th of September, being one month since my
departure from Rio de Janeiro, during which period I had been
almost continually on horseback; for the time I remained at Villa
Rica was principally occupied in journies to various places in the
neighbourhood.
CHAP. XIII.
_Visit to the Diamond Works on the River Jiquitinhonha.—General
Description of the Works.—Mode of Washing.—Return to Tejuco.—Visit
to the Treasury.—Excursion to Rio Pardo.—Miscellaneous Remarks._
THE continual fatigues, and want of accommodation on the journey, had
rendered me very unwell, and I was therefore desirous of resting a
week at Tejuco before I proceeded to the diamond mines; but, learning
that I had been expected for the last two or three days, I sent one of
my soldiers up to the house of Dr. Camara, the governor, to announce
my arrival, and to state that I was prevented by indisposition from
personally paying my respects to him. He immediately came with a few
friends to visit me, gave me a most hearty welcome to Tejuco, and staid
with me at least three hours. I delivered to him my public and private
letters, passports, and other credentials, which he perused with great
satisfaction, observing to the _ouvidor_ and his friends, that I
possessed the same privileges which they did, having permission from
the court to see every place I wished, which they were directed to show
me. He then told me that, in expectation of my arrival, he had delayed
a journey to the greatest of the diamond works, called Mandanga,
situated on the river Jiquitinhonha, which employs about a thousand
Negroes, and on particular occasions double that number. He was
desirous that I should see this great work with all the machinery in
operation, which would be very speedily removed, the late rains having
swoln the rivers so much as to render working more, impracticable. He
therefore kindly invited me to breakfast at his house on the following
morning, when he would have all in readiness for a journey of about
thirty miles to the place above mentioned.
At an early hour I arose; and, though so unwell as to be scarcely
more than half alive, I could not resist the favorable opportunity
now offered me of gratifying the curiosity which had so long occupied
my mind, by visiting the diamond mines, in company with the principal
officer in the administration of them, who was therefore qualified
to furnish me with the amplest information. A fine horse was waiting
for me at the door, and I rode up to the house of the governor, who
introduced me to his amiable lady, daughters, and family, with whom
I had the honor to take breakfast. Several officers of the diamond
establishment arrived on horseback to accompany us, their presence
being required on this occasion.
At nine o’clock we set out, and crossed the ravine, watered by the
small rivulet of St. Franciso, which separates Tejuco from the opposite
mountains. The road was very rough and uneven, continually ascending
or descending mountains of considerable extent, the strata of which
were grit alternating with micaceous schistus, and presenting an
immense quantity of rude masses, composed of grit and rounded quartz,
forming a loose and friable kind of pudding-stone. The country appeared
almost destitute of wood, presenting occasionally a few poor shrubs;
there were no cattle to be seen, yet some of the tracts would certainly
maintain sheep in great numbers. Having halted at a place about half
way, we descended a very steep mountain, full a mile in the declivity,
and entered a ravine, where we crossed a very good wooden bridge over
the river Jiquitinhonha, which is larger than the Derwent at Derby. We
rode along its margin, where the land appears much richer, presenting
a good vegetable soil covered with underwood; and, proceeding about a
league, arrived at the famed place called Mandanga. The habitations,
which are about one hundred in number, are built detached, and are
generally of a circular form, with very high thatched roofs, like
African huts, but much larger. The walls are formed of upright stakes,
interwoven with small branches, and coated with clay inside and out.
The houses of the officers are of the same materials but of much more
convenient form, and whitewashed within. Near some of the houses we
observed inclosures for gardens, which, in some degree, enlivened
the prospect, and gave an air of comfort to these rude and simple
dwellings.
I remained here five days, during which I was occupied in viewing and
examining various parts of the works, of which I shall here attempt to
give a general description.
This rich river, formed by the junction of a number of streams which
will be hereafter noted, is as wide as the Thames at Windsor, and
in general from three to nine feet deep. The part now in working is
a curve or elbow, from which the current is diverted into a canal
cut across the tongue of land, round which it winds, the river being
stopped just below the head of the canal by an embankment, formed
of several thousand bags of sand. This is a work of considerable
magnitude, and requires the co-operation of all the negroes to
complete it; for, the river being wide and not very shallow, and also
occasionally subject to overflows, they have to make the embankment so
strong as to resist the pressure of the water, admitting it to rise
four or five feet.
[Illustration: BREAK IN THE HILL SHEWING THE TOPAZ MINE AT CAPON.]
[Illustration: BED OF THE RIVER LAID DRY BY AN AQUEDUCT TO CONNECT THE
ALLUVIAL SOIL IN ORDER TO WASH IT FOR DIAMONDS, GOLD, &c.]
The deeper parts of the channel of the river are laid dry by means
of large _caissons_ or chain-pumps, worked by a water-wheel. The
mud is then carried off, and the _cascalho_ is dug up and removed
to a convenient place for washing. This labor was, until lately,
performed by the negroes, who carried the _cascalho_ in _gamellas_
on their heads, but Dr. Camara has formed two inclined planes about
one hundred yards in length, along which carts are drawn by a large
water-wheel, divided into two parts, the ladles or buckets of which are
so constructed that the rotatory motion may be altered by changing the
current of water from one side to the other; this wheel, by means of
a rope made of untanned hides, works two carts, one of which descends
empty on one inclined plane, while the other, loaded with _cascalho_,
is drawn to the top of the other inclined plane, where it falls into
a cradle, empties itself, and descends in its turn. At a work, called
Cangica, formerly of great importance, about a mile up the river on the
opposite side, there are three cylindrical engines (_wims_) for drawing
the _cascalho_, like those used in the mining country of Derbyshire,
and also rail-ways over some uneven ground. This was the first and
only machinery of consequence which I saw in the Diamond District, and
there appear many obstacles to the general introduction of it. Timber,
when wanted of large size, has to be fetched a distance of one hundred
miles at a very heavy expense; there are few persons competent to the
construction of machines, and the workmen dislike to make them, fearing
that this is only part of a general plan for superseding manual labor.
The stratum of _cascalho_ consists of the same materials with that in
the gold district. On many parts, by the edge of the river, are large
conglomerated masses of rounded pebbles cemented by oxide of iron,
which sometimes envelop gold and diamonds. They calculate on getting
as much _cascalho_ in the dry season as will occupy all their hands
during the months which are more subject to rain. When carried from
the bed of the river whence it is dug, it is laid in heaps containing
apparently from five to fifteen tons each.
Water is conveyed from a distance, and is distributed to the various
parts of the works by means of aqueducts, constructed with great
ingenuity and skill. The method of washing for diamonds at this place
is as follows:—A shed is erected in the form of a parallelogram,
twenty-five or thirty yards long, and about fifteen wide, consisting of
upright posts which support a roof thatched with long grass. Down the
middle of the area of this shed a current of water is conveyed through
a canal covered with strong planks, on which the _cascalho_ is laid two
or three feet thick. On the other side of the area is a flooring of
planks, from four to five yards long, embedded in clay, extending the
whole length of the shed, and having a slope from the canal, of three
or four inches to a yard. This flooring is divided into about twenty
compartments or troughs, each about three feet wide, by means of planks
placed on their edge. The upper ends of all these troughs (here called
canoes) communicate with the canal, and are so formed that water is
admitted into them between two planks that are about an inch separate.
Through this opening the current falls about six inches into the
trough, and may be directed to any part of it, or stopped at pleasure
by means of a small quantity of clay. For instance, sometimes water is
required only from one corner of the aperture, then the remaining part
is stopped; sometimes it is wanted from the centre, then the extremes
are stopped; and sometimes only a gentle rill is wanted, then the clay
is applied accordingly. Along the lower ends of the troughs a small
channel is dug to carry off the water.
[Illustration: NEGROES WASHING FOR DIAMONDS, GOLD &c.]
On the heap of _cascalho_, at equal distances, are placed three high
chairs[45] for the officers or overseers. After they are seated, the
negroes[46] enter the troughs, each provided with a rake of a peculiar
form and short handle, with which he rakes into the trough about fifty
or eighty pounds weight of _cascalho_. The water being then let in
upon it, the _cascalho_ is spread abroad and continually raked up to
the head of the trough, so as to be kept in constant motion. This
operation is performed for the space of a quarter of an hour; the water
then begins to run clearer, having washed the earthy particles away,
the gravel-like matter is raked up to the end of the trough; after the
current flows away quite clear, the largest stones are thrown out, and
afterwards those of inferior size, then the whole is examined with
great care for diamonds[47]. When a negro finds one, he immediately
stands upright and claps his hands, then extends them, holding the gem
between his forefinger and thumb; an overseer receives it from him, and
deposits it in a _gamella_ or bowl, suspended from the centre of the
structure, half full of water. In this vessel all the diamonds found
in the course of the day are placed, and at the close of the work are
taken out and delivered to the principal officer, who, after they have
been weighed, registers the particulars in a book kept for that purpose.
When a negro is so fortunate as to find a diamond of the weight of an
_octavo_ (17-1/2 carats), much ceremony takes place; he is crowned with
a wreath of flowers and carried in procession to the administrator, who
gives him his freedom, by paying his owner for it. He also receives a
present of new clothes, and is permitted to work on his own account.
When a stone of eight or ten carats is found, the negro receives two
new shirts, a complete new suit, with a hat and a handsome knife. For
smaller stones of trivial amount proportionate premiums are given.
During my stay at Tejuco a stone of 16-1/2 carats was found: it was
pleasing to see the anxious desire manifested by the officers, that it
might prove heavy enough to entitle the poor negro to his freedom; and
when, on being delivered and weighed, it proved only a carat short of
the requisite weight, all seemed to sympathize in his disappointment.
Many precautions are taken to prevent the negroes from embezzling
diamonds. Although they work in a bent position, and consequently
never know whether the overseers are watching them or not, yet it
is easy for them to omit gathering any which they see, and to place
them in a corner of the trough for the purpose of secreting them at
leisure hours, to prevent which they are frequently changed while the
operation is going on. A word of command being given by the overseers,
they instantly move into each other’s troughs, so that no opportunity
of collusion can take place. If a negro be suspected of having
swallowed a diamond, he is confined in a strong room until the fact
can be ascertained. Formerly the punishment inflicted on a negro for
smuggling diamonds was confiscation of his person to the state; but it
being thought too hard for the owner to suffer for the offence of his
servant, the penalty has been commuted for personal imprisonment and
chastisement. This is a much lighter punishment than that which their
owners or any white man would suffer for a similar offence.
There is no particular regulation respecting the dress of the negroes:
they work in the clothes most suitable to the nature of their
employment, generally in a waistcoat and a pair of drawers, and not
naked, as some travellers have stated. Their hours of labor are from
a little before sunrise until sun-set, half an hour being allowed for
breakfast, and two hours at noon. While washing they change their
posture as often as they please, which is very necessary, as the work
requires them to place their feet on the edges of the trough, and to
stoop considerably. This posture is particularly prejudicial to young
growing negroes, as it renders them in-kneed. Four or five times during
the day they all rest, when snuff, of which they are very fond, is
given to them.
The negroes are formed into working parties, called troops, containing
two hundred each, under the direction of an administrator and inferior
officers. Each troop has a clergyman and a surgeon to attend it.
With respect to the subsistence of the negroes, although the present
governor has in some degree improved it by allowing a daily portion of
fresh beef, which was not allowed by his predecessors, yet I am sorry
to observe that it is still poor and scanty: and in other respects
they are more hardly dealt with than those of any other establishment
which I visited: notwithstanding this, the owners are all anxious to
get their negroes into the service, doubtless from sinister motives, of
which more will be said hereafter.
The officers are liberally paid, and live in a style of considerable
elegance, which a stranger would not be led to expect in so remote
a place. Our tables were daily covered with a profusion of excellent
viands, served up on fine Wedgewood ware, and the state of their
household generally corresponded with this essential part of it. They
were ever ready to assist me in my examination of the works, and freely
gave me all the necessary information respecting them.
Having detailed the process of washing for diamonds, I proceed to a
general description of the situations in which they are found. The flat
pieces of ground on each side the river are equally rich throughout
their extent, and hence the officers are enabled to calculate the value
of an unworked place by comparison with the amount found on working
in the part adjoining. These known places are left in reserve, and
trial is made of more uncertain grounds. The following observation I
often heard from the Intendant: “That piece of ground” (speaking of an
unworked flat by the side of the river) “will yield me ten thousand
carats of diamonds whenever we shall be required to get them in the
regular course of working, or when, on any particular occasion, an
order from Government arrives, demanding an extraordinary and immediate
supply.”
The substances accompanying diamonds, and considered good indications
of them, are bright bean-like iron ore, a slaty flint-like substance,
approaching Lydian-stone, of fine texture, black oxide of iron in
great quantities, rounded bits of blue quartz, yellow crystal, and
other materials entirely different from any thing known to be produced
in the adjacent mountains. Diamonds are by no means peculiar to the
beds of rivers or deep ravines; they have been found in cavities and
water-courses on the summits of the most lofty mountains.
I had some conversation with the officers respecting the matrix of the
diamond, not a vestige of which could I trace. They informed me that
they often found diamonds cemented in pudding-stone, accompanied with
grains of gold, but that they always broke them out, as they could
not enter them in the treasury, or weigh them with matter adhering to
them. I obtained a mass of pudding-stone, apparently of very recent
formation, cemented by ferruginous matter enveloping grains of gold and
diamonds; likewise a few pounds of the _cascalho_ in its unwashed state.
This river, and other streams in its vicinity, have been in washing
many years, and have produced great quantities of diamonds, which have
ever been reputed of the finest quality. They vary in size; some are so
small that four or five are required to weigh one grain, consequently
sixteen or twenty to the carat: there are seldom found more than two
or three stones of from seventeen to twenty carats in the course of a
year, and not once in two years is there found throughout the whole
washings a stone of thirty carats. During the few days I was here they
were not very successful; the whole quantity found amounted only to
forty, the largest of which was only four carats, and of a light green
color.
From the great quantity of _debris_, or worked _cascalho_, in every
part near the river, it is reasonable to calculate that the works have
been in operation above forty years; of course there must arrive a
period at which they will be exhausted, but there are grounds in the
neighbourhood, particularly in the Cerro de St. Antonio, and in the
country now inhabited by the Indians, which will probably afford these
gems in equal abundance.
After residing here five days, we visited a diamond work called
Monteiro, about two miles up the river, and went a league further to
a gold-work called Carrapato. The _cascalho_ at this work was taken
from a part of the river eight feet deep, which formed an eddy under
a projecting point; I was shewn a heap of it, that was estimated to
be worth £10,000. In removing this heap from its bed, four hundred
negroes had been employed three months; and to wash it, would occupy
one hundred men for three months more, the expense of both operations
amounting to perhaps £1,500. We arrived at this place at eight o’clock
in the morning; six negroes were employed four hours in washing two
troughs, containing together about a ton of _cascalho_, when, to
my great surprise, after the water ran clear, and the large stones
were thrown out, the black oxide of iron, of which there was great
abundance, was fringed with grains of gold, a novel and very agreeable
sight to a stranger. The gold was taken out at three or four different
times, and, when the washing was completed, was dried over a fire and
weighed: it amounted to nearly twenty ounces Troy. This is esteemed a
very rich place, and such circumstances are of rare occurrence. The
whole neighbourhood is sterile, presenting the same characteristics
as those before described. By proper cultivation the vallies might
be rendered very productive; but, as the troops of negroes and their
officers are continually changing, no agricultural establishments are
formed.
This place probably derived its name from a most disagreeable insect,
which infests the low brushwood in the neighbourhood. It is like a
sheep-tick; and, on getting access to any part of the body, it fastens
imperceptibly, buries its head under the skin, and draws blood until
its body is swelled to the size of a bean. If forcibly removed, it
leaves a very deep disagreeable hole, which is frequently difficult to
heal. The best mode of getting rid of the animal is to anoint it with
either laudanum or oil, and suffer it to remain until it dies, when it
will drop off.
In the afternoon we returned to Tejuco by another route more
mountainous than that by which we had come. Crossing a deep ravine,
formerly very rich in diamonds, we rode up a mountain full a mile on
the ascent, and passed several rivulets, which I was informed had
produced many fine stones. These, and in fact all the best situations
in the district, had been in the possession of the smugglers, and were
explored by those enterprising men. In the course of our journey, I
observed that whenever a traveller or a negro was seen by any of our
party at a distance from the road, a soldier was instantly dispatched
to bring him to the officers, before whom he underwent an examination.
In the evening we arrived at Tejuco, where I was desirous of remaining
a week to recruit my strength. Dr. Camara ordered my baggage to his
house, whither I removed in compliance with his pressing invitation:
he was kind enough to give me his library as my private room; it was
extensive and very select, consisting chiefly of English authors on
science. Adjoining to it is a fine garden of nearly three acres in
extent, planted chiefly with grass. It was formerly a gold-washing, and
consequently presented a surface of only refuse stones; but the present
proprietor levelled it, brought a little soil from various parts, and
planted a peculiar variety of grass, which he keeps in cutting for his
mules. This was the commencement of the fruit season; the peaches,
with which the trees were loaded, were nearly ripe. The asparagus, and
vegetables of every description, were very fine. The climate appeared
to be mild and genial; the thermometer was generally at 62 degrees at
sunrise, and at mid-day, in a room rather exposed to the sun, rose to
74 degrees.
Tejuco being situated in a sterile district, which produces nothing
for the maintenance of its inhabitants, in number about six thousand,
depends, for a supply of provisions, on farms situated several leagues
distant. The bread of the country was at this time extremely dear;
Indian corn, from which it is made, being from 5s. 6d. to 6s. the
bushel; beans and other pulse in proportion. Beef was very indifferent,
this being the dry season; pork and poultry were rather plentiful.
At no place do I recollect to have seen a greater proportion of
indigent people, particularly of females. Full a hundred and fifty
of these unhappy persons come weekly to receive portions of flour
which the governor was pleased to allow them. They are totally
without occupation, here being neither agriculture nor manufactures
to afford them any; yet both these main supports of the population
might be introduced, if a proper spirit of industry prevailed among
the inhabitants. The land would, with little trouble, yield excellent
crops, were any kind of inclosures made, which, it must be allowed,
is an undertaking attended with some difficulties, yet not of such
magnitude as to render it hopeless. With respect to manufactures, a
most valuable material is at hand, as cotton from Minas Novas, distant
only from sixty to one hundred miles, passes through this place to the
capital.
Yet, notwithstanding the idleness of the inhabitants, Tejuco may be
called florishing, on account of the circulation of property created
by the diamond works. The annual sum paid by Government for the
hire of negroes, salaries of officers, and various necessaries, such
as nitre and iron, does not amount to less than £35,000, and this,
added to the demands of the inhabitants of the town and its vicinity,
occasions a considerable trade. The shops are stocked with English
cottons, baizes, and cloths, and other manufactured goods; also hams,
cheese, butter, porter, and other articles of consumption. Mules from
Bahia and Rio de Janeiro came loaded with them. Great complaints were
made among the shopkeepers of the bad quality of the cotton goods,
and of their losing their colors in washing. Some of the principal
inhabitants exclaimed against the introduction of foreign luxuries, and
rather wished that their trade with England should furnish them the
means of working their iron mines, and enable them to defend themselves.
Tejuco, owing to its situation by the side of a hill, is very
irregularly built; its streets are uneven, but the houses in general
are well constructed and in good condition, compared with those of
other towns in the interior. Its name, which, in the Portuguese
language, signifies a muddy place, is derived from places of that
description in its neighbourhood, which are rendered passable by being
covered with large pieces of wood.
Through the kind care and attention of Dr. Camara and his excellent
family, my health was in part re-established, and I was enabled to
ride out daily, occupying myself in seeing all I could, and gaining
the best information, in which I was assisted by my worthy host and
all his friends. Our evenings were passed in a most agreeable manner,
among the parties which regularly assembled at the Intendant’s house,
consisting of some of the principal inhabitants of the town. In these
parties the gentlemen engage at whist, and the ladies take tea and play
round games, or enter into conversation on the passing occurrences
of the day. In no part of Brazil did I meet with society so select
and agreeable; this may certainly be called the court of the mining
district. In their manners there was no ceremonious reserve or courtly
refinement, but their whole demeanour was genteel and well-bred,
enlivened by an ease and good humor which the affability of the
chief and his amiable lady and daughters ever tended to promote. The
company all dressed after the English mode, and in dresses of English
manufacture: the gentlemen were almost all men of title, distinguished
with stars, yet the _constellation_ which they formed, was far inferior
in brilliancy and elegance to that of the ladies.
I was invited to pay a visit to the treasury, which can only be viewed
when a meeting of officers is called, as the treasure is kept in
chests, under three distinct locks, the keys of which are entrusted
to three several officers, who are all required to be present at the
opening. They here showed me the diamonds taken from the _tropeiro_ at
Conceição, which were in general much better than those from the mines
worked by Government. One about eleven carats was a very fine stone,
perfectly crystallized, in the form of an octahedron. The unfortunate
man from whom they were taken, I was informed, was very ill in prison.
I was then shown about eight hundred carats found in the regular course
of washing; they were in general very small, not one exceeding five
carats. I observed several round and many inferior ones colored. Those
with a dark green hue and rough exterior, were, they informed me, when
cut, of the purest water, and from Rio Pardo.
Here the diamonds found in the district are deposited monthly, as they
are received from the different works. They are carefully weighed, and
some selected and kept separate. The average quantity obtained may be
estimated at from 20,000 to 25,000 carats annually, which are sent
under a military escort to Rio, and there lodged in the treasury.
The diamonds are tied up in black silk bags, and deposited in elegant
inner cabinets, the whole of which are locked up in strong chests bound
with iron.
They then showed 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 expenses attending the establishment.
An excursion was some days afterwards proposed to another diamond 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 appearance,
caused by a quantity of low rocks of soft pudding-stone, laminated,
which lay on the surface in the most irregular forms. These lands were
well calculated for pasturage, particularly in the season of abundance,
but I was told that the cattle put to graze upon them were frequently
stolen by the negroes[48], 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 was then employed. Rio Pardo is a dirty
paltry-looking rivulet, which runs into the Rio Velho: in some parts it
is confined by shelving rocks of quartz, through which it runs rapidly;
in others it takes a serpentine course, and forms eddies, which are
called _caldrones_, on account of their resemblance to the cavity of
a boiler. The bed of the river, though confined, has a stratum of
_cascalho_ of variable thickness, which, after the current has been
diverted, is dug up, and washed in the same way as at Jiquitinhonha.
The _caldrones_, or holes, formerly eddies, but now partly filled
with _cascalho_, so as to be no more than three or four feet deep,
are frequently found to contain many diamonds; one of them, which was
cleared by four men in as many days, produced one hundred and eighty
carats.
Rio Pardo, though paltry and insignificant in its appearance, has
produced as large a quantity of the most precious gems as any river
in the district. The rough blueish-green-colored diamonds, formerly
so much esteemed by the Hollanders, continue to be found here, and
the stones of this rivulet are to this day reputed the most valuable
in Brazil. The accompanying substances are somewhat different from
those of the washings at Mandanga; here is no bean-like iron ore, but
a considerable quantity of flinty-slate, like Lydian-stone, in various
shapes and sizes, and very small black oxide of iron; the earthy matter
is also much finer than at the above place. I was informed that there
remained as much unworked ground as would occupy a hundred negroes full
twenty years.
Rio Pardo runs about a league to the westward of Capella Velha, which
is a chapel on a mountain, washed at its base by a stream, called
Corgo de Capella Velha, which some years ago was worked, and produced
diamonds of great size and superior brilliancy. The rivulets to the
eastward of this ridge of mountains run into the Jiquitinhonha; those
to the westward have their course into the Rio Velho, which flows into
the Rio de San Francisco. The height of the mountains I had no means
of ascertaining, but they are considered as undoubtedly the highest in
Brazil. The air in this elevated region is pure and rather keen; the
thermometer in the mornings and evenings stood at 62, and at mid-day
about 74. In all the parts which I visited, the land appeared favorable
for the growth of almost every species of produce, and, if properly
inclosed and cultivated, might in no long time become the granary of
the district.
On our return to Tejuco I was shown several dwarfish trees, of the
height and size of a common crab-tree, with extremely crooked branches;
and was informed that they were a species of the _quercus suber_. I cut
from them some pieces of bark about an inch in thickness, which were
elastic, and actually proved to be cork. It seemed to me a question of
considerable interest, whether these trees, if regularly planted and
attended to, might not produce cork of as good a quality as that which
we obtain from the Mediterranean.
After resting a few days, I accompanied the Intendant to a small
diamond work, called Corolina, and returned the same day. This work
some years ago produced many good stones, but at present it employs
very few people. The mode of washing is exactly the same with that
practised at Mandanga.
At Tejuco some tolerably good barley was shown to me; it was not so
heavy as that of our best from Norfolk, and was but little known. The
Intendant uses it as provender for his mules whenever he can obtain
it. On examining the sample, I could not but reflect that, if land
so ill-managed produced such barley, how much superior would be the
quality of the grain under good management.
At a subsequent period of my visit, the Intendant, with whom
malt-liquor is a favorite beverage, expressed a desire to see some
of the barley converted into malt, in order to brew beer, and, after
repeated solicitations, I undertook to make the experiment. A quantity
was procured which I endeavoured to prepare in the best manner that
circumstances would allow. Having steeped it the requisite time,
I put it on a cold floor, and managed it as is customary in our
malt-houses; when it had germinated sufficiently, I dried it over a
slow fire; afterwards, having cleansed it from the combs by rubbing,
I crushed it, and finally mashed it. The infusion produced a tolerable
wort, which, however, I did not deem sufficiently good, as it wanted
saccharine matter: this deficiency I supplied by the admixture of a
small quantity of sugar. It was then boiled until it was judged of a
proper consistency, and a very pleasant bitter was added instead of
hops. The fermentation I endeavoured to promote with leaven, which had
been prepared a few days before, and, when that process had terminated,
the liquor was put into small casks, which we stopped close. Though
it might not prove good from the hasty manner in which the process
was conducted, yet the mode of preparing it was exemplified, which
was the main purpose of the experiment. It appeared to me by no means
impossible either to make malt or to brew beer, if proper places were
made under-ground, so as to ensure a moderate degree of cold for the
operation of malting, and for the subsequent process. Sugar is here
so abundant, that any quantity of saccharine matter might be added to
improve the poorness of the malt; and it is highly probable that a very
pleasant beverage might be made, which would relieve the inhabitants
of this remote district from the necessity of having recourse to the
metropolis for bad wines, and from the ill effects which proceed from
drinking bad spirits distilled in the vicinity.
Many parts of this fine country abound in oranges, pines, peaches,
guavas, and a great variety of indigenous fruits, both sweet and acid,
particularly the _jaboticaba_, which is very rich in mucilaginous
matter; yet no attempt has hitherto been made to obtain wine from any
of them. Ginger and pepper grow here spontaneously, and many spices
might probably be cultivated with success.
Grass for cattle was as dear at Tejuco as at Rio de Janeiro, and
the small quantity which cost eight-pence would scarcely suffice a
mule a day. The Intendant and the Captain of the cavalry had each of
them about two acres under cultivation, of a species called _Engorda
Cavallos_ (fattener of horses), which grew from five to seven feet
high, with a thick esculent stem, and long lancet-shaped leaves. It has
a large fibrous root, and is well-calculated for stony ground where
there is little earth; it even grew among rounded stones that had been
washed three years before[49].
The Intendant, who had a taste for rural economy, and more particularly
his lady, were very anxious to make their own butter and cheese, and
expressed a great desire to be instructed in the process as practised
in England, though milk was very scarce; and it was not without much
difficulty that, after sending a few miles, about three gallons were
collected. In the mean time such household utensils as were most fit
for the purpose, having been made ready, and others procured, very
excellent butter was produced, and afterwards a few cheeses were made,
which there was every reason to suppose would prove good. The lady
interested herself greatly in the experiment, not only performing part
of the operations, with the assistance of her daughter, but inviting
several of her friends in the town to see with what little trouble
the processes were performed, and distributing the products among
them[50]:—a rare example of industry! I am decidedly of opinion,
that, were the females of Brazil better educated, especially in
whatever relates to domestic economy, and were they accustomed to
see the concerns of a household conducted with regularity and order,
they would be better members of society; for I have ever observed in
them that inquisitive disposition and desire of information, which
may be called the first step to improvement. But what can be expected
from ill-educated females, reared from their infancy among negras, in
miserable houses, scarcely affording a shelter from the rain, or a
shade from the sun, and destitute of every ray of comfort!
In 1815, some iron works were established at the Morro de Pilar, a
mountain rich in ore, about twenty-five leagues south of Tejuco, on the
road to Villa Rica. The _Observador Portuguese_, vol. xvii. p. 143,
contains an interesting account of the festivities which took place
when the first sample of iron was brought from thence to the capital of
the Diamond District.
CHAP. XIV.
_Some Account of the Districts of Minas Novas and Paracatu.—Of the
large Diamond found in the River Abaiti._
IT was my intention to have continued my journey to Minas Novas, and
from thence westward to Paracatu, and to have returned by Abaiti,
a place that has produced many large diamonds, though generally of
inferior quality. This design I was prevented from accomplishing by
illness, being attacked with a violent sciatic complaint, accompanied
with great debility in the right side, which obliged me to return as
soon as possible. While I remained at Tejuco, for the purpose of
regaining strength sufficient to encounter the fatigues of a journey
back to the capital, I employed myself in collecting information
respecting these districts from intelligent persons who resided there,
as well as from officers on the establishment. The following brief
description is the result of the communications with which they favored
me.
The principal village in Minas Novas, called Tocaya, is thirty-five
leagues distant from Tejuco, in a north-easterly direction. The road
thither is parallel with the river Jiquitinhonha, which runs from two
to five leagues westward of it[51]. Numerous rivulets flow into it in
this direction, in some of which are found white topazes, more commonly
known here by the name of _minas novas_. They are pretty pellucid
pebbles, generally rounded, though sometimes they occur perfectly
crystallized, in the same form as the yellow topaz. Blue topazes
and _aqua-marinas_ are also found here; some of the former are of a
singular variety, being in one part blue, and in the other clear and
pellucid. This neighbourhood is also noted for producing the beautiful
Chrysoberyl, which is much esteemed by the higher orders of society in
Brazil, and in great request among the jewellers of Rio de Janeiro.
These gems rarely occur crystallized; they sell at considerable
prices in their rough state, and are much more valued in America than
in England, where, indeed, they are little known, or they would be
more highly appreciated, being, when polished, of great brilliancy and
exquisite beauty.
To the westward of the river Jiquitinhonha, and opposite the village
of Bom Successo, is the Cerro of Santo Antonio, a place much famed
for diamonds, which are said to be of an indifferent quality. There
are, also, other parts, well known to many of the inhabitants of the
district as being rich in these treasures.
The country is very fertile, and produces a great variety of the finest
woods for cabinet-works; also numerous fruits, and most exquisite
Vanilla, which grows spontaneously. The land, being less elevated[52]
than Cerro do Frio, is said to be much warmer, and is highly favorable
to the growth of sugar and coffee. The plantations are chiefly of
cotton, which is reputed to be equal in color and quality to that
of Maranham. It is transported to Rio de Janeiro on mules, and many
hundreds of those useful animals are continually employed in this
commerce. A troop of loaded mules are full three months, and sometimes
four, in going, and the same time in returning. These animals in this
district are double the price that they are in S. Paulo. The journeys
are attended with considerable expense and difficulty; Indian corn must
be daily bought for their use; and, notwithstanding the great attention
paid to them on the road, many die, and others are frequently lamed and
disabled. Their burdens are divided into two equal parts, and suspended
on a pack-saddle of peculiar make by straps of raw hide. The average
burden is nine _arrobas_, nearly equal to three hundred pounds weight,
the carriage-expense of which, from Rio de Janeiro to Minas Novas, is
six or seven pounds sterling; to Tejuco five pounds; to Villa Rica
about three.
The trade to Minas Novas from Rio de Janeiro consists principally in
negroes, iron, salt, woollens, hats, printed cottons, hardware, arms,
and some fancy articles, a little wine and oil, salt-fish, and butter.
Few luxuries enter these remote parts, the inhabitants seeking for
little beyond mere necessaries.
Minas Novas is under the jurisdiction of the _Ouvidor_ of Villa do
Principe, who goes thither once a year to settle disputes, administer
justice, and discharge other duties belonging to his office.
At Tocaya the Jiquitinhonha flows into a larger river, called Rio
Grande, which, taking an easterly direction, enters the sea in
lat. 16° 20´ south, near Porto Seguro. A gentleman with whom I was
acquainted undertook to navigate this fine river from Tocaya to the
sea, and, as the current was rapid, he performed the task in six
days. On his return, which occupied fifteen days, he observed several
tributary rivers, the sources of which are unknown, as they rise in the
country inhabited by the Indians. The river being free from falls, may
in a short time be frequented by vessels from sea, for I did not learn
that its entrance was shallow or unfit for navigation; probably the
land about it is low and marshy, which may be the reason that it is so
little known.
It cannot be too much recommended to the Government of Brazil,
immediately to order a survey of this river, which might be performed
in one of their launches in two months at little or no expense, and,
were it found necessary, a chain of connection might be established
from its mouth to Tocaya. The benefits resulting to the inhabitants
from opening the navigation may be easily conceived. The produce of the
country, its cotton, coffee, and sugar, its rich cabinet-woods, and
many other valuable articles, would be brought into active commerce;
extensive plantations would be established, and the whole territory
would be improved. It is true that the commerce of the district would
flow through another channel, and the tolls paid on passing the
Paraibuna, to and from the capital, would be a little diminished: but
surely the policy of Government is not so confined as to allow that
consideration to have any weight against a measure of such national
importance, when it is obvious that one of the greatest disadvantages
under which the empire of Brazil labors, is the want of traffic on all
its rivers, except to Rio Grande de St. Pedro.
The population of Minas Novas is thin, compared with its extent, but is
daily increasing. It does not appear that mining is the object which
attracts settlers, though there is a considerable quantity of precious
stones exported, which are found only here, as has been before observed.
Where the rivers are deep it is very difficult to raise the _cascalho_
from their beds, in order to wash it for gold, &c. for this purpose
various trivial and ineffectual methods are practised: it would be
highly conducive to the interest of the proprietor, as well as of the
state, to have rafts or boats constructed, and to adopt the machinery
used by the ballast-heavers on the river Thames[53], by means of which
the _cascalho_ might be raised, even from a depth of twenty feet.
The requisite iron-work might be prepared in Rio de Janeiro, (if
necessary,) and admitted into the mining country, free of duty: there
would probably be such an increase of gold obtained by it, that the
proportionate augmentation of the royal fifths would amply repay the
expense of introducing the improvement.
Paracatu is the principal village or town of a district of the same
name, which lies about ninety leagues north-west of Tejuco, bordering
on the _Capitania_ of Goyazes, from which it is separated by a chain
of high mountains that take a northerly direction. The numerous rivers
which rise on the eastern side of the mountains, and flow into the
great river S. Francisco, are rich in gold. The population of the
village is estimated at above a thousand souls, and will shortly be
more numerous, as the reputed richness of some late discoveries has
tempted many families to migrate thither. It has all the advantages of
a high and healthy situation, in the midst of a most fertile country,
and has considerable intercourse with Sabará and Villa Rica, where the
gold procured in its vicinity is permuted. It is governed by a _Capitao
Mor_, who is subordinate to the governor of the latter place, to whom
all disputes of consequence are referred. To the southward is the rich
_destacamento_ of Rio da Prata, a river that yields fine diamonds, and
has been much frequented by many adventurers, who, when discovered and
seized, are called _grimpeiros_ (smugglers). A strong guard of soldiers
is stationed here to prevent the precious stones from being sought for
clandestinely.
A few leagues to the north of the Rio Prata is the rivulet named
Abaité, celebrated for having produced the largest diamond in the
Prince’s possession, which was found about twelve years ago. Though
this circumstance has been already briefly stated, it may be allowed
me in this place to relate the particulars as they were detailed
to me during my stay at Tejuco. Three intelligent men, having been
found guilty of high crimes, were banished into the interior, and
ordered not to approach any of the capital towns, or to remain in
civilized society, on pain of perpetual imprisonment. Driven by this
hard sentence into the most unfrequented part of the country, they
endeavoured to explore new mines or new productions, in the hope
that, sooner or later, they might have the good fortune to make some
important discovery, which would obtain a reversal of their sentence,
and enable them to regain their station in society. They wandered
about in this neighbourhood, making frequent searches in its various
rivers for more than six years, during which time they were exposed
to a double risk, being continually liable to become the prey of the
Anthropophagi, and in no less danger of being seized by the soldiers
of Government. At length they by hazard made some trials in the river
Abaité, at a time when its waters were so low, in consequence of a
long season of drought, that a part of its bed was left exposed. Here,
while searching and washing for gold, they had the good fortune to
find a diamond nearly an ounce in weight. Elated by this providential
discovery, which at first they could scarcely believe to be real, yet,
hesitating between a dread of the rigorous laws relating to diamonds,
and a hope of regaining their liberty, they consulted a clergyman, who
advised them to trust to the mercy of the state, and accompanied them
to Villa Rica, where he procured them access to the governor. They
threw themselves at his feet, and delivered to him the invaluable gem
on which their hopes rested, relating all the circumstances connected
with it. The governor, astonished at its magnitude, could not trust the
evidence of his senses, but called the officers of the establishment
to decide whether it was a diamond, who set the matter beyond all
doubt. Being thus, by the most strange and unforeseen accident, put in
possession of the largest diamond ever found in America, he thought
proper to suspend the sentence of the men as a reward for their having
delivered it to him. The gem was sent to Rio de Janeiro, from whence
a frigate was dispatched with it to Lisbon, whither the holy father
was also sent to make the proper representations respecting it. The
sovereign confirmed the pardon of the delinquents, and bestowed some
preferment on the worthy sacerdote.
The governor immediately ordered a guard on the river, which was
soon afterwards worked under the direction of the Intendant of Cerro
do Frio, who sent thither an administrator and two hundred negroes.
It has since been worked at different periods with various success;
sometimes large diamonds have been found, but of an indifferent
quality. The work, being considered unprofitable, is now abandoned by
Government, but it yet gives occupation to numbers of adventurers. Its
neighbourhood has many interesting places, hitherto but little explored.
A few leagues from this river is a very rich vein of lead ore in
calcareous spar. I have seen pieces of it of the weight of twenty
pounds, and it is said to be so abundant, that any quantity may be
obtained. Some of the specimens presented to me were covered with
carbonate of lead. It has not the appearance of being rich in silver.
No one has undertaken to work it, as the difficulty and expense of
conveying the metal to Rio de Janeiro, would exceed the price at which
it would sell for at present in that market[54]. When the neighbourhood
becomes more populous, and the value of this useful metal is better
known, the mine will probably be a source of riches; for lead ore is
certainly scarce in Brazil, nor did I hear of any other place which
produces it.
The river St. Francisco is very considerable, and is said to contain
great quantities of fish[55], which is a sufficient proof that there
are but few (if any) gold-washings in it. On the banks, and in the
country to the eastward, great numbers of cattle are bred, which are
sold in all the populous towns of the captaincy, and large herds are
sent to Rio de Janeiro, a distance of above six hundred miles. A
considerable commerce is carried on with them, and some families, who
raise large numbers, are reported to have acquired great fortunes by
it. The want of salt is a very general complaint; it is requisite for
the cattle, nor will they breed well without it.
This district is too far distant from a sea-port to enjoy any extent
of commerce in the general articles of its produce. Gold and precious
stones are easily transported, but lead, and other commodities of
greater bulk and inferior value, would scarcely pay the expense of
carriage. Hence no cotton, coffee, or sugar is grown for exportation,
and the quantity consumed in the district is very limited, owing to
the small number of the inhabitants, and the miserable indigence in
which they generally live, their common diet being Indian corn-flour,
boiled beans, and a little pork. The trade to Rio de Janeiro is much
similar to that of Minas Novas, and consists chiefly in iron, salt,
cotton-prints, woollens, arms, hardware, and a few trivial luxuries:
also hats and India goods. Persons of all ranks are eager to purchase
negroes. The only articles sent to Villa Rica are gold-dust and hides.
In this district, and in other parts of these immense territories,
particularly to the eastward, are large tracts of land _devoluto_, or
not occupied by any person under a grant from government. These lands
to a considerable extent (half a league to a league square) may be
taken by making proper application, and afterwards held as freehold.
Other excellent situations are in the possession of indigent people,
who are equally incapable and unwilling to reap advantage from them.
These may be bought very cheap, and are certainly preferable to the
unoccupied tracts, as they have generally some few conveniences
attached to them, and may, therefore, more easily be brought into a
proper state of cultivation. Here is every inducement for a spirited
and experienced agriculturist to settle: a rich and fertile district,
in which there remains much to be discovered in every department, where
all the necessaries, and many of the luxuries of life are produced
almost spontaneously; and where the exertions of industry would be
rewarded in a tenfold degree by the bounteous hand of nature, and
stimulated by the certain hope of arousing a slender population to
follow the example. Nor could there be any objection on the score of
differences in opinion; for I am persuaded that no one would here be
molested for his religious tenets, while he prudently avoided giving
offence, and paid the same regard to the conscience of his neighbour
which he expected for his own.
CHAP. XV.
_Observations on Tejuco and Cerro do Frio_.
IN the foregoing pages I have endeavoured to present to the reader
a narrative of whatever I observed worthy of note in the Diamond
District, and have related the several particulars in the order in
which they occurred to me, reserving the task of general description
for that period of my residence there when I might be supposed best
qualified to perform it. This mode of proceeding will expose me to
the risk of a few repetitions, for which my apology must rest on the
peculiar circumstances under which I visited Tejuco,—on the continual
journeys in which I was occupied from the moment of my arrival to the
time when I was attacked by illness, and which left me no leisure for
combining my actual observations with general views of the country.
The district of Cerro do Frio consists of rugged mountains, that have
a northerly and southerly direction, and are generally allowed to be
the highest in Brazil. What is termed the Diamond ground, extends
about sixteen leagues from north to south, and about eight from east
to west. It was first explored by some enterprising miners from Villa
do Principe, a few years after the establishment of that town. These
men proceeding northerly found an open country, watered by many small
rivulets, which they tried for gold by washing: some of them engaged
their attention for a short time, but not proving sufficiently rich,
they continued their route, passing the places now called San Gonçalo
and Milho Verde, until they arrived at a few streams that flow from the
base of the mountain on which Tejuco is built. These rivulets were then
washed for gold, and were considered as belonging to the district of
Villa do Principe. No idea was at first entertained that the rivulets
contained diamonds, although it is said that some were collected and
presented to the then governor of Villa do Principe as curious bright
stones, and were used by him as counters at cards. Soon afterwards a
few of them found their way to Lisbon, and were given as pretty pebbles
to the Dutch minister to send to Holland, which was then the principal
mart in Europe for precious stones. The lapidaries, to whom they were
presented for examination, pronounced these pebbles to be very fine
diamonds. Information was accordingly sent to the Dutch consul at
Lisbon, who did not fail to profit by the occasion; for he managed the
affair with Government so well, that he contracted for the precious
stones, at the same time that he communicated the intelligence.
Government afterwards endeavoured to monopolize the diamonds, and made
a distinct district of Cerro do Frio, placing it under peculiar laws
and regulations.
The number of diamonds sent over during the first twenty years after
the discovery is said to be almost incredible, and to exceed one
thousand ounces in weight. This supply could not fail to diminish the
general value of diamonds, as none had ever before been known to come
from any other part of the globe, except India, whither the Brazilian
diamonds were afterwards sent, and found a better market there than in
Europe.
By stratagems and intrigues Government was prevailed on to let these
invaluable territories to a company, who were under stipulations to
work with a limited number of negroes, or to pay a certain sum per
day for every negro employed. This opened a door to every species of
fraud; double the stipulated number of negroes was admitted; and this
imposition was connived at by the agents of Government, who received
pay in one hand and bribes in the other. Presents were made to men
possessing influence at court, by the contractors, who soon became
rich; and they continued (subject to a few regulations) in possession
of the diamond mines until about the year 1772, when, Government
determining to take them into their own hands, these contracts were
ended.
This was the time for reforming abuses, and for placing this rich
district under the best regulations, but it was neglected; prejudice
prevailed over prudence; and the management was entrusted to men
who did not understand the real interests of the concern, or, what
is more probable, who were so shackled in their authority, that
they could not pursue them. From this time, affairs became worse,
and the establishment was in debt to foreigners, who had advanced a
considerable sum of money on the security of having all the diamonds
which the mines produced. There were other incumbrances, which can be
removed only by a total change of system. In its present state the
establishment appears to produce much greater wealth than it actually
does. During a period of five years, from 1801 to 1806 inclusive,
the expenses were £204,000; and the diamonds sent to the treasury at
Rio de Janeiro weighed 115,675 carats. The value of gold found in
the same period amounted to £17,300 sterling, from which it appears
that the diamonds actually cost Government thirty-three shillings and
nine-pence per carat. These years were esteemed singularly productive;
the mines do not in general yield to Government more than 20,000 carats
annually[56].
The town is under the absolute government of the Intendant. The
principal officers of the civil and military establishments are, an
_ouvidor_ or _fiscal_, a captain of cavalry, and a _capitao mor_. In
the Diamond establishment there is a great number of officers, of
whom the following are the principal: 1st, the Intendant, who is a
judge, and intendant-general of the Diamond district (this office
is one of the best in the gift of the crown): 2d. the Treasurer,
whose situation is almost a sinecure; he receives 8,000 crusades _per
annum_: and 3d. the Administrator-general, who has a salary of 6000.
The book-keeper has 4,000; and three clerks, or key-keepers, have from
800 to 1,000 each. These officers are employed in whatever relates to
the treasury, or to the general concerns of the establishment; they
all reside in Tejuco, and are the most respectable of the inhabitants.
The management of the different works is entrusted to eight or ten
under-administrators, each having in his care two hundred negroes,
called a troop; to which, besides a clergyman and a surgeon, are
attached several overseers and subordinate officers, who have salaries
of from 400 to 200 crusades. The privilege of employing a certain
number of negroes in the works is common to all the officers, to an
extent corresponding with their rank; the superior officers let to hire
as many as they please, say forty, and sometimes upwards of fifty; the
inferior officers are permitted to let out two or three, in preference
to other individuals; a decidedly bad practice, as will be shown
hereafter.
The Intendant holds a place of great trust: he is the superior
magistrate, and his duty is to administer justice, and to see that
the laws peculiar to the district are duly executed. He is of course
president of the assembly, or juncta, and calls meetings whenever he
thinks proper; he disposes of the military force of the district,
orders roads to be made or stopped, and stations guards on them to
examine travellers, and to detain suspicious persons. He has also
the privilege of giving or refusing permission for persons to enter
the district, or settle in it; and every one, however high in rank
and property, who passes thither is supposed to have the Intendant’s
express concurrence, which, as a matter of form, is sometimes dispensed
with. He appoints officers, signs all papers, receives all reports
that are made, and acts accordingly. To him solely the treasury is
entrusted for the payment of the salaries of the officers, the negroes’
wages, tradesmen’s bills, and every incidental expense attending the
establishment. He issues paper-money, and withdraws it from circulation
whenever he thinks proper; for all which he is responsible to
Government alone, and may be said to be almost absolute in his office.
In addition to these important functions, the present Intendant has
assumed the whole direction and regulation of the mining concern, which
none of his predecessors ever practically interfered with, it being the
peculiar province of the Administrator-general. For this undertaking
he is equally qualified by the superiority of his talents, and by the
extent of his acquirements: he studied mineralogy many years under
the celebrated Werner, by whom he was considered as one of his most
enlightened disciples; afterwards he travelled through Hungary, and
all the most interesting German states; and, lastly, made the tour of
England and Scotland, where he resided two years.
The Administrator-general, to whom belong the management and direction
of the works, ought to be equally experienced in mining and mechanics,
particularly in hydraulics: he should be a man of general information,
combined with great practical knowledge, relative to the locality of
the district, so as to be able to ascertain the real value of every
situation, and to direct the operations accordingly. He should have a
mind fertile in resources, and prepared to meet every disappointment
or casualty that can possibly occur, that the time of the negroes may
not be employed in vain; he should also facilitate their labors by the
introduction of machinery, and should be particularly attentive to
their good treatment, since on them his success, and consequently his
reputation, must in a great measure depend.
On this latter point humanity and policy ought alike to direct the
attention of the superiors of the establishment. It is natural to
suppose that negroes, when treated with harshness, ill fed and ill
clothed, will be indifferent to the interests of their employers, and,
perhaps, determined not to find diamonds, whereas, when subjected
to milder and kinder usage, which might be done without relaxing in
vigilance, they would become anxious to please, and would search more
diligently in order to obtain notice and reward. It must be obvious
that negroes rarely conceal diamonds for _themselves_; and yet custom
has rendered the feelings of their real owners in Tejuco so irritable,
on being suspected to encourage the practice, that if the word
_grimpeiro_ (smuggler) is mentioned in conversation, they shudder with
horror and distort their features, calling on the Virgin to witness
their abhorrence of a crime to which Government has attached the
greatest disgraces and punishments.
Pure, honest souls! Being a stranger in the country, I conceived
that these gentlemen really felt the sentiments which their words
and gestures expressed; and, as persons of all ranks seemed to fear
conversing on the subject, I thought at first that I should not see
a single diamond in all Tejuco, except those in the treasury; but
a little acquaintance with the town soon convinced me that I was a
novice; for, on visiting a few friends to whom I had introductions, I
found that diamonds were bartered for every thing, and were actually
much more current than specie. Even pious indulgencies were bought
with them; and surely no one could have suspected that the seller of
His Holiness’s bulls would condescend to taste the forbidden fruits of
Tejuco.
As I had the honor to reside at the house of the Intendant, I was
considered by the people of the town as a person connected with
Government, and therefore as one who ought not to be informed of the
secret traffic among them; hence, when in company with the officers
of the establishment, whenever the word _grimpeiro_ was mentioned,
I found it necessary to manifest the same feelings of disgust which
they did; and, on expressing my surprise that any one could so far
degrade himself as to be guilty of the crime of smuggling diamonds,
it was tacitly agreed that no white man could stoop to such dishonor.
The point was soon settled; for I found it best not to oppose general
opinions, nor to enter too minutely on delicate subjects; and it was
sometimes expedient for me to seem regardless of what I was most
steadfastly looking at.
In Tejuco there are about nine or ten principal shopkeepers, to whom
the establishment itself, and the officers belonging to it, are
frequently indebted; indeed, these men receive the greater part of the
money due to the various persons employed in the works, in exchange
chiefly for English commodities of one description or other. The
establishment is paid once a year, and for this purpose a sum not less
than 300,000 crusades is sent from Villa Rica, to which may be added
60,000 or 100,000 more, found in the gold mines of the district. The
greater part of this money flowing into the hands of the shopkeepers,
as above stated, is immediately employed in a way injurious to the
interests of Government; nor can worse policy be imagined than that
of allowing so large an expenditure in a place which offers such
temptations.
Some years ago many gold-mines were washed in this district, but as
information was given that diamonds were found in them, they were
ordered to be abandoned. At present more equitable measures are
adopted, and the proprietors are commencing to work some of them again,
under an agreement to give up whatever diamonds they find.[57]
There is a general order to work all the gold-mines which were formerly
confiscated, and this measure will, it is hoped, increase the quantity
of gold, and have a good effect in every respect.
If Government are obliged to hire negroes wherever they can obtain
them, (which appears to be the case), it would be at least expedient to
have a store to supply them, in order that the money paid in wages to
them might return into the funds of the establishment.
The hiring of negroes to the diamond works is the favorite occupation
of all ranks in Tejuco; rich and poor endeavour to engage in it to as
great an extent as their property will allow. The pay of the slaves
is trifling compared with the risk, their labor being heavy, their
maintenance poor, and their treatment harsh; there must, therefore,
be some temptation not openly seen, yet as well known as light from
darkness. Numbers of persons are thus induced to reside in Tejuco
under various pretexts, but with no other real view than to get their
negroes into the service, and to live idly on their wages, and on what
they conceal or pick up. Thus all fatten upon the pasture, except
those in the extreme of indigence, and others who, from the neglect of
economy, are always poor. There are a numerous class, from the age of
seven years to upwards of twenty, who are without any visible means of
earning their subsistence, and would remain idle even if manufactories
were established; for though they are brought up from their infancy
with negro-children, yet in the working department they would abandon
their former play-fellows. The people in general are rendered more
averse from habits of regular industry by the continual hopes which
they indulge of becoming opulent by some fortunate discovery of mines;
these fallacious ideas, which they instil into the minds of their
children, strongly prejudice them against labor, though they all exist
miserably, and not unfrequently depend upon donations. Their education
is extremely limited: they are in general total strangers to the
sciences, and are very scantily informed on any useful subject.
As the object of my journey into this district was to examine into the
real state of affairs, and to give a true report of them on my return,
for which purpose I was furnished with many privileges never allowed
to any person before, and was thus enabled to see all that I desired,
humanity requires that I should make some observations on the fate of
those unfortunate persons who have been tempted to smuggle diamonds,
and have been caught in the act. I even mentioned the subject to His
Excellency, the minister, on my return to Rio de Janeiro; but as his
occupations were great, and the state of my health required me to leave
the country immediately, nothing more was said of it.
The great demand for these precious articles, and the facility of
secreting them, have caused them to be searched for and carried away
in violation of the existing laws of the country. Of the numbers who
have engaged in this illicit traffic, from an eager desire to become
rich at once, many have eluded the vigilance of the guards, and have
finished their career with credit and opulence; others less fortunate
have been detected, and have incurred the punishment annexed to the
offence, namely, the surrender of their illegally acquired treasure,
the confiscation of their whole property, and exile to Africa, or
confinement, perhaps for life, in a loathsome prison. Mild as are
the criminal laws of Brazil, the latter part of this sentence is an
exception at which human nature shudders. Surely, when a poor wretch,
who has been tempted to this offence, has atoned for it by the loss of
all he possessed, he has suffered sufficiently without being subjected
to the forfeiture of personal liberty, and to all the woes incident to
hopeless captivity. Far be it from me to countenance any infringement
on the laws which have been established for the protection of property,
either public or private; to respect the institutions of whatever
nation I may live in, I hope I shall always be among the first, and to
encourage others to disregard them, the very last; for illicit trade
of every description is a deceitful and dangerous pursuit, the sweets
of which are ever attended with a counteracting portion of evils. The
object of my reasoning is to shew that these degraded persons have been
of service to the state, and may still be rendered useful to it. May
it be permitted me to enquire who were the discoverers of perhaps all
the diamond mines which have enriched the caskets of the royal family
of Portugal beyond comparison with those of any other state, and which
have not only augmented the revenues of the government, but have proved
the source from which many respectable and enterprising individuals
have derived their opulence? Adventurers, who, at great risk and with
indefatigable toil, have penetrated unknown forests, and explored deep
ravines among the haunts of the savage Anthropophagi, in search of
gold-mines, and in them have by chance found diamonds. When a place
of this description has been once discovered by these men, it seldom
remains long secret; the agents of Government take possession of it,
and either work it immediately, or guard it until a future occasion.
The discoverer of course flies from the place; and if he have picked
up a few stones, or robbed the earth of some of its most brilliant
rarities, he will seek the best and safest means of procuring value for
them. If he be a man of sufficient property, he will hire a few mules,
load them with cotton, bacon, and other commodities, and proceed to
Rio de Janeiro in regular form. On his arrival there, he enters some
good house in which he has confidence, and disposes of his concealed
treasure. His mind is then relieved from apprehension, and he begins
to make preparations for his return. His first care is to lay out his
money to the best advantage; negroes are his chief object, and these
pay a duty to the state on their leaving Angola, and another of ten
_milreis_ each on entering the mining country. If they be employed
in mining, Government obtains a fifth of the gold found, and if in
agriculture, a tenth of the produce is exacted. The next object of
the adventurer is to lay in a stock of woollens, and other English
manufactures, which pay a duty of fifteen _per cent._ on being landed,
and are subject to another, according to their weight, on entering
the territory of the mines. Thus it really appears that most of the
contraband property is divided between the state and the smuggler: but
this is not all; the diamonds are sent out of the country, and real
effects of value are received in return, leaving a balance entirely in
favor of Brazil.
This illicit trade has been carried on to a very considerable extent:
there is a strong presumptive authority for stating that, since the
first discovery of the mines, diamonds to the amount of two millions
sterling have thus found their way to Europe, exclusive of what the
contractors accounted for. This has been owing to the ill management
of the whole establishment, and to the total want of necessary
regulations, which have prevailed so long, that it will not be easy to
apply a remedy. Let us suppose for a moment the system to be changed;
the two thousand negroes employed in the establishment to be the
property of the crown (whom two years’ profit of the diamond mines
would be adequate to purchase); these negroes to be supplied with every
article for their support from a general store, and to be treated
as mildly as possible; they would then form a society, and, knowing
no other masters than their officers, would have only one common
interest to serve. The contraband trade by this means, though perhaps
not totally destroyed, would receive an irrecoverable blow, and would
be reduced almost to nothing. Should such a change take place, the
shopkeepers, and those persons who subsist by hiring negroes to the
works, would find the source of their emoluments dried up, and, rather
than remain at Tejuco, would migrate to situations more congenial
to their interests: thus the district would be freed from that bane
which has so long overrun it, and Government would reap the advantage
of having the mines worked by their own negroes, whom it would be
difficult for others to seduce.
Another evil which such a change of system would be calculated to
remove, is the following:—Every article of sustenance required for
the establishment is purchased of farmers who reside a few leagues
from Tejuco, or who have farms at a greater distance; and this absurd
practice is the cause of much unnecessary intercourse. There are
thousands of acres of excellent land in the vicinity 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-mentioned
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 occasions,
as in harvest, an auxiliary 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 condition. Numbers of acres would be
planted with artificial grass, subject 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. Storehouses, with requisite conveniences, would soon be
erected, in which the grain might be kept without spoiling. Thus would
the first principles of husbandry be introduced into the district, and
prove a source of more lasting benefit to the state than mines either
of gold or diamonds, 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 conveyed through
other channels can be sold to the public at a lower price than that
at which the former are obtained. But the embarrassed state of the
establishment is such, that the managers cannot lessen their expenses,
being obliged to take credit for every article, and to hire almost any
negroes that are offered. These evils have taken too deep root to be
eradicated, even by the abilities of the present Intendant: had such a
man been placed here forty years ago, empowered to act without control,
and to govern the district as private property, on the principles above
stated, he might have rendered it a province both rich and independent.
As all the diamonds found in these works belong to the crown, the
royal family have been accustomed to select from the quantity annually
remitted whatever stones they considered worthy their notice,
which were generally those exceeding seventeen carats. They were
formerly sent to Holland to be cut, the Dutch being the contractors
of the diamonds, from the first discovery of the mines; but since
the emigration of the court to Rio de Janeiro, that trade has been
transferred to England, where these precious stones annually arrive,
and are sold by private contract.
The collection of diamonds now in the possession of the Prince Regent
is unequalled in number, size, and quality, by that of any potentate
in the world; and I am credibly informed that it exceeds in estimated
value three millions sterling.
This district has a direct communication with Bahia, and a few troops
of mules are continually employed in going from one place to the
other. The journey is much longer than to Rio de Janeiro, but the
country is less mountainous; there are fewer _ranchos_ or hovels on
the road, and in one part it is requisite to carry fresh water for two
days’ consumption. The commodities sent from Tejuco to Minas Novas
are very trivial, consisting of smuggled gold, chrysoberyls, topazes,
amethysts, and other stones; in return for which are brought English
fine manufactured goods, particularly hats, printed cottons, stockings,
and saddles, which have been much cheaper in Bahia than in England.
Coarser articles are generally sent from Rio de Janeiro, the distance
being, as before observed, much shorter.
Of navigable rivers we can say but little. The many small streams,
that rise in various parts, join and form the Jiquitinhonha, which,
as before observed, may be navigated to sea, without any impediment,
in at most ten days’ time. How much would the country be benefited if
a port were established at the entrance of this river, and vessels
were allowed to load and unload; canoes would find their way from
thence into the interior in the short space of twenty days, loaded
with every article necessary for the consumption of the district. How
superior would this mode of conveyance be to that of making roads
through impervious woods, and over almost impassable mountains. How
many thousands of crusades annually expended on mules would be thus
saved to the public, and what numbers of men would thus be trained for
the service of the marine, instead of those now employed as muleteers.
With the advantage of such a communication, Minas Novas and Cerro do
Frio would soon more than double their population, and it might be
anticipated that the banks of these fine rivers, now lying deserted
and useless, would bloom with every variety of vegetation, which this
genial climate is capable of producing.
Under the present system Tejuco ought to maintain itself, and have the
least possible intercourse with other places. Its commerce ought to
be confined wholly to gold and precious stones; but should Government
determine to make diamonds a free trade, then a contrary policy would
be requisite. On this subject I shall, in the sequel, have some
observations to make.
The quadrupeds of Cerro do Frio are common to other parts of Brazil.
Mules are the principal beasts of burthen, and are much dearer than
in the districts more to the southward. Horses are not so numerous,
but cheaper, being in very little request, and used only on journeys
of pleasure. Horned cattle are bred at a considerable distance, and
brought for the consumption of the place. Sheep are almost unknown;
hogs and goats are more plentiful; of dogs there are but few, and the
race is very indifferent. Ounces are very seldom seen; there are not
many deer; the danta, or tapir, is not uncommon.
Of birds there are a few varieties, but in no great numbers;
partridges are rather common; we shot several in our way to the
different mines, which proved good eating. Domestic fowls are in
tolerable plenty, but by no means cheap, being eighteen-pence to two
shillings each.
Of serpents, I saw only one, and it was harmless: but I was informed
that the rattle-snake and the _jararaca_, both equally venomous, are
common in this district. Lizards are very numerous, and the _cayman_,
or alligator, is found in most of the lagoons and rivers.
Fish are extremely scarce in all the streams, owing to the quantity
of matter with which their waters are impregnated from the numerous
washings.
This district is in general free from that troublesome plague, the
mosquito, as that insect is peculiar to low and swampy places, and does
not bite with such disagreeable effect in elevated and airy situations.
Bees are but little attended to, and are scarcely known; were the
management of them better understood and practised by the inhabitants,
they might be much increased, and wax might even be exported.
In closing my observations on this district, I may be permitted to add
some particulars relative to the capital. The families whom I had the
honor to visit appeared to live in great sociability. They frequently
form tea-parties. The dress of the ladies consists almost entirely of
articles of English manufacture, cotton-prints, straw hats, artificial
flowers, jewelry, &c. Owing to the distance of Tejuco from a sea-port,
piano-fortes have not been introduced here, or they would probably be
in considerable demand; for the ladies in general have a taste for
music, and touch the guitar with great spirit and elegance. Dancing is
a favorite amusement, and all appear much pleased and animated with the
English country-dance. The ladies seldom go abroad, except to mass,
and then they are usually carried in a chair hung with curtains and
a canopy, and suspended from a pole borne by two men. The sedentary
habits of the females I have often thought injurious to their health;
but, since English saddles have been introduced, they begin to take
airings on horseback.
Warm baths are very generally used, being considered of great efficacy
in removing recent colds, to which all persons here are liable, on
account of the peculiar nature of the climate. They are invariably
offered at night to travellers, as a means of relieving the pains
occasioned by the fatigues of the day.
A continuance of ill health obliged me to take leave of my friends in
Tejuco, and to return to Rio de Janeiro with all possible expedition.
It will not be expected that I should relate all the particulars of my
journey thither, as I retraced my former route with a few occasional
deviations; I shall therefore confine myself to whatever I saw worthy
of interest which I did not observe on my way to Tejuco.
Dr. Camara did me the honor to accompany me as far as San Gonçal, and
showed me a work a short distance from the establishment, near the
margin of a river of the same name. As I staid here one entire day
with this gentleman, I had leisure to examine this singular situation,
where I, for the first time, found mountains of sienite, incredibly
hard, composed of hornblende and feldspar. About forty years ago this
excavation, which was of considerable depth, was suddenly filled up by
the bursting-in of the side, for want of proper support to resist the
pressure of the incumbent stratum, which falling in immense masses,
totally destroyed the works; and they remained in this state until
about two years ago. As the wings of vague report are in general much
longer than those of truth, this place had the reputation of being
extremely rich in diamonds, and the apparent impossibility of clearing
it, added greatly to the credit which was given to it. Old inhabitants
came forward to say that they had been employed in the works when the
accident happened, and that the diamonds found in them excelled in
number, size, and fineness those produced at any other place. These
reports soon reached the ears of the Intendant, who, within a year
after entering his office at Tejuco, formed a plan of clearing and
excavating the works. Such a stupendous undertaking was calculated only
for a man of his superior talents and enterprise. He stationed there
four hundred negroes under the direction of the best officers on the
establishment; inclined planes were formed, and pulleys calculated to
lift immense weights were erected. As some of the masses of sienite
were too large to be raised whole, and the substance was so hard
that steel would not stand to bore it, they were obliged to contrive
means for breaking them. Recourse was had to large fires, with which
the rocks were heated, and cold water was thrown upon them from tubs
suspended by long pieces of timber formed somewhat like cranes. After
six months of very heavy and incessant labor, the place was cleared.
Let us for a moment reflect on the sanguine expectations which had
been formed respecting the size of the diamonds, their number and
brilliancy, the honors that would be conferred on the officers, &c.
and we may judge what must have been the general disappointment, when,
after the very bottom had been scraped, not a diamond was found! Thus
ended this serious trial, made at great expense, labor, and risk; like
many other speculations, built on the delusive stories propagated by
old miners respecting places formerly worked, by which new adventurers
are generally tempted, and frequently ruined.
I continued my former route, visiting the same friends who had received
me on my journey to Tejuco, until I arrived at Cocaes. In the vicinity
of this place are found fine amethysts and crystals, through which
titanium is interspersed. Proceeding from hence, I took a more easterly
route to Bromada, distant about five leagues. A great part of the road
was covered with rich iron ore. I passed through the village of St.
John, and 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 labor he might bestow on 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 further, we arrived at the house
of Captain José 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 decomposed granite, 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 colors, some more red
or brown than others; the parts esteemed most rich in gold had the
appearance of irregular cavities, filled by a stalactitic substance
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 more
indurated substances, but they are so ill constructed as to produce
but little effect. After a most pressing invitation to stay, and
advantageous offers of land to a considerable extent, which I found it
expedient to decline, I took leave of the owner of this establishment,
and passed a very large house belonging to _Capitao Mor_ Penha, a very
opulent miner, who has a large establishment of negroes, and extensive
lands. I continued my route five leagues through an auriferous country,
passed the village of St. Barbara, and arrived at Cantas Altas. From
hence I proceeded to Villa Rica, without observing any thing worth
notice.
I was here received with the same attention and respect which I had
experienced on my first visit. Finding it necessary to remain a few
days to recruit my health, I examined a variety of substances that had
been collected for me during my absence, but was not fortunate enough
to meet with any thing very interesting. The theatre being open, I
passed two evenings there, and was much gratified to find that the
rational amusement of the drama had superseded savage bullfights. The
theatre and decorations were neat, and the performances tolerable;
were they better encouraged, the public would receive greater
gratification. They have ever been under the control of the governor,
and are generally so fettered as to be obliged to perform such pieces
only as his caprice may dictate.
Leaving Villa Rica, I continued my journey to the capital, where I
arrived about the middle of February 1810, in a most exhausted state,
from the combined effects of fatigue and an indisposition which
continual exertion and want of rest had increased in a considerable
degree. I informed His Excellency the Conde de Linhares of my arrival,
and, in a few days afterwards, had the honor of presenting to him
a report, stating the particulars of my journey. I was afterwards
introduced to the Prince, who did me the honor to express his
approbation of my account of the country through which I had travelled,
and requested me to publish it. He was graciously pleased to make both
my attendants inferior officers, in reward for their good conduct;
and when I expressed my thanks for this mark of his attention, he
replied, that it was too trivial to notice, and desired me to name in
what manner he could testify the sense he entertained of my services.
At this moment my health was so extremely precarious, that I could
not think of remaining in Rio de Janeiro, where I found myself daily
getting worse; otherwise I have not the smallest doubt that the
generosity of the Prince would have amply repaid me for the fatigues I
had encountered.
CHAP. XVI.
_General View of Minas Geraes._
THE _capitania_ of Minas Geraes extends from 600 to 700 miles from
north to south, and about the same distance from east to west. It is
bounded on the north by the _capitania_ of Bahia; on the west by that
of Goyaz; on the south by the river Paraibuna, which divides it from
the _capitania_ of Rio de Janeiro. It is separated from the _capitania_
of Espirito Santo and the coast by an immense chain of mountains, which
country, being inhabited by the Aborigenes, is of course very little
known.
This _capitania_ is estimated to contain three hundred and sixty
thousand inhabitants, of whom two hundred thousand are negroes, or
their immediate offspring. The population of Indians is not included
in this estimate, nor can it be ascertained; they are considered as by
no means numerous, as they never make any opposition against an armed
force, however small. In the course of my journey I did not see one,
except the child at the village of Conceição, nor did I ever hear of
one of the race of the Buticudos becoming civilized, or living in any
of the villages with the settled inhabitants[58].
The regular military establishment of the _capitania_ is very
respectable, and consists of 1400 cavalry, which number is prescribed
by law. Their principal station is at Villa Rica, where the general
resides, who, jointly with the governor, issues all orders respecting
them. They form a disposeable force for the general service of the
_capitania_; they are appointed to guard certain places known to
contain valuable products; also to receive tolls, collect tythes,
patrol the roads, and search suspicious persons, for which purposes
parties of them are stationed at the various guard-houses and
registers. They go in quest of felons, guard the prisons, and likewise
execute orders to impress men levied for service in Rio de Janeiro.
They are employed exclusively in the mining country, which they never
quit, except when they escort diamonds and treasure to the capital,
or are dispatched on any particular service. The regiment is a very
fine one, and enjoys so high a reputation, that numbers are continually
offering to enlist in it. While I was at Villa Rica, nearly two hundred
volunteers were serving, without any remuneration whatever, waiting
to be placed on the establishment according to their seniority, as
vacancies should occur. This affords the general an opportunity of
choosing the most soldier-like men, and those of best character; in
which respects it is asserted, and I believe with great truth, that the
corps is unrivalled. The officers enter very young, and serve as cadets
for a certain period, during which they perform the duty and receive
the pay of privates, from whom they are distinguished by a star on the
right shoulder, and generally exercise together. They are promoted
according to seniority.
Besides this force, there is a militia, in which all the male
inhabitants of the _capitania_ are enrolled, and are liable to be
called out when occasions require. It is a part of the present policy
of the Prince’s ministers to stimulate the Creolians to active
occupations, by obliging them either to till their grounds, or to enter
the ranks and become soldiers.
The known produce of this vast extent of territory comes next under
consideration. On this subject I shall not follow a variety of vague
accounts, which have been compiled with little regard to truth, but
shall present to the reader the result of my own observations.
The great quantities of gold, precious stones, iron, &c. produced in
this country have been largely treated upon. Lead ore appears to be
rare, as it is found only near Abaité. Antimony abounds in the vicinity
of Sabará; native bismuth is found near Villa Rica; arsenical and iron
pyrites are very common; titanium is found in octahedral crystals,
also in beautiful prisms and tender spicula, finely grouped in rock
crystal. Platina may be obtained in tolerable quantities at Lagos, but
the place which produces it has been abandoned from want of a market.
Chromate of lead, _I was informed_, is found in the vicinity of Cocaes;
but I have reason to suspect I was imposed upon. At Tejuco, also, I was
shown some, and was presented with two pieces, which are uncommonly
fine, more brilliant in color than that from Siberia, and distinctly
crystallized on a matrix of granular sand-stone, accompanied with the
green oxide of chrome. Copper can scarcely be said to exist in this
country; the only place at present known to produce it, is a mountain
twenty leagues from Tejuco, where small particles appear in a rock
of quartz and hornblende: the matrix is so hard, and the quantity of
copper so trivial, as to afford no encouragement to work it. The place
has been examined by the Intendant, and is known to most persons in
Tejuco[59]. No mines of silver have been discovered in the _capitania_,
but the gold is generally found to contain that precious metal,
sometimes in great proportion. No tin, cobalt, or any other metal,
except those above mentioned, have been hitherto met with.
Of salts, impure nitrate of potass is formed in great abundance,
generally, if not always, in calcareous situations, in a tract of
country which commences from ten to fourteen degrees west of Tejuco,
particularly at Monte Rodrigo, which is situated between the two
celebrated rivers called Rio dos Velhos and Parauna. This mountain is
very large and well wooded; the stratum is calcareous, and contains
many eaves furred, as it were, with nitrate of potass. Since Government
has made nitre an object of commerce, and encouraged its production,
many families have settled at this place, and have collected large
quantities of this saliferous substance, which, after several
operations, is sent to Rio de Janeiro, where it is refined for the
great powder-manufactory recently established near that city.
In various places are found the finest clays in great plenty, fit for
porcelain and earthenware of every description, which are entirely
neglected. In other parts I saw cyanite, actinolite, tremolite,
pot-stone, and chlorite. Conglomerate masses of recent formation,
enveloping diamonds and grains of gold, are sometimes, though rarely,
met with; also a siliceous substance of a fine dark-blue color,
probably totally unknown.
On the vegetable products of this _capitania_ I have but few
observations to make, in addition to those already given in the course
of my narrative. Many parts are well calculated for the growth of
hemp and flax, and water for steeping them is easily obtained in most
situations; so that the only impediment to the introduction of these
useful plants appears to be the labor required to clear them.
In the immense woods the finest trees are frequently destroyed by the
creeping plants, which cannot grow without adhering to some support.
When they attach themselves to a tree, they shoot up very rapidly,
encircling it with numerous fibres, and in a few years become so strong
as entirely to stop the growth of the tree, and at length destroy it.
When in a young state, they are so flexible as to be used for ordinary
purposes instead of cords. I have seen negroes make their bridles of
them, and ride with them for a day together.
As these forests remain unexplored, many of the trees are unknown, and
consequently the qualities of their barks. However, there are some used
by the inhabitants in dying yellow; and I was informed some yielded
a black color that could not be washed out. There is a variety which
serves for curing skins, or tanning, some of which give the hide a red
color, others leave it almost white: but this art is so little known,
and the people are so averse to employments of this sort, that it has
hitherto made little progress.
Gum tragacanth is in great plenty, and of a very good quality. There
are immense quantities of aromatic shrubs; and I found in many places,
upon the bark of trees, and more particularly upon old wood, a lichen,
which yielded to water a most beautiful crimson color[60]. Jointed
canes grow spontaneously, frequently above thirty feet long, and in
many places form arcades over the road: these plants always indicate
the soil to be very fertile.
Ferns grow so large, as almost to lose their characteristic: I have
frequently seen them twelve feet high. These and other succulent
plants, when reduced to ashes, serve to make soap, of which almost
every negra knows the process, and most families make for their own
use. It is very sharp, and washes white articles uncommonly well[61].
In this fine country, where almost every gradation of climate may be
found, European fruits, such as olives, almonds, chesnuts, mulberries,
&c. would thrive, if properly attended to.
The mulberry is cultivated at one place, where I saw a few silk worms.
The climate is favorable to them, but the population is not sufficient
to carry the breeding of them to any extent, as they require great
attendance and care.
Cochineal may be said to be almost unknown in the _capitania_;
the _palma Christi_ grows spontaneously, and from its seeds great
quantities of castor oil may be extracted. For bananas and other
tropical fruits the climate is not sufficiently hot, and is too
changeable. Beans, peas, and pulse in general are very fine; pumpkins
also, and cabbages grow to a great size. It is a fine country for
flowers; the rose is extremely fragrant, and is in bloom all the year.
Varieties of the passion-flower are found in all parts; pinks and
carnations, with numberless other flowers, grow in great profusion.
This _capitania_ contains four _comarcas_, or districts, St. João d’El
Rey, Sabará, Villa Rica, and Cerro do Frio, all of which produced much
more gold a few years after their discovery than at present, though in
the year 1809 Villa Rica alone received for gold permuted a hundred and
six _arrobas_ of thirty-two pounds each. The mines in the other three
_comarcas_ cannot be rated to permute less than from fifteen to twenty
_arrobas_, therefore the _capitania_ may be estimated to yield to
Government, as the annual fifth, a quantity not less than one hundred
and fifty _arrobas_.
St. João d’El Rey, the capital of the district so called, is a
considerable town, and contains at least five thousand inhabitants. It
is situated near the Rio das Mortes, which runs northerly, and empties
itself into the Rio das Velhas. The country around it is very fertile,
and produces excellent fruits, both exotic and indigenous; also Indian
corn, and beans in great quantities; as well as a little wheat. This
_comarca_ being more cultivated than any other part, is called the
granary of the district; cheese is made here in tolerable quantity, and
bacon very indifferently cured, both which are sent to Rio de Janeiro,
and form a considerable trade. Great numbers of fowls are also sent
thither, and a little rum, sugar, and coffee. Provisions of all kinds
are much cheaper than at Villa Rica; pork and beef are about a penny
per pound, poultry in proportion, and vegetables equally cheap.
About two leagues distant from the town is the rivulet of San
José,[62] formerly abounding in gold-washings, some of which continue
good, particularly those in the vicinity of a pretty village, called
Campanha. In the neighbourhood is a mountain that produces a great
quantity of iron pyrites, which many people believe to be gold, and say
that no method is yet known for extracting it. In this district are
a great number of pines of a very singular variety, from the bark of
which exudes much resinous gum. The wood is of a fine brown-red color,
full of knots, and inconceivably hard.
Some cotton, although not very considerable in quantity, is grown in
this district; it is spun by hand, and woven into coarse clothing,
generally for the use of the negroes. Finer cloth is sometimes woven
for table linen. The making of lace is a favorite occupation with the
ladies of St. João d’El Rey, who are reputed to be more attentive
to domestic concerns than those of other towns, many of them being
descendants of the Paulistas, so celebrated for industry and economy.
The district of Sabará was discovered and settled by the Paulistas,
who took possession of it as early as the year 1690, or, according to
some accounts, twenty years earlier. They founded the town which is
now the capital of the district, and worked several gold-mines in its
neighbourhood, the produce of which they sent to their native place, as
it was their custom to do with all the gold found in the various parts
which they explored; on this account the city of S. Paulo acquired a
much higher reputation for riches than it merited, it being generally
believed that all the gold sent from thence was procured in that
vicinity. Some years after the establishment of Sabará, the Court of
Lisbon sent out a nobleman as governor to reduce the settlers, and to
oblige them to pay a tribute in conformity to the laws of the colony.
The settlers took up arms, and several encounters took place, in one of
which the nobleman was killed: but, after some time, the viceroy sent
great reinforcements into the interior, and quelled the insurgents, who
submitted to pay a fifth of the gold produced. An adventurer of the
name of Artis, who was a man of great intrepidity and perseverance, and
had made considerable discoveries in the neighbourhood, was afterwards
appointed governor, and this proved the means of reconciling all
parties.
Respecting the working of the mines throughout this _capitania_, it has
been already observed, that much loss of time and labor is occasioned
by the want of machinery, and proper implements for the workmen. Not a
cart or wheel-barrow is in use: every thing necessary to be removed is
carried on the heads of the poor negroes, in _gamellas_, who have in
many instances to climb up steep ascents, where inclined planes might
be employed to great advantage, and would be formed with very little
trouble. The cassoon is the only hydraulic machine known, and is very
generally adopted: but it is constructed with great difficulty and
expense, and can be used only where a strong current of water can be
commanded. Pumps might, at very trivial cost, be constructed on the
simple plan of the machines used to pound their Indian corn.
The tedious process of washing the _cascalho_ for gold in _gamellas_,
would be much shortened by using a machine of very easy construction.
Suppose a cylinder to be formed of bars of iron longitudinally placed,
and nailed to circles of wood, open at each end, and suspended on
two centres, one about sixteen inches higher than the other. At the
highest end the _cascalho_ is to enter by being put into a hopper which
communicates with it. The bars must be nailed almost close to each
other at the upper end, gradually widening to the lower end, where
they should be about half an inch asunder. The cylinder ought to be
from ten to twelve feet long, and a stream of water conducted to fall
upon it length-wise: it should be inclosed, like a dressing-machine
in a flour-mill, and be subjected to a very quick motion. The portion
of _cascalho_ containing the most gold will fall through, near the
upper end; the other parts, according to their comparative fineness,
gradually descending until nothing but the pebbles fall out at the
lower end. The earth, &c. falling into partitions or troughs below the
cylinder, would be ready for being separated from the gold by hand,
which might be done with very little trouble. Machines of this kind
might be made on any scale, and, if generally known and adopted, would
save the labor of the negroes in a tenfold degree. The one constructing
in Cerro do Frio will, when complete, do more work than a hundred
negroes in the same space of time. A considerable improvement might yet
be made in this useful apparatus; for, if the gold, &c. washed from
the machine were to fall upon troughs placed in an inclined position,
having a channel across about a yard from the upper end,[63] all the
gold would precipitate into it, and; if a negro were to be continually
employed in agitating the water, the earthy matter would run off,
leaving only the gold and the ferruginous particles, which might be
easily separated by mercury[64]. The utility of machinery of this kind
is too obvious to need pointing out.
Mills composed of three heavy irregular stones, resembling our
flint-mills, would reduce many of the ferruginous aggregates and
softer substances which contain gold. The matter thus reduced might be
immediately washed by falling or being put into the inclined planes
before described, and would, no doubt, prove the means of obtaining
considerable quantities of the precious metal, which would be otherwise
lost. Stamps might be useful where gold is found in hard and brittle
substances: but these would be more effectually pulverized by a heavy
stone rolling upon its edge, not unlike a tanner’s bark-mill.
In many instances, hand-sieves might be useful, and would save much
time and labor in washing, but perhaps they would be too expensive.
Even miners’ tools are much wanted, the only ones in use being the
iron bar and the hoe. The common miner’s pick would in many cases be
serviceable, and _bucking-irons_[65] would reduce the matrix much more
effectually than beating it with stones, which is the only mode now
practised. It is a most unfortunate circumstance, and very detrimental
to the interests of the miners, that whatever is made of iron is so
dear as to be beyond the means of the inhabitants to procure, nor have
they any substitute for it.
When the present state of the mining country is considered, and its
rich resources are compared with the want of science, which prevents
the inhabitants from improving them, how much is it to be wished that
Government would establish and encourage economical societies on the
plan of our Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, in which
inquiries might be made into all subjects relative to the useful arts.
Repositories also might be established in all the principal towns
of the _capitania_, where models of useful machinery and various
implements might be kept for the inspection of the public. Scientific
publications should be purchased, and every means employed to promote
the cultivation of science among the inhabitants. At the meetings of
the societies, every measure tending to increase the commerce of the
district should be discussed with particular attention; honorary gifts
should be made to those who most promoted its welfare, and premiums
should be offered for the encouragement of all attempts to ameliorate
the condition of the working class of the negroes.
Thus emulation would be enkindled among them, and useful knowledge,
descending from parent to child, would soon be universally diffused.
This would be the true foundation of the prosperity of the country;
for no territory perhaps in the world is so rich in natural products,
and at the same time so neglected for want of an enlightened and
industrious population.
CHAP. XVII.
_Brief Notices on the Capitanias of Bahia, Pernambuco, Seara, Maranham,
Para, and Goyaz._
THE _capitania_ of Bahia, to the northward of Minas Geraes, comes next
under consideration, respecting which, as I did not visit it, I have
only to present some observations from the best information I could
procure. It extends a considerable distance along the coast, being
bounded on the north by the great river St. Francisco, which runs into
the sea in lat. 11° south, and separated from the district of Ilheos
(formerly a _capitania_) by the river Das Contas in lat. 14° south. It
receives its name from the capacious bay on which its capital is built,
and which affords excellent anchorage for ships of any burthen. St.
Salvador, the capital, also called Cidade de Bahia, was originally the
seat of the supreme government of Brazil: it consists of two parts, one
built on low ground near the shore, where the commerce is carried on,
and the other on a high hill, which being considered the most healthy,
is the residence of all the people of consequence. Its population
is said to be nearly equal to that of Rio de Janeiro, and is stated
at not less than seventy thousand souls. The houses are built with
latticed windows and balconies, similar to those in Rio de Janeiro.
The churches are the public buildings most worthy of notice: they are
said to be richly ornamented within. The government of the city is
vested in a governor, who is nominated by the court for three years.
Here all law proceedings, civil and criminal, come before the tribunal,
called _Rellaças_, the sentence of which is in general final, though
appeals in certain cases may be made to a higher tribunal, called the
_Dezembargo do Paço_.
This town is tolerably defended, also the bay, as well as circumstances
will permit. On the shore is a royal arsenal, and numerous houses for
stores, &c. The custom-house and wharfs are conveniently situated.
Ships of war have been built here, also many very large and fine
vessels for the merchant service. For these purposes a large supply of
fine timber was (and, I presume, continues to be) readily obtained from
the interior from the number of fine rivers which flow into the bay.
The wood holds iron better, and is superior to our oak.
The manners and customs of the people differ little from those of the
inhabitants of the capital; but it is said that in the best societies
here, more gaiety and refinement prevail, and the higher classes are
more sociable, than in Rio de Janeiro. A taste for music is general;
there are few houses without the guitar, and all the more respectable
families have piano-fortes. The ladies dress in the English style,
and ornament themselves with gold chains: they wear very few diamonds;
their favorite gem is the chrysolite. For deshabille at home they wear
a kind of loose dress, over which they throw a veil on the entrance of
strangers. They are considered as far less industrious than the females
of the southern districts. The domestic dress of the men consists of a
jacket and loose trowsers, made of light printed cotton.
Religious processions take place here, as in Rio de Janeiro, on
great festivals and rejoicing days; and these festive occasions are
distinguished by various amusements, which continue from morning
to night. At these times the Brazilians have a custom of covering
the walls and balconies of their houses with velvet or beautiful
silks, embroidered with gold lace, in architectural orders, made and
ornamented for the purpose; thus adorned the houses exhibit a most
splendid appearance.
One of the most memorable seasons of rejoicing of late years was when
the Prince touched at this city on his voyage to Rio de Janeiro, and
remained several days. The inhabitants testified their loyalty and
attachment to him by every public demonstration of joy, and by a
display of all the grandeur and magnificence which they had means to
furnish. As a more solid proof of their attachment and regard, they
unanimously voted to subscribe a sum equal to a million sterling to
build a palace for the royal family, if the Prince would condescend to
reside among them.
The climate is always warm, but is refreshed by the sea-breeze, and
is in some degree tempered by the long absence of the sun, the nights
being of almost uniform length throughout the year. Though hotter than
Rio de Janeiro, Bahia is considered much more healthful, having a more
airy situation, and being better supplied with water. The practice of
bathing is very general, and most of the houses have conveniences for
this purpose.
Bahia is plentifully supplied with provisions. Beef and pork are in
abundance; the former is decidedly bad, the latter tolerable. Fish are
in great plenty and variety, and form a principal article in the diet
of the inhabitants. Fish, with sallad, is the general supper of almost
all ranks; even the rich desire nothing more for this repast in family.
Numbers of retail shopkeepers, who sell wine, cheese, groceries, &c.
buy fish and fry it, and afterwards retail it in small quantities.
Poultry is in plenty, but not cheap; vegetables, and pulse of every
description, are in very great profusion. The markets are well supplied
with all the tropical fruits, many of which are said to be in great
perfection, particularly the pine, the mango, and the banana; the
latter is esteemed the best in America. Preserved fruits are in great
abundance, owing to the cheapness of sugar; great varieties of them
are sold in the streets, and two or three preserved limes in a cup
of syrup may be bought for less than a penny. Even the lower orders
conclude the meanest dinner with this delicious delicacy.
The soil of this _capitania_ is peculiar, and is esteemed the best
in Brazil for the growth of the sugar-cane. This advantage, and the
conveniences arising from the numerous rivers that flow from the
interior into the bay, have occasioned the establishment of many sugar
plantations, undoubtedly the finest in the country, which have produced
immense quantities of that article. The soil most adapted to the plant,
and held in the highest estimation, is a black greasy loam, a deposit,
containing a large quantity of decomposed vegetable matter.
The opulent and best informed planters have imported steam-engines for
the crushing of cane, which will probably prove very advantageous, and
cheaper in many situations, as they can at all times be worked, and are
as easily regulated as a water-mill.
The mode of cultivating the cane has already been detailed. If planted
in new soil, it is fit for cutting in fourteen months, but in old and
poorer land it requires eighteen or twenty months. When ripe, the
canes are cut and dressed by taking off the top leaves, &c. which
afford excellent provender for cattle; they are then brought to the
mill, which is composed of three wooden or iron cylinders, moving on
their axes in a perpendicular position, and between them the canes
are repeatedly passed until all the juice is expressed, and they are
reduced to a mass of dry fibres.
The cane-juice is conducted through spouts to a large boiler or
clarifier, where a certain quantity of alkaline matter, called
_temper_, is added to it[66]. Afterwards it is conducted to the largest
of a range of boilers, consisting of three, or sometimes four, one
less than another. The largest seldom contains more than one hundred
gallons. Here the syrup boils for a certain time, and is continually
skimmed; it is then laded to the next, where it continues to boil until
more of the aqueous fluid is evaporated; after which, it is laded into
the third boiler, and is there sometimes sufficiently boiled without
removing it into the fourth. They judge of its consistency by the
touch; a little of the syrup is taken between the thumb and finger, and
if it forms threads, and breaks on being drawn about an inch, it is
supposed to be boiled sufficiently[67]. It then begins to granulate,
and is gently laded into earthen pots of the form of a sugar-loaf,
about two feet deep and ten inches in diameter at the open end, where,
on cooling, it becomes concrete. In the lower end of each pot is a
small hole, which at first is nearly closed; but after the sugar begins
to cool, it is unstopped, and a piece of cane is put in to admit the
molasses to drain. Soon after the moulds are filled, they are removed
into an airy room, where they are placed so that the molasses drain
into a large cistern, from whence they are conveyed into the fermenting
vats, which are recepticles for all the refuse of every description in
the sugar-house. In the process of fermentation much depends on the
quality of the wood of which the vats are made; some of them bring the
liquor into a proper state for distillation two or three days sooner
than others.
The greatest part of the sugars made here are clayed, by a very simple
operation, which consists merely in covering the sugar with very moist
clay, the water from which percolates the mass, and carries with it the
remaining molasses. When the earthy matter becomes dry, more is applied
until the sugar is perfectly freed, and nearly white. This operation
renders the article unfit for making loaf sugar. After remaining in
the drying-house about six weeks, the moulds are placed with the large
end downwards, and the sugar leaves them; they are then beaten down to
powder in large strong cases, constructed of four entire planks, and
the two ends, generally about eight feet long, and about twenty-six
inches square[68], holding from fifteen to sixteen hundred-weight. The
cases, when filled, are nailed down, and are ready for shipping.
The principal points to be attended to in making sugar are, first, that
the canes be all ripe, and well cleaned from _trash_ and leaves; next,
that they be immediately crushed, and not suffered to lie in heaps
to heat; and thirdly, that the rollers, and all the passages for the
liquor, be well cleansed by washing as often as necessary.
A greater quantity of sugar is shipped from Bahia than from all the
other parts of Brazil united, and in general it is of a very good
quality; that from certain plantations is particularly so. It is
not however, esteemed of so strong a body as our best from the West
Indies[69].
The tobacco of this _capitania_ is peculiar to it; and, by an exclusive
privilege, no other part of Brazil was allowed to cultivate the same
sort. It has given rise to much commerce, and has enriched many
families. It was the most esteemed sort, not only in Portugal, but in
Spain, and all her colonies, where it has been sold at great prices.
Great quantities of it were consumed in Barbary; and on many parts of
the coast of Guinea the demand for it was such that it was almost
impossible to carry on trade for gold, ivory, gums, and oil without
it. The mode of growing and manufacturing it is as follows:—First, a
good piece of ground is prepared, the finer dressed the better; the
seed is sown broad-cast, and when the plants are about six weeks or two
months grown, they are transplanted into ground prepared as before. In
eight or ten months they arrive at their full growth, and when ripe
the leaves are taken from the stem, which frequently grows from four
to seven feet high. They are laid upon the ground, or, in preference,
upon any support which will preserve them from absorbing moisture,
and admit a free circulation of air underneath. When they become in a
slight degree withered, they are twisted with a strong winch, the end
of one leaf uniting with the other, and the twist is coiled into a
roll weighing from thirty to forty pounds. By this operation the juice
of the leaf is expressed, which is viscid, and when oxidated becomes
of a black color, not unlike molasses. The tobacco, after this last
operation, is fit for commerce.
It is an object highly worthy the attention of the Portuguese
government, to introduce other modes of curing tobacco. There can be
no doubt that the soil and climate are congenial to it, and, were it
properly prepared, it would probably equal any in Virginia, and become
as great an article of commerce among the northern nations. Should
such a commerce be pursued, how many cargoes of this commodity alone
would arrive in our ports, and from thence be distributed to the
different markets of Europe!
Cotton has of late been grown here in considerable quantities, and
has been sent to England at nearly the same price with that grown in
Pernambuco, and its plantations are daily increasing and improving[70].
Here are many plantations of coffee, but it is not esteemed so fine
as that from Rio de Janeiro. Rice is produced in tolerable quantity,
and its quality is superior: but the husk is so difficult to separate
from the grain, that a great part is bruised in the operation, and is
thus rendered of less value. The method of cleaning it is bad. Why not
apply such mills as those used in Carolina, of which there is now one
working at Maranham by steam, that has improved the quality of rice so
materially, that it now sells in Europe for nearly the same price as
the North American.
The beautiful dye-wood, called Brazil-wood, is shipped from this port
and Pernambuco, of a quality much superior to that of Rio de Janeiro.
This is one of the articles prohibited from general commerce, being
the property of the royal household. Fustic in small quantities is
brought from the interior.
The indigo made here is so far inferior to that imported from India
as scarcely to be worth mentioning. It is owing to the great quantity
of lime in it. There is a general opinion among all who make indigo,
that some part of the process is very prejudicial to the health of
the negroes, who frequently become sick, and often die while employed
in it, which is most probably owing to deleterious gas which escapes
during fermentation.
Bahia has a considerable trade with all the ports on the coast,
from whence are exported various articles, the prices of which are
continually fluctuating. A great number of fine brigs and smaller
vessels are employed in this trade.
Produce to a considerable amount was exported to the River Plata, from
whence a great quantity of hides and tallow were returned.
The imports to Bahia from Europe consist in general of the same
articles with those specified in the description of Rio de Janeiro. In
this _capitania_ was found the largest piece of native copper that has
ever appeared, being in weight upwards of 2,000lbs. It was discovered
several years ago by some persons who were preparing to wash for gold.
To the north of Bahia are the _capitanias_ of Pernambuco, Seará,
and Maranham, the interior of which is very little known, though
some parts of the coast are tolerably populous. Pernambuco, though
situated nearly in the latitude of eight degrees, is considered
healthy. The town is built on a rising ground, much exposed, and
constantly refreshed by the sea-breeze. It has many excellent edifices,
and is supposed to contain more opulent merchants, in proportion to
population, than any other place in Brazil. It produces _vanilla_,
cocoa, and a considerable quantity of sugar; but the chief article
of its trade is cotton, which for many years had the reputation of
being superior to any other, but of late it has much deteriorated,
from neglect, either in the growth, or in the gathering the pods and
cleaning it from the seeds, or probably from general inattention to the
whole management of it. The cotton, when ready for packing, is pressed
into raw hides, so hard as to form very heavy packages. The operation
is superintended by an officer authorised by Government, who puts a
stamp upon it describing its quality, which enables the shipper to pass
it through the custom-house, where it pays a heavy duty on exportation.
The district of Seará is but little known, it enjoys an extensive trade
in cotton and sugar. Maranham, though a very small district, has of
late raised itself considerably into eminence by the cultivation of
cotton, the other productions are the same as those of Pernambuco.
Cotton and rice are the staple articles, with some cocoa and sugar,
numerous cargoes of which are annually exported.
The dye-wood of these districts is considered excellent, and is
sometimes shipped from this coast. The tree which produces the
_annatto_ is very common, and the seeds from which it is washed are
of the best quality, and might be obtained in great abundance. Cocoa
may be grown in any quantity; capsicum, pimento, ginger, &c. are very
plentiful.
The markets are well stored with fish and meat, the latter very
indifferent in its kind. Poultry, vegetables, and fruits, are in great
abundance.
St. Louis, the capital, is built upon an island, and is esteemed
healthy, though so near the equator. Several rivers run into the bay,
which afford an eligible conveyance for the produce of the vicinity.
The island is said to contain 20,000 inhabitants, and the population in
the rivers is by no means inconsiderable.
The _capitania_ of Pará, is considered the largest in Brazil: its
extent is imperfectly known. The principal town is called Belem, where
the governor resides, and, its government being superior, it may be
said to preside over several of the neighbouring districts. The land
is low and unhealthy, the great river, or port, is much interrupted
by shoals and currents. It is a dangerous coast, and exposed to a
continual swell, so as to render it hazardous for ships to anchor upon
it, as they roll so much that they not only endanger their masts, but
are subject to strain.
The town of Pará is situated on the river Tocantines, the navigation
of which is difficult, and is seldom attempted, except by small craft:
the Confiance sloop of war with great care sailed up it, and anchored
near the town, several days previous to the expedition against Cayenne.
The town may contain ten thousand inhabitants, who are in general
very poor, probably from want of commerce: for although the great
rivers Tocantins and Amazons have their source, the latter in Peru,
and the former in the _capitania_ of Goyaz, though they receive almost
millions of inferior streams in their course through immense tracts of
territory, yet they are not productive of any commerce of consequence.
The exports from Pará consist of a considerable quantity of rice,
cocoa, cotton, drugs, hides of various sorts, woods, and a few other
articles. The trade is much on the increase, and it is to be hoped,
that from its vast internal communications, it may be greatly extended,
and more ships loaded for Europe, as a cargo is generally rather
precarious, and sometimes difficult to be obtained.
The climate is hot, as may well be supposed, from its lying so near
the equinoctial. Thunder, with lightning and rain, occurs generally
every afternoon, when the air becomes more cool, and the heat less
disagreeable.
On conversing with creditable men who had lived many years at Pará,
Maranham, and upon the coast, I never heard them relate the strange
accounts of the Indians which Estalla has related. As a Spaniard, he
seems to be amusing the public with the actions of his own countrymen
in Chili, and to aim, in common with all the writers of his nation, to
prejudice the world against the Portuguese.
The _capitania_ of Goyaz is bounded chiefly by Minas Geraes on the
east, Matto Grosso on the west, and Pará on the north. Its greatest
extent in length is from lat. 6° south to 21°. Villa Boa, its
principal town, is situated in lat. 16° south, about eighty leagues
to the west of Paracatu, from whence there is a good road. Here is
a permutation-house, where all the gold found in the _capitania_ is
permuted. The governor is elected for three years, after which he is
generally appointed to Bahia or Minas Geraes. In the _capitania_ are
many gold mines, some of which produce gold of a very fine quality.
Diamonds have been found in some parts, which are different in their
appearance from those found in Cerro do Frio, having more brilliancy
on their exterior; but when cut, they are not in general of so pure
a water, though of a very desirable size. As this fine district is
so distant from the coast, it has very little commerce in any of
its productions, except the valuable substances above mentioned,
and cattle, which are bred on the frontiers; also some cotton, and
occasionally a few particular articles, which are sent to Rio de
Janeiro. The mules on the return-journey, are all loaded with salt,
iron, cheap cotton-prints, woollens (particularly baizes), hats,
fire-arms, powder, and shot, and a variety of artificers’ tools. When
any of the inhabitants have any thing peculiarly precious to dispose
of, they generally take it to Rio de Janeiro, and lay out the proceeds
chiefly in the purchase of negroes, (they being at all times the first
object), iron, salt, and other commodities.
The population is very small in comparison to the extent of the
district, but is likely to be increased by new settlers; although
the indigent in Villa Rica, Tejuco, and other places in the mining
country, are little inclined to remove out of society, even for the
chance of riches: in fact, having no negroes fit to work, and being
totally destitute of exertion themselves, all situations are to them
indifferent. These are by no means the class of people who can be
styled adventurers. The poorer class of inhabitants who have obtained
a small portion of gold, sometimes make a journey to Paracatu or
Villa Rica, to purchase what negroes they want. This _capitania_ has
been very little explored, and scarcely any thing is known of its
productions beyond what is above stated; indeed, it is not unreasonable
to presume that the soil contains the same variety of metals as the
district of Minas Geraes. Many persons from thence, with whom I have
conversed, speak of it with delight as being a fine country, having
numerous rivers well stored with fish, woods abounding with fine birds,
which afford excellent diversion to the sportsman; also a great variety
of animals.
This _capitania_ communicates with Matto Grosso, S. Paulo, and Pará, by
rivers which are navigable, though frequently interrupted by falls.
CHAP. XVIII.
_Geographical Description of the Capitania of Matto Grosso[71]._
RESPECTING this extensive portion of Brazil, I had an opportunity
of gaining considerable information, being intimately acquainted
with the commanding officer of the military force stationed there,
Colonel Martines, an engineer of extraordinary merit, who had made
four journeys to Matto Grosso, and had resided there some years. He
was kind enough to give me a description of his route from S. Paulo
to the capital of that province, and promised me a chart of the
navigable rivers and roads from thence to Pará, which had been formed
by officers of his party, together with documents in illustration
of it. But he being hastily called away on a particular service, was
prevented from executing his promise, and I could only profit by the
verbal description which he repeatedly gave me. This description,
as proceeding from an officer of such undoubted veracity, it was my
intention to give to the public; but, after my return to England, I was
agreeably surprised to find a MS. nearly corresponding with it, in the
hands of that eminent geographer, Mr. Arrowsmith, who has liberally
permitted me to make use of it. To his excellent map, compiled
according to the latest MS. charts communicated from Brazil, I beg
leave to refer the reader for an accurate delineation of the particular
localities here detailed.
This extensive _capitania_ is separated from the neighbouring territory
belonging to Spain by the intervening channels of the rivers Paraguay,
Madeira, Mamoré, and Guaporé, which form a broad and natural trench
around it of five hundred leagues in circuit, by means of which, and by
upwards of thirty rivers that empty themselves into it, a communication
is opened through many and distant points with the interior of Brazil.
This _capitania_, from its geographical position, has ever been
considered as the grand outwork of Brazil, not only because it covers
the interior divisions of this vast portion of the new continent,
which is the cradle of its greatest rivers, branching in innumerable
channels, and enriched with great and untouched treasures; but also
because, by this extensive channel, the Portuguese are enabled to
penetrate to the establishments of Spain in Peru.
_The River Araguaya, or Grande._
The eastern boundary of the _capitania_ of Matto Grosso, separating
it from that of Goyaz, is the river Grande, two hundred leagues from
Villa Bella. This river, known in the state of Pará, by the name
of Araguaya only, which is conferred on it by the numerous nations
inhabiting its banks, has its remotest source in lat. 19°, and running
north and south, intersected at various points by the meridian of 52°
30′, flows in lat. 6° into the Tocantines, wherein it loses its name;
and both, thus united in one ample stream, continue their course for
three hundred and seventy leagues, and fall into the southern estuary
of the mighty river Amazons in lat 1° 40′ between the two celebrated
bays of Marapata and Limseiro, opposite to the great island of Joannes,
or Murajo, and twenty leagues west of the city of Pará. The river das
Mortes, which rises far to the west of the Rio Grande, and forms its
highest western branch, running for a considerable space to the east,
and afterwards to the north, with an entire course of 150 leagues, till
it enters the Araguaya in lat. 12°, is entirely within the _capitania_
of Matto Grosso.
The river Araguaya is peopled by many tribes of warlike savages; it
abounds in all the productions peculiar to the state of Pará, and
affords an uninterrupted navigation from the city of that name, and
by the river, with the centre of Brazil and the _capitania_ of Matto
Grosso. The same is practicable by the river das Mortes, and other
western branches which enter the Rio Grande below. These branches,
no doubt, contain unexplored mines; for there is no physical reason
why gold should be found in the rivers that enter the Araguaya on the
eastern side, (where, besides Villa Boa, are situated several villages
belonging to the _capitania_ of Goyaz), and not likewise in the
branches on the opposite side. It is positively known that the river
das Mortes is auriferous, and hence it is fair to conclude that the
smaller streams which flow into it are much more so, for the nearer the
source the greater is the quantity of gold found. The mines of one of
its western branches were abandoned, not from the absence or scarcity
of the precious metal, but because, being remote from the road, and in
the midst of a swamp peopled by savages, the few settlers could not get
conveniently supplied with arms, implements, and other articles.
In some of these mines gold above twenty-three carats has been found,
but the greater part is only of seventeen, and of a green color, being
combined with a large portion of silver.
_The River Chingu_,
the clearest, and one of the largest and most copious branches of the
Amazons, which it enters on the south side, after a course of three
hundred leagues, in lat. 1° 42′, and long. 53°, seventy leagues west
of the city of Pará, in a direct line, but one hundred of navigation,
is confined in a great part of its course to the _capitania_ of Matto
Grosso.
Its remote sources supply, not only the lands in which rise also the
branches and rivers forming to the east and north the upper part of the
river Cuiaba, but also that large space north of the river das Mortes,
intersected by the great road from Goyaz, extending as far as the river
Porrudos. There is a tradition among the guides of the Sutãos[72] of
Pirá and the Indians established on the banks of the Chingu, that,
after mounting the first large falls of this river, much gold was found
in it, of which the Jesuits, those great explorers, obtained a large
quantity. It is probable that the now unknown Minas dos Martirios,
famous as the first discovery made by Bart^o. Bueno, and of which I
have heard repeated mention in S. Paulo, exist only on some of the
many branches that form the river Chingu. For this enterprising man,
after having discovered those mines, returned to S. Paulo in order to
engage negroes, and provide implements for extracting those treasures,
which to this day continue to elude the searches of others, retraced
his course; but passing by the mines of Cuiaba, which had been just
discovered and were found wonderfully productive, he was there deserted
by the greatest part of his followers. Fearing that he should lose the
rest also, he turned eastward, and, in his anxiety to avoid the mines
of Cuiaba, got still farther from those of dos Martirios, until he lost
himself in the immense wastes, wherein he wandered many months, and
at length accidentally found the mines of Goyaz, which his father had
before seen. These, like all the rest, proved very productive at the
beginning.
This rich and new discovery soon diverted the attention of adventurers
from the preceding; and the route to the Minas dos Martirios, together
with their positive situation, have long been lost in a vague tradition
of their existence. As the place was explored without the assistance of
a compass, or any of the means necessary for defining its geographical
position, there could not but prevail much doubt and uncertainty
respecting it. Now there is no such discovery on the river Tocantines,
which comprehends the whole _capitania_ of Goyaz: the first account
places it near a river, which indeed runs into the Amazons, like the
Tocantines, but which was sought for passing near the upper branches,
and west of the river Cuiaba, a situation in which the river Chingu
alone is found; other explorers place it on the Araguaya, which renders
it useless to look there, for it is more than two hundred leagues
north-west of the place sought. This is substantiated by a fact of
later date, which is as follows:—A grandson of Bart^o. Bueno, under
the direction of an ancient journal of this discovery, describing
the route to it, descended by the river das Mortes, and entered some
extensive plains on its western bank, on which he travelled westward
for some days, when he arrived at a plain covered with white _Mangaba_
trees, which were designated in the journal. From this place they had a
sight of some detached high mountains between the north and west, three
of which were of the figure specified, and indicated the situation of
the Minas dos Martirios. An unexpected attack of the Indians, in which
the chief and many others of the adventurers were killed, dispersed the
party, and frustrated the object at the moment when it appeared to be
already attained.
The river abounds in various products: cocoa is in plenty; there are
some spices, and various indigenous fruits.
_The River Tapajos_
is the third which derives its copious sources, flowing through
numerous large branches, from the _capitania_ of Matto Grosso. It runs
north between the Madeira and the Chingu for three hundred leagues,
flowing into the Amazons in lat. 2° 24′ 50″, and long. 55°, which is
the geographical position of the town of Santarem, situated at its
mouth one hundred and eighteen leagues from the city of Pará, and one
hundred and sixty-two by the shortest navigation. The river Tapajos
rises in the plains of the Parexis, so called from an Indian nation
which inhabits them. These plains occupy a vast space, not level, but
formed by undulating heaps of sand and light earth, resembling large
waves. The spectator who is in the midst of them ever sees before
him a distant and extended mount; he advances towards it by a gentle
and long declivity, traverses the plain, and advances by an ascent
equally gentle until he gains imperceptibly the heights he saw; another
eminence then presents itself, and he proceeds with the same recurring
circumstances. The soil of these wide plains is sandy, and so light
that loaded beasts in passing sink into it so much as to impede their
progress. The pasturage is poor, consisting of a grass composed of
wiry stalks a foot high, and small rough lancet-shaped leaves; the
animals in grazing pluck them up with the roots covered with sand; on
this account the passage by land is difficult and tedious; though, on
finding any of the streams, which abound in these plains, there is
grass and other mild herbage, which afford tolerable pasturage. The
plains of Parexis form, to a large extent and breadth, the summit of
those high mountains of the same name, and are situated on some of
the most elevated land in all Brazil; for from them descend the two
greatest rivers of South America,—the Paraguay, as well in its own
numerous heads, as in its great and higher branches, the Jauru, the
Sypotuba, and the Cuiaba,—and the Madeira, which is the largest river
that flows into the Amazons on the south.
The Tapajos, flowing in a direction contrary to that of the above-named
river, rises in these mountains. Its westermost branch is the river
Arinos, which intwines its sources with those of the Cuiaba at a
short distance from those of the Paraguay. The river Arinos has a
western branch, called Rio Negro, from which, to the point where it is
navigable, there is a passage of eight leagues over land to the river
Cuiaba, below its upper and greatest falls; and, in like manner, from
the Arinos itself the passage to the same part of the river Cuiaba is
twelve leagues.
The Arinos is auriferous at its springs, and in 1747 the mines of
Santa Isabel were discovered in it, but immediately abandoned, as not
answering the expectations created in those fortunate times by the
great quantities of gold drawn from the mines of Cuiaba and Matto
Grosso. The lands were infested by dangerous tribes of warlike Indians.
The river Sumidouro empties itself on the south side into the Arinos,
and its source being a short distance from that of the Sypotuba, a
large western branch of the Paraguay, there is an easy communication
from one river to the other. The famous discoverer, João de Souza
Echevedo, in 1746, made this passage: he descended the river Cuiaba,
and sailing up the Sypotuba to its very sources, he there passed his
canoes over land into the Sumidouro, which he navigated, following the
current, notwithstanding that the river runs for some distance under
ground, and thence derives its appellation. After this, he passed into
the Arinos, and thence into the Tapajos, where he surmounted the falls,
though more difficult than those of the Madeira, and discovered many
symptoms of gold in the river of Tres Barras, a western arm of the
Tapajos, a hundred leagues below the springs of the Arinos. West of
the Sumidouro, and in the plains of Parexis, the river Xacurutina has
its origin to the north of the river Jauru: it is famous for a lake,
situated in one of its branches, where every year is produced a great
quantity of salt, which is a constant cause of war among the Indians.
Some navigators make the Xacurutina an arm of the Arinos, and others of
the Sumidouro. In these plains of Parexis, terminating to the west in
the high mountains so denominated, which, extending two hundred leagues
in a north-north-west direction, front the Guapore at a distance of
fifteen or twenty leagues, springs the river Juruena, between the heads
of the Sarare and the Guapore, a league east of the former and two
west of the latter. This river, the largest and westermost branch of
the Tapajos, rises in lat. 14° 42′, twenty leagues north-north-east of
Villa Bella, and, running north one hundred and twenty leagues, flows
into the Arinos, and with it forms the bed of the Tapajos.
The Juruena receives on both sides many small rivers, those from
the west affording many practicable communications by short passages
over-land with the Guapore and its confluent streams. The uppermost
of these, which is nearest to Villa Bella, is the Securiu, navigable
even there, and almost to its source. This is a league north of the
principal source of the river Sarare, which, a quarter of a league
from its head, is three yards deep and five broad. Thus sailing up
the Juruena, into the Securiu, and making from its source the short
land-passage of a league to the Sarare, the navigator may reach Villa
Bella in less than eight days, without any other obstacle than that of
the fall formed by the Sarare, three leagues below its source, where it
precipitates itself from the Parexis mountains on the western slope:
this difficulty may be surmounted in detail, or by at once passing
the four leagues, for the Sarare from its fall becomes immediately
navigable to the capital of Matto Grosso. A league north of the source
of the Sarare is the first head of the river Galera, the second
confluent of the Guapore below Villa Bella; and a league east of the
same head rises the Ema, a western branch of the Securiu, affording
equal facility of communication. The Galera has three other sources
north of the first in the plains of the Parexis, all ample streams; the
last and most northerly, called Sabará, is distant little more than
a league from the source of the river Juina, a large western branch
of the Juruena. Thus by the Juina and the Securiu, with a crossing
of five or six leagues, so as to pass the falls of the Galera on the
western scarp of the mountain, the Juruena may be connected with the
Guapore.
Lastly, the Juruena may be navigated to its upper fall, which is within
two leagues of its own source. The fall is formed by two small leaps,
the river being, even in this part, thirty yards broad and of great
depth; from hence downwards it flows with great rapidity, yet its falls
are not greater, and are more passable, than those of the Arinos.
With the same circumstances, and by similar short land-passages, a
communication is practicable from the Juruena with the rivers Guapore
and Jauru, which are to the eastward of it, although these two rivers
precipitate themselves from the south side of the Parexis mountains,
where they rise, and immediately form numerous and extensive falls.
From the geographical position of the Tapajos, it is evident that this
river facilitates navigation and commerce from the maritime city of
Pará to the mines of Matto Grosso and Cuiaba, by means of its large
branches, the Juruena and Arinos; if the short passages over-land
should be found troublesome to drag canoes, the goods may be forwarded
immediately on mules. This navigation to Matto Grosso is at least two
hundred leagues shorter than that performed through the Madeira and
Guapore; it is consequently less tedious and expensive, and equally
advantageous to the mines of Cuiaba. The navigation of the river
Tapajos might lead also to new discoveries in the vast unexplored parts
of this river, up to its entrance into the plains of the Parexis,
and their products might add to those of the extensive regions on
the Amazons. Besides this, the river is known to be auriferous for a
great part of its course: it is known also, that, passing from the
Juruena into its western arm, the river Camararé, and the heads of the
river Jamary or das Candeas, which, running in broad streams down the
eastern side of the Parexis mountains, enters the Madeira, there are
mines which have inspired great hopes, though but lately seen, after a
fruitless search of twenty years.
_The River Paraguay_
has its remote springs to the west of the heads of the Arinos in
latitude 13°, and, after a southern course of six hundred leagues,
enters the ocean under the appellation of the Rio de la Plata. The
heads of the Paraguay are seventy leagues north-east from Villa Bella,
and forty leagues north from Cuiaba, and divided into many branches,
and already forming complete rivers, which, as they run south,
successively unite, and form the channel of this immense river, which
is immediately navigable. To the west, a short distance from the main
source of the Paraguay, is that of the Sypotuba, which disembogues on
its west bank in lat. 15° 50′, after a course of sixty leagues. In
the upper part of this river, and near its western branch called the
Jurubauba, was formerly a gold-mine, which was worked with considerable
profit; but the superior advantages derived from others subsequently
explored in Matto Grosso and Cuiaba, caused it to be abandoned, and
its site is not now known with certainty. The little river Cabaral,
also auriferous, enters the Paraguay on the west side, three leagues
below the mouth of the Sypotuba. On the banks of the latter lives a
nation of Indians, called _Barbados_, from the distinction peculiar to
themselves, among all the Indian nations, of having large beards.
The Boriars Araviras inhabit the banks of the Cabaral: they are a
mixture of two different nations, who in the year 1797 sent four
chiefs of their tribe, accompanied by their mother, to Villa Bella,
in order to solicit the friendship of the Portuguese. The nation
called Parrarioné lives in their neighbourhood, close by the Sypotuba.
A league below the mouth of the Cabaral, on the east bank of the
Paraguay, is Villa Maria, a small and useful establishment, founded in
1778. Seven leagues south of Villa Maria, and on the west bank of the
Paraguay, the river Jauru disembogues into it in lat. 16° 24′. This
river is remarkable for the boundary-mark erected at its mouth in 1754,
as well as for being entirely Portuguese, together with the lands on
its south bank, and bordering on the Spanish possessions. It rises
in the plains of the Parexis in lat. 14° 42′, and long. 58° 30′, and
running south to lat. 15° 45′, the situation of the Register of the
same name, it there turns to the south-east for thirty-four leagues,
till, by an entire course of sixty leagues, it reaches its junction
with the Paraguay. There are salt-water-pits, which in part have
supplied Matto Grosso, ever since its foundation, with salt: they are
in the interior of the country, seven leagues from the Register, and
extend to a place called Salina de Almeida, from the name of the person
who first employed himself in these works.
These salt-pits are situated along the margins of broad marshy bottoms,
in which are found fish of the same kind with those in the Paraguay.
The Salina de Almeida is not far distant from the bank of Jauru, and
the great quantity of saline liquid found in it continues three leagues
farther to the south, where a junction is formed with another from the
west, called Pitas; westward of which are high and dry plains, where
are found numerous large circles, formed by a species of palm called
Carandas. These plains terminate nine leagues west of the Salina de
Almeida, in a large pool or marsh, called Paopique, which runs to the
south.
The confluence of the Jauru with the Paraguay is a point of much
importance: it guards and covers the great road between Villa Bella,
Cuiaba, and their intermediate establishments, and in the same manner
commands the navigation of both the rivers, and defends the entrance
into the interior of the latter _capitania_. The Paraguay from this
place has a free navigation upwards, almost to its sources, which are
scarcely seventy leagues distant, with no other impediment than a large
fall. These sources are said to contain diamonds.
The mark placed at the mouth of the Jauru is a pyramid of beautiful
marble, brought to this distant point from Lisbon. It bears
inscriptions commemorative of the treaty between the courts of Spain
and Portugal, by which the respective territories, of which it stands
as the boundary, were defined.
The lofty chain of mountains, which extends from the sources of the
Paraguay near its eastern bank, border the river opposite the mouth
of the Jauru, and are terminated seven leagues below it by the Morro
Escalvado in lat. 16° 43′. Eastward of this mount or point, all is
marsh, and nine leagues below it there flows into the east side of
the Paraguay a deep stream or river, called Rio Novo, discovered in
1786, which may hereafter afford a navigation to near St. Pedro d’El
Rey, when the aquatic plants that obstruct its channel are removed.
The most distant sources of this river are the rivulets of Sta. Anna,
Bento Gomes, and others which cross the great road of Cuiaba to the
west of Cocaes. In lat. 17° 33′ the west banks of the Paraguay become
mountainous at the north point of the Serra da Insua, which, three
leagues to the south, makes a deep break to form the mouth of the
lake Gaiba. This lake extends westward, and there is a broad canal of
four leagues in extent, which comes from the north, communicating from
the above lake to that of Uberava, somewhat larger than the Gaiba,
situated exactly contiguous to the Serra da Insua, on its north side.
Six leagues and a half below the mouth of the Gaiba, and opposite this
mountainous bank of the Paraguay, is the mouth of the St. Lourenço,
formerly called Porrudos. Twenty-six leagues above this the river
Cuiaba enters its western bank in lat. 17° 20′, and long. 57° 5′: these
two rivers are of great extent; that of Lourenço has its sources in
lat. 15°, forty leagues east of the town of Cuiaba, receiving (besides
the branches crossed by the road from Goyaz) other great streams on its
east side, such as the Paraiba or Piquiri, which receives the Jaquari
and the Itiquira, all of moderate size, and navigable. The Itiquira
has been navigated to its heads, from whence the canoes were dragged
over-land to the Sucuriu, which falls into the Parana four leagues
below the mouth of the river Tiete on the opposite side. The rivers
Itiquira and Sucuriu were found to have fewer and smaller falls than
the Taquari, and the land-passage is much shorter and more convenient
than that of the Camapuão, so that this navigation is preferable to
that by the two last-mentioned rivers: it is attended by only two
obstacles,—many Indians, and a want of provisions.
The navigation to the town of Cuiaba by the river of that name, from
its above-mentioned confluence, is short and easy: in the first ten
leagues, after passing the two small islands of Ariacuni and Tarumus,
occurs a large plantation of bananas, formed on an embankment on the
east side of the river. Three leagues above this place the Guacho-uassu
enters the Cuiaba by its east bank, and on the same side, seven leagues
farther, the Guacho-mirim. From this point the river winds in a
north-east direction, eleven leagues to the island of Pirahim, and from
thence makes a large bend to the east, receiving numerous streams, and
passes the town of Cuiaba, which is situated a mile to the eastward of
it. This town is ninety-six leagues to the east of Villa Bella, and the
same distance from the confluence of its river with the Paraguay. It
is large, and, together with its dependencies, may at present contain
30,000 souls. It is well provided with meat, fish, fruits, and all
sorts of vegetables, at a much cheaper rate than at the sea-ports.
Their country is well adapted for cultivation, and has rich mines, but
in some places little water to work them in dry weather. They were
discovered in 1718, and have been estimated to produce annually above
twenty _arrobas_ of gold of extremely fine quality. These mines have
produced an enormous quantity of gold compared with the thinness of the
population, and the want of means, machinery, &c. for working them.
Twenty leagues south-west of the town of Cuiaba is the settlement of
St. Pedro d’El Rey, the largest of all the adjacent settlements, and
contains full 2,000 inhabitants. It is situated near the western side
of the rivulet Bento Gomes, which, at the distance of a league and a
half south of the settlement, forms a large bay, called Rio de Janeiro.
The river Cuiaba has its sources forty leagues above the town, and its
banks are cultivated through the greater part of its extent, including
fourteen leagues below the town, down the stream. Four leagues below
the principal mouth of the river Porrudos, the Paraguay is bordered by
the mountains that separate it from Gaiba on its western bank, and in
this place they obtain the appellation of _Serra das Pedras de Amolar_,
from being composed of a stone of which whet-stones are made. This
is the only spot which is not inundated by the floods of the river,
and is therefore much visited by the canoes that navigate it. These
_Serras_ terminate two leagues to the south in those of the Dourados,
immediately below which there is a channel on the west side of the
Paraguay, which, piercing between two high detached mounts, called
Cheines, leads to the lake Mendiuri, six leagues long, and the largest
on the Paraguay.
From the Dourados the Paraguay runs southward to the Serras of
Albuquerque, where it touches directly on the northern point, on which
is situated a town of that name. These Serras form a compact square of
ten leagues, and contain much calcareous stone; the land is considered
the best on either side the Paraguay, from the river downwards, and
only equalled by that on the western margins of the lakes Mandiuri
and Gaiba. From Albuquerque the Paraguay turns to the east, skirting
its Serras, which terminate at the end of six leagues in the Serra do
Rabicho, opposite which, on the north bank of the river, is situated
the lower southern mouth of the Paraguay-mirim. This is an arm of the
Paraguay, which, terminating here, forms an island fourteen leagues
in length from north to south: it is the usual channel for canoes in
times of inundation. From the mouth of the Paraguay-mirim the river
takes a southerly direction to the mouth of the Taquari, navigated
annually by flotillas of canoes and other craft, which come from S.
Paulo to Cuiaba, and even as far as the Register of Jauru, when their
destination happens to be Villa Bella.
As this navigation is an object of great importance, from its
connecting two distinct districts, the following compendious
description of the route pursued in it may not prove uninteresting; it
is abstracted from the diary of a man of science, who performed the
journey a few years ago, in the month of October, when the Paraguay
begins to retire to its own channel. The description may commence at
the Taquari, as the voyage from thence to Cuiaba and the Jauru has
already been detailed. The largest of the many mouths of the Taquari
in the Paraguay is in lat. 19° 15′, and long. 54°. In the first ten
leagues of navigation, the channel of the river is lost, as it crosses
some large plains, covered with water to the depth of several feet.
This is contiguous to Taquari, a place where the river is much confined.
From this place it is twenty leagues to the resting-place of Allegre,
in lat. 18° 12′, and this space contains, on both banks of the Taquari,
many entrances into the paths, which lead in time of the floods to
various distant places on the Paraguay, Porrudos, and Cuiaba. From
this resting-place there are thirty leagues of navigation, on the
course of the river east to the fall of Barra, where it is impeded
and unnavigable above a mile, though a part of it may be passed in
half-loaded and part of it in empty canoes. At the head of this fall
the river Cochim enters the Taquari, and the navigation here quits
the latter for the Cochim. At its mouth it is twenty fathoms broad,
and a league upwards receives on its south bank the Taquari-mirim, a
river nearly as broad as itself. A little above this confluence is
situated its first fall, which is called _da Ilha_, and may be passed
in empty canoes. A league above is the fall of Giquitaya, passed
with half cargoes, and a league and a quarter farther, that of the
Choradeira, the current of which is very rapid. Beyond this is the
fall of Avanhandava-uassu, where the cargoes are carried over-land for
half a mile, and the canoes are conducted through a difficult channel
of three fathoms, at the end of which they are pushed over the rocks
in order to pass the head or cataract. Half a league above is the fall
do Jauru, so called from a river of that name, which enters the Cochim
above it, on the north side. From this confluence upwards there occur
seven falls in the course of five leagues and a half, in the midst
of which distance the river cuts and is enchannelled in a mountain,
through which it runs smoothly, although scarcely five fathoms broad,
and receives on its south side the stream of the Paredão, which is
said to be auriferous. Half a league above the last of the seven falls
before-mentioned are three successive ones, called _Tres Irmãos_, and
at an equal distance above them, that of Das Furnas, which is passed
laboriously with canoes unloaded. From this place the navigation
continues on the Cochim through a succession of falls, until that river
is joined by the Camapuão, eight yards in breadth at its mouth. From
this point to its junction with the Taquari, the course of the Cochim
is thirty leagues.
The river Camapuã, along which the navigation is continued, becomes
narrower on passing some rivulets that flow into it, and so shallow,
as to be in general scarcely two feet deep, and the canoes are rather
dragged than navigated along its sandy bed. After two leagues of this
labor, they quit the Camapuão-uassu, leaving it on the right hand,
choked with fallen trees, &c., and enter into the Camapuão-mirim, up
which they proceed one league, when they reach the _fazenda_, or
estate, of the same name. This is an important establishment, belonging
to the Portuguese, in the centre of those vast and desert regions
that intervene between the great rivers Paraguay and Parana, ninety
leagues south-south-west, in a direct line from the town of Cuiaba. The
place seems very proper for a Register, to prevent the smuggling of
gold in this route, and to fix the duties on goods passing to Cuiaba
and Matto Grosso. The canoes and cargoes are transported from the
Fazenda de Campauão by land about a mile to the river Sanguixuga, the
principal source of the Rio Pardo. From the end of the land-passages
the navigation continues down the Sanguixuga, and, in the interval of
three leagues, they pass four falls to the Rio Vermelho (so called
from the color of its waters), which enters the Pardo. Half a league
from the mouth of the Vermelho, the Pardo has the fall of the Pedras
de Amolar, and a league below receives on its south side the river
Claro, from which, after proceeding two leagues of level stream, there
occur nine falls in the space of two leagues more. The passage of them
occupies twelve or fourteen days in going up the river, though only one
in returning. Below the last of these, called the Bangue, the river
Sucuriu enters the Pardo on its south side. Three leagues below the
mouth of the Sucuriu is the cataract of Curare, about eight yards high,
to avoid which the canoes are hauled over land, through a passage of a
hundred yards. From this cataract, in the space of ten leagues, there
occur ten falls, which occupy fifteen or twenty days in ascending the
river, though only one in descending. The breadth of the Rio Pardo in
this part is twenty-two fathoms. Two leagues below the last of these
falls is a deep inlet of three hundred and ninety fathoms; half a
league lower the canoes are hauled over a space of land of a hundred
and fifty yards. Half a league further is the fall of Sirga Negra; one
league further, that of Sirga Matto; and a little more than a league
from thence, the great cataract, or Salto da Cajuru, ten yards in
height, to avoid which, the canoes are hauled through a narrow channel
here formed by the river. At a distance equal to the preceding is the
Cajuru-mirim, and immediately after is found the fall of _da Ilha_, the
thirty-third and last on this river. Six leagues below this fall, the
Rio Pardo receives on its north side the river Orelha da Anta;[A] and
four leagues lower down, on the same side, the Orelha da Onça[73], from
the mouth of which, after eleven leagues of navigation, is found the
junction which the river Anhandery-uassu makes from the south with the
Pardo, which, from the passage of Camapuão to this point, completes a
south-east course of forty-five leagues in extent. The Anhandery and
the Pardo, from their confluence, run sixteen leagues of navigation
westward, in one channel, and disembogue in the west bank of the
Parana in lat. about 21°. The velocity of the current of the Rio Pardo
is very irregular: it may be navigated downward in five or six days,
but cannot be ascended in less than twenty or thirty, and that by
hauling, for the force of the stream in some places is too great for
oars.
The river Parana is of great breadth and weight of water, and is
navigated against its current up to the mouth of the fine river Tieté.
In the first three leagues occurs the island of Manoel Homem. Five
leagues above this island the Rio Verde falls into the Parana, by
a mouth of forty-two fathoms, on its western bank, and at an equal
distance above, on the opposite eastern side, the river Aguapehy
enters, by a mouth apparently above twenty yards wide. Eight leagues
above this river, and on the west side of the Parana, the large river
Sucuriu has its mouth, at least fifty fathoms wide, and, after four
leagues of navigation further, on the same side of the Parana, is
found the mouth of the large and interesting river, the Tieté[74]. The
distance between the rivers Tieté and Pardo, according to the windings
of the Parana, may be estimated at thirty-five leagues; the direction
north, inclining to the east. Passing up the Tieté, in the first three
leagues is found the great Salto de Itapura (a great cascade) to avoid
which, the canoes are dragged sixty fathoms over-land. A league above
is the difficult fall of Itapura-mirim; another league upwards are the
three falls, called Tres Irmaos, and little more than that distance
onward, that of Itupiru, half a league long; two leagues further is the
fall of Uaicurituba-mirim, and in the upper part of it the small river
Sucury enters the Tieté upon its north bank. One league above it is the
fall of Utupiba, a quarter of a league in length. The same distance
above is the fall of Araracangua-uassu, which is passed with unloaded
canoes. Five leagues above this is found the Araracangua-mirim; one
league further, the Arassatuba, and at the same distance, Uaicurituba,
from which, in the space of nine leagues, occur seven falls. Three and
a half leagues above the last of them is that of the Escaramunca, so
called from the abrupt windings of the river among a thousand rocks and
stoppages. Two leagues above this is the large fall of Avanhandava,
where the canoes are unloaded, and their cargoes carried half a mile
over-land[75], and the canoes hauled the greatest part of the way, to
avoid a cataract sixteen yards perpendicular. A league and a half above
this is the fall of Avanhandava-mirim, and very near it, that of the
Campo, from which there are fourteen leagues of clear navigation to
those of the Camboyu-voca, and next to the Tambau-mirim and Uassu, both
within the compass of two leagues. One league further is the fall of
Tambitiririca; three leagues from thence, the Uamicanga, and a little
more than two leagues upwards, the Jacuripipira enters the Tieté on
the north side, and has a mouth fifteen fathoms broad. A league and
a half above this is the Jacuripipira-mirim, six leagues from whence
is the fall of Congouha, a league in length. For the space of eight
leagues from this there are six falls, of which the last is Banharem.
From this it is three leagues and a half to the mouth of the Paraniaba,
thirty-eight fathoms broad: it enters the Tieté on the north; and
the latter river from this point immediately narrows itself to forty
fathoms wide. From the mouth of the Paraniaba there is a navigation
of four leagues to the small fall of Ilha, and fourteen leagues more,
with frequent windings to that of Itahy, near a populous village,
called Jundahy. Six leagues from this is the fall of Pedrenegoa, which
is a quarter of a league long; and half a league above it, the river
Sorecaba, which comes from the town of the same name, in lat. 23° 31′,
empties itself on the south into the Tieté. Near this town are several
mountains, called Guaraceaba, some of which abound with rich oxide of
iron, which on smelting, has proved very good. Upon them grows fine
timber for machinery, and wood of every size, fit for reducing into
charcoal. Numerous streams flow from them, which may be employed to
great advantage, and their base is washed by the river Campanhes,
near the Capivara, both of which empty themselves into the Tieté at
a short distance. From the river Sorecaba it is only six leagues to
Porto Felix, where all the embarkation is now made to Matto Grosso
from S. Paulo, the distance being about twenty-three leagues from
that city. Through this conveyance, salt, iron, ammunition, clothing
for the troops, &c. are sent annually by Government.—Trading parties
frequently arrive at S. Paulo from Cuiaba in the month of February, and
return in April or May.
Resuming our account of the Paraguay, it is to be observed that the
Embotetieu enters that river five leagues below the mouth of the
Taquari, and on the same side. It is now called Mondego, and was
formerly navigated by the traders from S. Paulo, who entered by the
Anhandery-uassu, the south branch of the Pardo. On the north bank of
the Mondego, twenty leagues above its mouth, the Spaniards founded the
city of Xerez, which the Paulistas destroyed. Ten leagues above this
place, in the mountains that form the upper part of the Embotetieu,
there is a tradition that there are rich mines which were discovered
fifty years ago. One league below the mouth of the Mondego there are
two high insulated mounts fronting each other on the Paraguay: at the
extremity of the southern declivity of the mount on the west side, near
the bank of the river, is the garrison of New Coimbra, founded in 1775;
it is the last and southermost Portuguese establishment on the great
Paraguay. Eleven leagues to the south of Coimbra, on the west side of
the Paraguay, is the mouth of Bahia Negra, a large sheet of water of
six leagues in extent, being five leagues long from north to south: it
receives the waters of the wide-flooded plains and lands to the south
and west of the mountains of Albuquerque. At this bay the Portuguese
possessions on both banks of the Paraguay terminate. From thence the
river continues to lat. 21°, where, on its west bank, is situated a
hill known to the Portuguese by the name of Miguel José, crowned with
a Spanish fort with four pieces of artillery, called Bourbon. Three
leagues above this the little river Guirino falls into the Paraguay
on the east side. Nine leagues to the south of the above fort, and in
lat. 21° 22´, are other mountains, on both sides the Paraguay, which
command this river; for the eastern side is surmounted with a lofty
chain extending to the interior of the country, near which is the
sugar-loaf mount; the opposite side is equally mountainous, but not
so high or extensive; and in the middle of the river there is a high
rocky island, which, with the mountainous banks on each side, forms two
channels of about a musket-shot across. This, in case of war between
the neighbouring nations, would be a post of the highest importance, as
it forms a natural barrier, which would require little fortification
to render it an effectual obstacle to invasion. Here terminate those
extensive inundations, to which both banks of the Paraguay are subject:
they commence at the mouth of the Jauru, and to this point cover
an extent of one hundred leagues from north to south, and forty in
breadth, at their highest floods, forming an apparent lake, which
geographers of former days, as well as some moderns have termed the
Xarayes. This inundation confounds the channel of the great Paraguay
with those of its various confluents, in such a manner that, from
twenty to thirty leagues above their regular mouths, it is possible, in
time of the floods, to navigate across from one to the other, always
in deep water, without ever seeing or approaching the banks of the
Paraguay. During this wonderful inundation, the high mountains and
elevated land which it incloses appear like so many superb islands,
and the lower grounds form a labyrinth of lakes, bays, and pools, many
of which remain after the floods have subsided. From the intricacy of
these inundated plains, the navigation is rendered impracticable to
all who do not unite experience with skill. From this position, (the
only barrier on the Paraguay), the banks downward are in general high
and firm, particularly the eastern or Portuguese side. In lat. 22° 5′,
a considerable river empties itself into it, which the Spaniards, at
the demarcation in 1753, would have to be the Corrientes, whereas the
heads of this river are twenty leagues north of the real Corrientes
mentioned in the treaty.
Between the Paraguay and Parana there runs from north to south an
extensive chain of mountains, which have the appellation of Amanbay;
they terminate to the south of the river Iguatimy, forming a ridge
running east and west, called Maracayer. From these mountains spring
all the rivers which, from the Taquari southward, enter the Paraguay,
and from the same chain, also, proceed many other rivers, which, taking
a contrary direction, flow into the Parana, one of them, and the most
southerly, being the Igoatimy, which has its mouth in lat. 23° 47′, a
little above the seven falls, or the wonderful cataract of the Parana.
This cataract is a most sublime spectacle, being distinguished to the
eye of the spectator from below by the appearance of six rainbows, and
emitting from its fall a constant cloud of vapors, which impregnates
the air to a great distance. On the north side of the Igoatimy, twenty
leagues from its mouth, the Portuguese had formerly the fortress of
Bauris, which was abandoned in 1777. The Igoatimy has its sources ten
leagues above this place, among high and rugged mountains. The river
Xexuy enters the Paraguay on the east side in lat. 24° 11′, twenty
leagues below the Ipane, another small river, called Ipanemirim,
intervening.
This is a summary and highly interesting description of Portuguese
Paraguay, to the point where the territory ought (as our Tourist
observes) to extend! and such is the situation of this great river,
that the above-mentioned rivers which concentrate toward the interior
of Brazil, enter it on the eastern side; not one enters it on the
western, from the Jauru to the parallel of the Ipane. Many parts of
the banks of all those rivers are laid under water at the time of the
floods, and the plains are covered to a considerable depth.
A river of such vast size as the Paraguay, in a temperate and
salubrious climate, abounding with fish, bordered by extensive plains
and high mountains, intersected by so many rivers, bays, lakes, and
forests, must naturally have drawn many of the Indian nations to
inhabit its banks: but, immediately after the discovery of the new
continent, the incursions of the Paulistas and Spaniards seem to have
dispersed and destroyed the numerous tribes: the Jesuits transplanted
many thousands to their settlements on the Uruguay and Parana. Other
nations fled from the avarice of the new settlers to countries
less favored, but more secure by reason of their distance, and the
difficulty of approach. This emigration of one nation to districts
occupied by another, became the fruitful source of inveterate and
sanguinary wars among them, which tended to reduce their numbers. There
are, however, still some Indians left on the borders of the Paraguay,
among whom the Guaycurus, or Cavalier Indians, are principally
distinguished for valour. They occupy the lands from the river Taquari,
extending southwards, along all the rivers that enter the Paraguay on
the eastern side, as far as the river Ipane, and in like manner, on
the opposite bank, from the mountains of Albuquerque downwards. They
have made war repeatedly on the Spaniards and Portuguese, without ever
being subdued. They are armed with lances of extraordinary length,
bows, arrows, &c. They make long incursions on horseback into the
neighbouring territories; they procure horses in exchange for stout
cotton cloaks, called _Ponches_, which they manufacture. There are
other Indian nations inhabiting these large tracts, some of whom have
intermixed both with the Portuguese and Spaniards, there being few of
the latter on any part of the confines without some traces of Indian
physiognomy.
From the river Xexuy, downwards, the Paraguay takes its general course
southwards for thirty-two leagues to the city of Assumpcion, the
capital of Paraguay, and the residence of its governor. This city is
situated on an obtuse angle made by the eastern bank of the river; the
population is by no means trifling, and there are some Portuguese
among the inhabitants. The government is of vast extent, and its
total population is said to amount to near 120,000 souls. The land is
fertile, and contains many rich farms: its principal produce is the
_matte_, which is exported to Tucuman and Buenos Ayres, from whence
it is sent to various parts of the Spanish dominions, along the coast
of Chili and Peru, being a general article of consumption among all
ranks of people. Its other products are hides, tobacco, and sugar. From
Buenos Ayres large boats arrive at the city of Assumpcion, after two or
three months’ passage; the only difficulty in navigating is the great
weight of the waters of the Paraguay, which flow with great rapidity:
but this disadvantage is lessened by favorable winds, which blow the
greater part of the year from the south.
Six leagues below Assumpcion, on the western side of the Paraguay, the
river Pilcomayo enters that river by its first mouth; its second is
fourteen or sixteen leagues lower. In this space some other smaller
rivers enter on the eastern side, and amongst them the Tibiquari, on an
arm of which, twenty leagues south-east from Assumpcion, is Villa Rica,
a large Spanish town, with much property in cattle on its extensive
plains. The river Vermelho enters the west side of the Paraguay in lat.
26° 50′: on a remote upper branch of this river is the town of Salto,
near an accessible fall; it is an important point to the Spaniards, who
are transporting their goods from Buenos Ayres, Tucuman, &c. to Upper
Peru.
_The River Parana_,
or Great River, which the first discoverers considered as the
chief, on account of its abundant waters, unites with the eastern
side of the Paraguay in lat. 27° 25´, and their united streams take
the name of the Rio de la Plata, which originated in the following
circumstance:—Martim de Sousa, the first donatary of the _capitania_
of St. Vicente, furnished Aleixo Garcio, with an adequate escort to
explore the hitherto untrodden wilds to the west of the extensive coast
of Brazil. This intrepid Portuguese, by the route of the Tieté, reached
the Paraguay, which he crossed, and penetrated considerably into the
interior, from whence he returned, it is said, loaded with silver, and
some gold: but he halted on the Paraguay, and waited for the coming of
his son, a youth of tender years, with some of his people, whilst he
sent forward an account of the discovery. He was surprised by a body of
Indians, who killed him, took his son prisoner, and carried off all his
riches: the year following, sixty Portuguese, who were sent in search
of Garcia, shared the same fate. The Spaniards who first settled on
this river, seeing so much silver amongst these Indians, and supposing
it to be the produce of the country, called the river La Plata.[76]
The Parana derives its principal sources from the west side of the
mountains of Mantiqueira, twenty-five leagues west of the town of
Paraty.
CHAP. XIX.
_Account of the Capitania of Rio Grande._
THE _capitania_ of Rio Grande is one of the most important in Brazil.
It is of considerable extent, and is bounded by the _capitania_ of
S. Paulo on the north, Matto Grosso on the west, and by the Spanish
territories, between it and the Rio de la Plata, on the south.
Its port is situated about 32° south; it is dangerous to enter, first
from its being shoal water, and next, from a violent sea always
running, and from the shifting of the sands. Notwithstanding these
inconveniences, there is a great trade carried on from this place to
all the ports of Brazil, in brigs and small vessels that do not draw
above ten feet water. After passing the bar, which is long, they enter
into an inland sea, or lagoon, of deep water, and navigate to the north
and west to its head, where the principal river runs into it. To the
southward is the lagoon Meni, and the neutral ground; a little to the
southward of which is the Spanish fortress of Santa Theresa, lately put
in repair.
The principal town is defended by many forts, some of which are upon
islets. Since it was taken from the Spaniards by General Coimbra,
the Portuguese have much strengthened it, and now there is a very
considerable force of cavalry, horse-artillery, and foot-soldiers; so
that at a short notice, with the addition of the militia, a body of
five or seven thousand men might be calculated upon.
The climate is considered very fine, and the soil so productive, that
this district may be called the granary of Brazil; the wheat grown
here is shipped to all the ports on the coast where bread is used.
Farming, however, is carried on in so slovenly a manner, that the grain
is always rough, bad skinned, and extremely foul. It is packed in raw
hides, which are sewed up like sacks; it swells, and heats frequently
on the passage from Rio Grande to the more northerly ports; and often,
after landing in Rio de Janeiro, it is left on the quay exposed for
days to the rain.
The vicinity of Rio Grande is extremely populous; in a circuit of
twenty leagues, the inhabitants, including the troops, are estimated
at 100,000. Their principal occupations are, the breeding of cattle,
for which the immense tract of pastureland is so well calculated; the
drying and preparing of hides, and the making of _charque_, or what is
called, in the river Plata, jug-beef. It is prepared in the following
manner:—After the ox is skinned, the flesh is stripped from the bones
in as large flakes as possible, in some degree resembling sides of
bacon: it is put into hot brine, where it remains from twelve to forty
hours, according to the thickness. It is then taken out, drained, and
dried in the sun, afterwards shipped to all parts of Brazil. It is a
general article of consumption among the lower classes and negroes, and
is not unfrequently seen at respectable tables, being in taste somewhat
similar to hung-beef. It constitutes the general food for the sailors,
and forms part of almost every cargo sent out from this port. It has
found its way to the West Indies, where it is in great request, and has
been frequently sold, during the war, at nine-pence or a shilling per
pound. The _charque_ prepared at Rio Grande is much superior to that
brought from the river Plata. During the time that the English troops
were in possession of Monte Video, in consequence of an apprehension
that the cattle might be driven away, and they be in want of supplies,
large quantities were contracted for at S. Pedro, which arrived at
Monte Video, though not wanted. They were afterwards shipped for the
West India market.
The quantity of hides exported from hence is almost incredible; they
furnish many vessels with entire cargoes, which are carried to the
northern ports, and from thence embarked for Europe. The annual
average may be estimated at not less than three hundred thousand.
Tallow forms another considerable article of commerce, which in general
is shipped in the crude state, and not refined, as in the river Plata.
The greater part is consumed in Brazil, and the dealers find it
preferable to refine the article on the spot, where they manufacture it
into candles. It is packed in waste raw-hide packages.[77]
Horns and horse-hair form an inferior branch of the commerce, and are
shipped from this port in great quantities.
The above are the staple productions of Rio Grande, which give
employment perhaps to a hundred sail of coasters, some of which make
two or three voyages in a year, carrying thither rum, sugar, tobacco,
cotton, rice, coarse manufactured cotton, sweet meats, &c.[78]
Of European merchandise, they bring wine, olive-oil, glass, and a great
variety of English commodities, particularly iron, (though they much
prefer the Swedish), baizes, coatings, stout woollen cloths, Manchester
velverets of various qualities and colors, printed cottons, calicoes,
muslins, handkerchiefs, silk, cotton, and worsted hosiery, hats,
flannels, &c.
Sail-cloth, cordage, anchors, tar, paints, fowling pieces,
ammunition of all sorts, hardware of every description, particularly
slaughter-knives, some plated ware, and fancy articles. A great part of
the goods are conveyed upon horses into the interior, where they are
carried from house to house for sale or exchange.
During the old system, so lately as within these four years, a most
lucrative trade was here carried on with the Spaniards, who came
in numbers, and most eagerly bought up the tobacco, and such of
the English manufactures as could be transported on horseback, at
great prices. Thus Rio Grande and its vicinity became very enviable
situations, where considerable fortunes were made in a little time,
as the goods bought were much in request, though contraband, and
were paid for in specie. This trade, so advantageous to each party,
is now entirely ruined through the eagerness of our speculators in
over-stocking the markets, and selling for two what would have been
eagerly bought for six.
The neighbourhood of the capital is an unpleasant place, being
surrounded with sand and sandhills of no inconsiderable size, formed by
the wind blowing the sand in heaps in various directions, which become
half indurated, and appear stratified. The excessively high winds,
which frequently prevail, blow the sand so as to be very disagreeable,
as it enters every part of the house.
The cattle bred in this _capitania_ are very numerous, and large herds
are brought hither from the Spanish frontiers.
The large river Uruguay rises in this _capitania_, and empties itself
into the river Plata, a little above Buenos Ayres; there are numerous
others of less consequence, the banks of which are well stored with
wood. Some attempts were lately made, by miners sent from Villa Rica,
to work gold-washings. In the neighbourhood of the capital they have
coal, a specimen of which I have seen. From the same district, a
gentleman shewed me a substance which he could not define; on seeing
it, I asked him if he was certain that it came from thence; he assured
me that he was: I then told him that it was wolfram; and stated that
this metal strongly indicated tin, of which it is frequently an
attendant in Europe, though probably it may not be so in America. It
was a rude lump, not rounded by friction, and weighed at least a pound.
Of the geology and general features of the rocks of this _capitania_
very little is known.
In various parts _jaguars_, and other beasts of prey, are very common.
Among the graniverous animals are _capivaras_ of great size, deer
in vast herds, and _armadillos_, which afford excellent eating when
roasted. Of birds, there are ostriches of the dark-colored species,
which go about in flocks of great numbers. There are eagles, hawks,
and other birds of prey, particularly a species of crow of the vulture
kind. Cranes, storks, wild turkeys, ducks, partridges, horned plovers,
goat-suckers, horned owls, small parrots, cardinals, humming birds, &c.
are found in great numbers.
The inhabitants are, generally speaking, athletic and robust, and
so extremely fond of riding, as not to go the smallest distance on
foot. They are esteemed excellent horsemen, and greatly surpass their
neighbours in dexterity and agility, particularly in catching cattle
with the balls and the _lazo_. But it ought to be understood that the
Spaniards have Peons on their farms, who are more nearly allied to the
Indians than to them, whereas the Portuguese have Creolians, bred up to
the business, or expert negroes, who are inferior to none in this labor.
It is singular to Europeans, that in this fine climate, where the
thermometer is frequently below 40° Fahrenheit, and where are bred
as fine cows as any in the world, and every convenience is at hand
for dairies, neither butter nor cheese is made, except on particular
occasions; nor is milk even for coffee to be procured at all times. It
may probably be urged that the production of these articles would not
answer the purpose of the farmers: but certainly it might be made to
do so; and I hesitate not to say, that a hundred cows, kept for dairy
purposes, would yield to any man capable of rearing, training, and
managing them, a greater profit than any other part of husbandry. This
colony might easily be made to supply the neighbouring districts, and
even the whole of Brazil, with these articles.
A number of years ago some hemp was grown here by order of Government:
it proved excellent, but was abandoned because it was troublesome to
dress, and probably did not yield sufficient profit, owing to the high
price of labor.
In some places grapes are very good, and probably wine will soon be
made from them, as the restraint laid by the mother-country upon her
colonies is now removed.
Troops have been for a considerable time pouring into Rio Grande, the
result was, Monte Video taken possession of by the Portuguese. This
so enraged Artigas, a Spanish officer and great land owner, that he
rallied the inhabitants of the country, and, being joined by the Peons
and negroes, made war against the new possessors, (from whom he had
probably received indignities and injury), issuing orders for reprisals
at sea, and carrying on a desolating warfare. But this was not all—his
people, under no discipline, plundered the good _Fazendistas_, and
robbed and murdered private individuals; thus changing the scene from
peace, happiness, and contentment, to anarchy, confusion, rapine,
plunder, and murder.
A great many rivers run into Rio Grande, which has more the appearance
of a vast lake or inland sea than a river. On the banks of these
rivers we find many settlers enjoying most beautiful situations, and
lands to a great extent. Here may be said to be the finest situations
for growing wheat; falls of water for mills, and excellent water
conveyance to ships wanting cargoes, who might with the greatest
facility load and transport it all over Brazil, the Cape, Isle of
France, &c. An active people would soon enjoy a trade of their own
instead of importing flour from the United States, which is even now
the case.
CHAP. XX.
_General Observations on the Trade from England to Brazil._
HAVING, in a preceding part of this work, stated the importance of Rio
de Janeiro as a port which, from its locality, appears destined by
nature to become the metropolis of a vast empire, and the centre of an
extensive commerce, it may not be improper in this place to treat more
at large on this interesting subject.
The ships best calculated for trade from England are those which carry
about four hundred tons, and sail well: it is particularly necessary
that they should have the latter quality; for, if they have not, the
voyage from thence to England is frequently rendered very tedious
by their being driven too far to the westward by the north-east
trade-wind. Owing to this circumstance, it is not uncommon for a
packet, or fast-sailing ship, to make a passage from the coast of
Brazil to England in five or six weeks, when a heavy-sailing vessel is
double that time in arriving at her destination. The best season for
sailing from England, and that which affords the greatest probability
of making a short passage, is the month of February or March, because
then the north-east winds prevail. I should advise crossing the line in
not less than 22°, nor more than 25° west longitude, if the destination
be the Plata or Rio de Janeiro, as I have twice experienced very long
calms in crossing the line between 19° and 20°. Ships bound to Bahia,
Pernambuco, and ports more northerly, will of course cross the line
more to the westward, as they will have nothing to fear: but the
south-west trade-wind would generally cause ships going farther south
to fall in with the land too soon. Should that be the case, I would
advise them, if they make the land to the north of the Abrolhos[79],
to keep in-shore, as the land-breeze is frequently from the northward
until mid-day. The ports on this coast are in general good and secure,
nevertheless it is highly desirable to be provided with good anchors
and cables, particularly in the Rio de la Plata. In the Portuguese
territories the port-charges are not so expensive as formerly; a dollar
per day is exacted for anchorage, which forms the principal charge. I
particularly recommend that all homeward-bound ships should lay in a
sufficiency of necessary stores, especially of water, so as to make the
passage without being obliged to go into the Western Isles, as there
the port-charges and attendant expenses are very exorbitant, though the
only articles wanted may be a few casks of water, and a hundred weight
or two of bread.
Ships are loaded in Rio de Janeiro, and other ports of Brazil, as well
as in the Plata, by lighters, which are very expensive, and difficult
to be procured when many ships are receiving their cargoes; good boats
are extremely useful and necessary.
When a vessel enters any of the ports, the health-boat and custom-boat
make a visit before she anchors, and their report is immediately
made; after which, proper officers, called _guardas_, are sent on
board. These men in general are not very liberally provided for; they
are extremely civil and accommodating, and ought to be treated with
respect. Since the establishment of the treaty of commerce between this
government and that of Brazil the contraband trade has been almost done
away; for the duties are now much reduced, and the accommodation which
the judge and subordinate officers of the custom-house are disposed to
allow, is such, as to render that nefarious practice unnecessary.
It may not be improper in this place to describe the consequences
produced in Rio de Janeiro by the excessive commercial speculations
into which our merchants entered, immediately after the emigration of
the Court of Portugal, and which could only be equalled by those which
followed our expeditions to the Rio de la Plata.
Owing to the incredible competition or struggle among our merchants,
who should send most ships and cargoes to a country, whose civilized
population, exclusive of slaves, did not exceed eight hundred thousand
souls, (one-third, at least, of whom may be said to make use only of
what their land produces), it is natural to suppose that the market
would be almost instantly overstocked. So great and so unexpected was
the influx of English manufactures into Rio de Janeiro, within a few
days after the arrival of the Prince, that the rent of houses to put
them into became enormously dear. The bay was covered with ships,
and the custom-house soon overflowed with goods: even salt, casks of
ironmongery, and nails, salt-fish, hogsheads of cheese, hats, together
with an immense quantity of crates and hogsheads of earthen and glass
ware, cordage, bottled and barrelled porter, paints, gums, resin,
tar, &c. were exposed, not only to the sun and rain, but general
depredation. The inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, and more particularly
some of the Creolians and strangers from the interior, thought that
these goods were placed there for their benefit, and extolled the
goodness and generosity of the English, who strewed the beach to
a great extent with articles for which their own countrymen had
heretofore charged them such high prices! It is true that the gentlemen
entrusted with these valuable consignments did apply for sentinels
to be placed to guard the articles thus exposed, and their request
was immediately complied with. The result was such as might easily
have been anticipated from such watchmen, many of whom did not fail
to profit largely by the appointment. In the course of some weeks the
beach began to assume a less crowded appearance; some few of the goods
were taken to the residences of their owners, others were removed; but
to what place, or by whom, there was no way of ascertaining; and a
very great proportion was sold at the custom-house _for the benefit of
the underwriters_. This stratagem, then so frequently practised, (and
certainly deserving of the severest reprehension), afterwards operated
as a very serious injury to the regular sale of articles; for, as the
market was so overstocked, scarcely any one would offer money for
goods, except at the custom-house sales. As the depreciation continued,
numberless packages were there exposed for sale, in part damaged, or
apparently so. Indeed, little more than the mark of a cord on the
outside of a single article, or a corner discolored, in a package
however large, was a sufficient pretext for presuming and pronouncing
the whole to be damaged. Great quantities of goods were brought to the
hammer in the custom-house warehouses, under every disadvantage; thus
the owners recovered the amount insured for, and the insurers lost the
difference between that sum and the price they were sold at, also the
attendant expenses. Many of the underwriters will, it is to be feared,
retain a lasting remembrance of the sales which took place at Rio de
Janeiro, and other parts of South America, _for their benefit_.
To the serious losses thus occasioned by an overstocked market, and
by the sacrifice of goods at whatever price could be obtained, may be
added another, which originated in the ignorance of many persons who
sent out articles to a considerable amount not at all suited to the
country; one speculator, of wonderful foresight, sent large invoices
of various sorts of stays for ladies who never heard of such armour;
another sent skates, for the use of a people who are totally uninformed
that water can become ice; a third sent out a considerable assortment
of the most elegant coffin-furniture, not knowing that coffins are
never used by the Brazilians, or in the Plata. To these absurd
speculations may be added iron-stoves and fire-irons, candles, and
numerous others, particularly in articles of taste: elegant services
of cut glass were little appreciated by men accustomed to drink out
of a horn or a cocoa-nut-shell; and brilliant chandeliers were still
less valued in a country where only lamps that afforded a gloomy light,
were used. Superfine woollen cloths were equally ill-suited to the
market; no one thought them sufficiently strong. An immense quantity
of high-priced saddles, and thousands of whips[80], were sent out to
a people as incapable of adopting them as they were of knowing their
convenience. They were astonished to see Englishmen ride on such
saddles; nor could they imagine any thing more insecure. Of the bridles
scarcely any use could be made, as the bit was not calculated to keep
the horse or mule in subordination: these articles were of course
sacrificed. Great quantities of the nails and ironmongery were useless,
as they were not calculated for the general purposes of the people.
Large cargoes of Manchester goods were sent; and, in a few months, more
arrived than had been consumed in the course of twenty years preceding.
No discrimination was used in the assortment of these articles, with
respect either to quantity or fineness, so that common prints were
disposed of at less than a shilling a yard, and frequently in barter.
Fish from Newfoundland met with a similar fate; also porter, large
quantities of which, in barrels, arrived among a people, of whom a few
only had tasted that article as a luxury. How the shippers in London,
and other British ports, could imagine that porter, would at once
become a general beverage, it is difficult to conceive, especially
when sent in barrels. These cargoes, being unsaleable, were of course
warehoused, and of course spoiled. Newfoundland fish, that was
generally sold at from twelve to twenty dollars _per quintal_, was now
unsaleable at four, and in many instances did not pay warehouse-room.
Earthenware was perhaps rather more favorably received than many of the
former articles, for plates, &c. soon came into general use. Having
enumerated various commodities which suffered a general depreciation,
it may be sufficient to add that many invoices of fancy goods, and such
as do not constitute a staple trade, were sold at from sixty to seventy
_per cent._ under costs and charges, and others were totally lost. To
enter more into detail would be unnecessary: it is hoped that the trade
will in time find its regular course, and that the adventurers will
derive from it some compensation for their former losses, though no
possible change can repair the total ruin which numbers have incurred.
Experience will now have fully shown the fallacy of those golden hopes
which some persons conceived from the reputed wealth of South America,
and we shall no longer hear of those absurdities which characterised
the first commercial speculations to the river Plata. What must have
been the delusions of those traders who sent out tools, formed with a
hatchet on one side and a hammer on the other, for the conveniency of
breaking the rocks, and cutting the precious metals from them, as if
they imagined that a man had only to go into the mountains, and cut out
as much gold as would pay for the articles he wanted!
Other evils resulted from these ill-judged and excessive speculations
to South America, which might naturally have been anticipated. The
first was, that the produce was bought up with such avidity that many
articles were soon double their ordinary value, and continued to rise
as our manufactures lowered. But this was not all: the purchasers
suffered equally from their ignorance of the quality of the articles,
as from their eagerness in purchasing them. For instance; any kind
of sebaceous matter was greedily bought for tallow; and numberless
hides, spoiled in the drying and eaten by the grub, met with ready
sale. Little attention was paid to the state they were in; and thus it
frequently happened that lots and cargoes of those articles, instead of
reimbursing the adventurer to whom they were consigned, scarcely paid
freight and charge. This was also the case with coffee and other staple
articles. Many gentlemen, more knowing than others, sent home lots of
curious wood, and even entered into the illicit trade of shipping the
dye-wood, which generally proved very disadvantageous, as the wood of
that species grown in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro is very inferior
in quality to that of Pernambuco, from whence that trade is carried
on for account of the Crown. The folly of speculation did not stop
here: precious stones appeared to offer the most abundant source of
riches; the general calculation was made upon the price at which they
sold in London: but every trader bought them, more or less, at the
price at which they were offered; invoices of goods were bartered for
some, which in London would sell for, comparatively, a trifle, as they
were taken without discrimination as to quality or perfection; green
tourmalines were sold for emeralds, crystals for topazes, and both
common stones and glass have been bought as diamonds to a considerable
amount. Gold and diamonds were well known to be produced in Brazil;
and their being by law contraband, was a sufficient temptation to
eager speculators who had never before seen either in their native
state. False diamonds were weighed with scrupulousness, and bought
with avidity, to sell by the rules stated by Jefferies. Gold-dust,
as it is commonly called, appeared in no inconsiderable quantity,
and, after being weighed with equal exactness, was bought or bartered
for. But previous to this many samples underwent the following easy
and ingenious process:—The brass pans purchased at the stores were
filed, and mixed with the gold in the proportion of from ten to twenty
_per cent._ according to the opinion which the seller formed of the
sagacity of the person with whom he had to deal: and thus, by a simple
contrivance, some of our countrymen re-purchased at three or four
guineas per ounce the very article which they had before sold at 2s.
6d. per pound!!!
In enumerating the losses occasioned by the depreciation of goods, I
have omitted to notice the heavy expenses upon them after the purchase,
as packing, shipping, convoy-duty, freight, insurance, commission, and
other incidental charges. Then suppose any staple article to be bought;
there are the expenses of commission for buying of warehouse-room,
shipping and the attendant fees, freight, and insurance; and, on the
arrival of the merchandize in England, there are duties, dockage,
warehouse-room, and many other items which leave no small interest in
the hands of those who do the business.
It is scarcely possible to imagine, much less to describe, the
disappointment which prevailed among the young supercargoes a few
months after their arrival in South America, particularly among those
who had orders not to sell the goods entrusted to them lower than the
prices specified in their invoices.
They could scarcely awaken themselves from the chimerical delusion
that their mind was filled with; they disbelieved every thing,
and continued to write to their employers to send out more goods,
thinking the riches they had so fondly anticipated must yet roll
down in torrents from the interior. The heart-breaking letters of
those who sent them out, expressing the most poignant distress for
want of remittances, at length awakened them, and their sanguine
expectations of incalculable riches, heaps of dollars, or bars of
gold, began to vanish. Many of the inhabitants came to look at their
stores, but few offered to buy; and, incredible as it may appear, yet
it is true, that when goods were offered to them at half the original
cost, they invariably exclaimed, “Very dear.” Scenes of this kind I
have repeatedly witnessed, and could scarcely suppress my indignation
at seeing goods thus depreciated, which a few months before were so
eagerly sought after, and bought at ten times the amount. Gentlemen
consignees so situated were at a loss how to act: the duties, rents,
charges, and other expenses were high, and must peremptorily be paid;
their only resource was to open a shop or room for the purpose of
selling their goods by retail, as the inhabitants wanted them.
These young men most unfortunately had calculated upon doing business
only in the large way, similar to our most opulent mercantile
establishments: on their arrival they took the best houses, set apart
their hours for morning rides and attending to business, for going to
their country seats[81], and dinner-parties. The idea of vending by
retail was a bitter which destroyed all their pleasing anticipations of
doing business in style: they thought themselves merchants, expecting
to sell at any price they pleased to ask, and to buy at what they
thought proper to offer! and could not stoop to be shopkeepers; many
of them, rather than yield to that, sent goods to auctions, and sold
them at what they would fetch, thus rendering a ruinous account to
their employers. Others with more prudence accommodated themselves to
circumstances, and were not offended at being asked for a pair of boots
or a hat. These persons reaped all the advantage of the trade, as they
got their price by selling to those whose necessities prompted them to
purchase, and were ever ready to sell by the package when opportunity
offered. Many of these young men, it is true, have been deservedly much
blamed by the consignors, who have expressed great dissatisfaction
at their extravagant mode of living, and at their proceedings, both
in the disposal of the property sent to them, and in the purchase of
merchandize to return; these complaints were justly founded, though
something may be said in extenuation of the former, not only on the
ground of their want of knowledge, but the unexampled situation of
affairs; for a respectable and useful clerk, however capable of copying
an invoice, or attending his employer’s counting-house, must make a
very poor figure so situated, being very incapable of ascertaining or
stating the merits of manufactured goods, and still less qualified to
purchase the staple articles and general produce of the country. These
severe and grievous disadvantages frequently gave the Brazilians the
double advantage of buying below the market-price, and of selling above
it.
From these and many other unfortunate and disastrous circumstances,
the trade could not fail to become gradually worse and worse; hence it
is very natural to imagine that necessitous consignors, eager to see
the riches which they had so long and so vainly anticipated, became
more pressing for remittances. One disappointment succeeded another;
remonstrances were made; and powers of attorney were at length sent
out almost by cargoes; property was removed from one consignee to
another, at great expense, but to no purpose. At home the greatest
confusion prevailed for want of money, until that lamentable and
unfortunate epoch, when the columns of the Gazette were filled with the
names of those very respectable merchants, who, before those ruinous
speculations, were in a state of affluence. Many of those to whom
immense sums were entrusted, have not even yet returned to their native
country.
Misunderstandings frequently arose between the English and the
Portuguese, either in making contracts, or in not complying with them;
and they were continually prosecuting each other for injuries which
both parties professed to have sustained. These litigations might have
terminated very expensively, if not otherwise seriously, had not the
wise measures of the _Juiz Conservador_ prevented the perplexities of
legal proceedings. The appeals of the English were always heard; they
were strangers whom His Royal Highness protected, and they ever found
in the Conde de Linhares a firm and powerful friend.
In the Plata, the monied men bought very largely of the cargoes which
first arrived, and were afterwards considerable losers by the overflow
which took place, when men of less capital bought for ten thousand
dollars, what a few weeks before sold for fifteen or twenty. In Rio de
Janeiro the case was somewhat different; for the monied men thought the
English manufactures inexhaustible, and therefore kept back their gold,
leaving the trade principally to men of a secondary class, who bought
with great caution, and sold very promptly, for fear of a further
depreciation.
Having stated the ruinous consequences of sending out goods not
saleable, it may be proper to point out the articles in general
consumption, though even these may be sold at great loss, if the
markets be overstocked, for trade must depend on the wants and
necessities of the consumer. If an individual possesses seven or eight
hats, as many coats, &c. it is unreasonable to suppose that he can want
more, though he may be tempted to purchase, if offered at very reduced
prices: but even that must have an end, and a trade must soon expire
where one party is constantly the loser. This has been too generally
the result of our late speculations in South America, into which people
hurried without calculation or foresight.
Iron and steel are articles for which there is a general and constant
demand. The smiths prefer Swedish iron, as they have been always
accustomed to it, and do not know how to heat and work the English. The
next article to be mentioned is salt, in which the Brazilians are by no
means nice. It is made and loaded at one or two places on the coast,
but that which is most esteemed comes from the Cape de Verde islands;
that brought from Liverpool is generally used in the sea-ports. Common
woollens, baizes, and some stout fine cloths, particularly blue and
black, are generally worn; also kerseymeres. Cotton goods of almost
every description, especially if low priced, meet with ready sale,
as do German linens. Hats of all sorts, (particularly dress-hats),
and boots and shoes of English manufacture, have of late been sold
in great quantities; the leather is much preferable to that made in
Brazil. Common and finer earthenware, and glass; some sorts of fine
and coarse hardware, and some plated goods, as candles now begin to be
used instead of lamps. Bottled porter, Cheshire cheese, butter, cheap
furniture, tin-plate, brass, lead in various shapes, shot of all sizes,
gunpowder, drugs, some philosophical instruments, books, low-priced
paper, watches, telescopes, salt provisions, as hams, tongues, and
barrelled pork, low-priced saddlery, and most of all, India and other
goods fit for the African coast. Marble mortars, mirrors, and many
fancy articles of less note. Silk and cotton hosiery, fashionable
dresses for ladies, particularly fine stockings and shoes.
It is to be observed that the mother-country still continues to send
oil, wine, brandy, linens, cottons, some silks, and a variety of
articles of inferior consequence. India goods, consisting chiefly
of cottons, are sent from the Malabar coast, and China goods are in
great plenty. From North America are imported flour, salt provisions,
turpentine, tar, staves, household furniture, &c.
Naval stores, clothing for sailors, arms, &c. may be said to be
generally in demand.
The staple articles of trade from Brazil and the river Plate which are
most in demand in this country, when its markets are not overstocked,
are cotton, sugar, coffee, hides, tallow of good quality, horns, horse
and cow hair, fur-skins, and feathers. Brazil is well calculated for
growing sugar, having every convenience of situation, and all the
materials requisite for machinery. To the above may be added some
peculiar woods; that beautiful species, called _jacarandá_, in England
denominated rose-wood, is generally in demand. I do not say any thing
of indigo, as it is of inferior quality. Rice is cultivated to great
extent. Tobacco, it is to be hoped, will be better cured, to suit the
English market; for no where can a soil and climate be found more
favorable to the production of that plant than in Brazil.
In offering, by way of conclusion, a more detailed account of the
resources of this rich and extensive country, I shall for obvious
reasons avoid all speculation on the political changes now operating in
the mother country, as well as in her colonies, and direct my remarks
solely to commercial matters. According to recent estimates the annual
value of British goods imported into Brazil exceeds three millions
sterling, one half of which may be assigned to Rio de Janeiro, from
whence the returns are made generally in produce, consisting of gold,
diamonds, and precious stones, sugars, cottons, hides, tobacco, tallow,
wax, indigo, woods, and many other articles.
The commerce of Bahia ranks next in importance to that of Rio, and a
considerable proportion of it is conducted by English merchants. The
returns are principally made in produce, and this circumstance secures
to the native cultivator an eminent advantage over the foreign trader.
The main articles of produce are sugar, cotton, and tobacco. The annual
exports of the cotton, may be stated at from 30,000 to 36,000 bags.
Its quality varies according to the district in which it is produced;
that which is brought hither from the southern parts of the province
of Pernambuco, is called _foras_, in contradistinction with the cotton
of Bahia, which is denominated _dentros_. The former is considered of
superior staple, being stronger and more silky, but it seldom arrives
in a clean state, or free from seeds and other substances negligently
left by the planters. The _dentros_, though neither so strong nor so
silky as the _foras_, are generally much better dressed, and hence they
are considered of almost equal value. Much of this cotton is grown in
the extensive plantations near Villa Nova do Principe. Eight ninths of
the cotton shipped at Bahia is exported to England, and principally to
the port of Liverpool.
The quantity of sugar annually exported from hence is very
considerable, and in some years has exceeded a million of
_arrobas_[82]. The growth of tobacco varies according to the season;
an average crop has been estimated at 600,000 _arrobas_. One third,
and frequently one half of a crop is rejected as unfit for shipment to
Europe. The refuse is sent to the Portuguese possessions in Africa,
but the demand for it has greatly diminished since the abolition of
the slave trade in that continent, north of the equator, that being
the quarter in which it was principally consumed. A great quantity is
exported to the Plata, and from thence is sent to various parts of the
interior.
Upwards of 150 sail of vessels have been dispatched from hence in the
course of one year, of which number one third was destined for the
ports of the mother country, and little short of one third for those
of Great Britain; besides the staple articles of cotton, sugar, and
tobacco, the exports include large quantities of hides, molasses, rum,
and woods. Many large and most excellent ships have been built at this
place, the timber of which is of a superior quality.
Pernambuco is celebrated for producing the best cotton in Brazil, and
it owes this distinction to the careful scrutiny which that article
undergoes. After inspection it is divided into three qualities; the
second quality is allowed to pass with the first, and the purchaser
receives for it an allowance of 500 _reas per arroba_ from the planter;
the third quality is wholly rejected[83]. The bags are then weighed,
and the export duty charged on them. About eighty thousand bags are
annually exported, of which sixty thousand may be considered as
destined for Great Britain, and the residue principally to Lisbon. The
annual export of sugar has been estimated at 25,000 cases, of which
nearly one half goes to England, and the rest to the mother country.
This product is considerably on the increase.
The principal exports from Maranham are cotton, rice, hides, and Indian
corn. Its cotton ranks next in quality to that of Pernambuco, and
obtains a price very little inferior. The quantity annually exported
has been estimated at sixty thousand bags, of which more than three
fourths may be considered as destined for the English market. The
annual export of rice exceeds three hundred thousand _arrobas_. It is
calculated that the trade of this port employs yearly upwards of one
hundred sail, of which one half are destined for England. Sugar is
beginning to form a considerable article of commerce at this port, many
extensive plantations having been made. Sweetmeats and confectionery
are cured here, and at the above mentioned places in great perfection,
and are exported in quantities almost beyond credibility.
The foreign commerce of Para may be considered still in its infancy,
as its principal city, Belem, is accessible only to vessels of small
burthen. Its cottons are considered little inferior to those of Bahia.
Its other exports consist of excellent cocoa, coffee, rice, in great
quantities, sarsaparilla, raw and tanned hides, gums, various drugs,
some sugar, molasses, timber, and curious woods. The vast territories
of this _capitania_ are but little known, and very thinly peopled.
In terminating the present work, the author cannot but express his
earnest hope, that the new order of things now instituted in the
mother country may tend to the permanent welfare of Brazil, to the
developement of its rich and various resources, to the intellectual,
moral, and social improvement of its people, to the extension of their
commerce, and to the continuance of that connection with Great Britain,
which has hitherto contributed, and may henceforth more largely
contribute, to the prosperity of both nations.
APPENDIX.
IN page 368 of this work, I have stated, that it was my intention to
enquire into, and to make some observations on the present regulations
relative to diamonds. These beautiful gems have been found in such
abundance in Brazil, as to supply not only Europe, but Asia; as those
of India are become extremely scarce, diamonds from Brazil have been
often sent thither, and have usurped their name. The question we are
at present about to examine is, how far it would be consistent with
the interest of the Portuguese Government to permit the searching
for diamonds, in the same way as for gold, under peculiar laws. The
monopoly is ineffectual, because the diamonds are found in so many
parts widely distant from each other, that it is impossible to prevent
the searching for them. The attempt to preserve grounds known to
contain these riches, by forming a _distacamento_, has not produced
any good effect; and it is by no means improbable, that the best of
these (supposed) preserved lands are already worked, therefore the
soldiers are guarding the casket after the jewels have been taken away.
How many places might be mentioned (out of the district of Cerro do
Frio), where troops of negroes daily work! It has been stated, that
government probably receive little more than a moiety of the gems
found at their own expense; if so, it is certainly time to abandon
a trade so exposed, or to change the system altogether. Is it the
interest of Brazil to keep her enterprizing subjects in continual
torture and fear respecting these precious gifts, which the bounteous
hand of Providence has placed there? But indeed as his majesty’s
subjects increase and become more enlightened, this severe monopoly
will destroy itself and soon begin to give way to a wise and political
government, which will prefer a rich and powerful population in the
very heart of the colony to a few individuals. How happens it, that
diamonds, in the hands of private persons, meet a more ready sale than
those of government? Because they are better stones, and are offered
in quantities more convenient for the purchasers: next, because they
can be sold cheaper since they cost less. If diamonds were subject to
pay a fifth, government would have such power as to enable them to
command the market; and if they should become cheaper in Europe, the
demand for them would become more general, therefore their price would
not be likely to fall in Brazil; and, even if it did, is it not the
blindest policy for the court to put such a yoke round the neck of
her valuable subjects, who venture their lives in trackless deserts
searching for mines, and exposing themselves to every danger? Would it
have been possible for Portugal to colonize Brazil if there had been
no gold mines to attract adventurers? To deny men the treasures with
which nature has enriched the country, is to oppose one great check
to its population; for the example of one adventurer becoming rich,
is the means of inducing hundreds to follow him. Under the present
system, there is so great a struggle between the temptation of becoming
suddenly rich, and the fear of being ruined by detection, that when a
man finds a diamond by accident, he knows not whether to appropriate
it, or to surrender it to the government; even in the latter case,
he has little prospect of reward, and runs the risk of being accused
as a smuggler. Instances have not been uncommon of men having found
diamonds, who have thrown them away[84] rather than involve themselves
and their families in ruin, either by keeping them, or delivering them
to government.
It has before been shewn, that Government are the greatest gainers by
the diamonds which are sold clandestinely; and if individuals were
allowed to trade in them, the state and the public would undoubtedly be
benefited by it. For it is certain, that a Brazilian farmer or miner
would prefer necessaries, such as iron utensils, clothing, &c. which
add to his comforts and conveniences of life, to articles of ideal
value, which in reality have come into his hands probably without
difficulty or expense. Thus the peasantry would draw valuable produce
from other countries in exchange for what cost them comparatively
nothing, and, by enriching themselves, would augment the revenues of
the state.
Is it not possible to make the diamonds liable to pay a fifth, either
in kind or in value? In this case it is probable that there would be
less smuggling: and that practice might be still more restrained, by
something like the following regulation: every person finding diamonds
should be obliged to register them; also, to take out a certificate
authorising him to dispose of them in whatever manner he thinks proper.
It would certainly add to their importance, to make them subject to a
trivial duty[85], on being lawfully transferred from the buyer to the
seller, by which means they would come into immediate circulation
and represent real property: thus, after yielding a very small profit
to each person through whose hands they passed, they would finally be
exported; and, as long as diamonds continued an article of distinction,
ornament, and elegance, Brazil would lay under tribute every court in
the civilized world.
The Dutch were artful enough to poison the ears of the ministers of
Portugal against the proposal of making diamonds a free trade, and
assisted in the persecutions against those unfortunate sufferers who
were detected in possessing them. But surely that narrow-minded and
self-interested policy is now done away with; nor would it be credited
in modern history, that the government of Brazil, for a trivial,
pecuniary profit, should be the dupes of their own bank and a few
interested strangers.
_View of the State of Society among the Middling Classes, employed in
Mining and Agriculture._
We are naturally led to imagine, that, in a country where mines of
gold and diamonds are found, the riches of the inhabitants must be
immense, and their condition most enviable; the Portuguese themselves,
who reside in the mining districts, encourage this supposition; and
whenever they go to Rio de Janeiro, do not fail to make all possible
show and parade. But let us view them in the centre of their wealth;
and as a fair criterion of the middling classes of society, let us
select a man possessing a property of fifty or sixty negroes, with
_datas_ of gold mines, and the necessary utensils for working them. The
negroes alone are worth, at the low valuation of 100 _milreis_, a sum
equal to £1,200, or £1,500 sterling; the _datas_ and utensils, though
of value, need not be taken into the account. Suppose this man to be
married, and to have a family: What is the state of their domestic
concerns, their general way of life? May I be allowed to describe
them in the language which truth dictates, without exaggeration or
extenuation? Their dwelling scarcely merits the name of a house; it is
the most wretched hovel that imagination can describe, consisting of
a few apartments built up to each other without regularity; the walls
wicker-work, filled up with mud; a hole left for a frame serves as a
window, or a miserable door answers that purpose. The cracks in the
mud are rarely filled up; and in very few instances only have I seen a
house repaired. The floors are of clay, moist in itself, and rendered
more disagreeable by the filth of its inhabitants, with whom the pigs
not unfrequently dispute the right of possession. Some _ranchos_, it
is true, are built upon piles; and underneath are the stables, &c.;
these are certainly a little superior to the former. They are built so
from necessity, where the ground is uneven or swampy; but it may be
easily conceived, that the disagreeable effects produced by want of
cleanliness, must in these instances be increased by the effluvia from
the animals underneath, which I have frequently found intolerable.
The furniture of the house is such as might be expected from the
description above given. The beds are very coarse cotton cases, filled
with dry grass, or the leaves of Indian corn. There are seldom more
than two in a house; for the servants generally sleep upon mats, or
dried hides laid on the floor. The furniture consists of one or two
chairs, a few stools and benches, one table, or perhaps two, a few
coffee-cups and a coffee-pot of silver; a silver drinking cup, and, in
some instances, a silver wash-hand basin, which, when strangers are
present, is handed round, and forms a striking contrast to the rest of
the utensils.
The general diet of the family consists of the same articles which have
already been particularized in treating of S. Paulo. The only beverage
is water; and nothing can be more frugal than the whole economy of
the table. So intent is the owner on employing his slaves solely in
employments directly lucrative, that the garden, on which almost the
entire subsistence of the family depends, is kept in the most miserable
disorder.
In the article of dress, they do not appear more extravagant than in
that of food. The children are generally naked; the youths go without
shoes, in an old jacket, and cotton trowsers; the men in an old capote
or mantle wrapped around them, and wooden clogs, except when they go
from home; and, on those occasions, they appear in all their splendor,
forming as great a contrast to their domestic attire, as the gaudy
butterfly does to the chrysalis from which it springs.
It might be expected, that however penuriously the general concerns
of the family were conducted, at least some degree of attention and
expense would be bestowed on the dress of the females; for the test of
civilization among all nations is the regard paid to the fair sex, on
whom the happiness of domestic life depends. Yet the general poverty
and meanness of their attire is such, that they reluctantly appear
before any one, except the individuals of their own family.
In short, in all those departments of domestic economy, which to the
middle classes of other civilized nations are objects of expense, the
Brazilians exercise the most rigid parsimony. At first, I was inclined
to attribute this disposition to a love of money, which prompted them
to avoid all extravagance; but, on closer observation, I was surprised
to find that it originated in necessity. They generally take credit for
the few articles they have to purchase, and sometimes find it difficult
to maintain their negroes. If they purchase a mule, it is to be paid
for at the end of one or two years, and, of course, at double its
ordinary price.
In such a family as that above described, the sons, as might be
expected, are not brought up to industry; they are merely taught to
read and write; rarely do they attend to the mining department; they
learn no trade, nor are they instructed in any useful employment:
perhaps an ensign or a lieutenant of militia, would think it a disgrace
to put his son apprentice to a mechanic. Suppose the father of this
family to die when the sons have just attained the age of puberty.
They are now for the first time obliged to think of providing for
themselves. With little knowledge of the world, ill educated, and poor,
they have learned to think all occupations servile, and their own is
generally hateful to them. If they agree not to divide the negroes, it
often happens that they run into debt, and continue in wretchedness; if
they divide them, each takes his course, and adventures for himself,
and in a short time, they are generally obliged to part with their
slaves, and exist in indigence. Every useful pursuit and every comfort
is neglected for the sake of seeking hidden treasures which very rarely
are found, and which when found are as rarely employed to advantage,
but rather serve to increase the wants of the owners.
Few, very few of the numerous class of miners from which the above
instance is selected are rich, few are even comfortable; how wretched
then must be the state of those who possess only eight or ten negroes,
or whose property does not exceed three or four hundred pounds.
Thus situated in one of the finest climates in the world, with rich
lands full of the finest timber, abounding in rivulets and water-falls
in every direction, containing, besides precious minerals, iron ores,
and almost every other useful product, the inhabitants of Brazil,
though secured from absolute want, remain in indigence. It is true, the
miner procures his gold by great labor, but this need not preclude him
from improving his domestic condition. Were his hovel converted into a
house, his slaves better fed and lodged, and his family better provided
for, his whole affairs would receive a new impulse, and every part of
his property would become doubly productive.
_Negroes employed as Messengers._
One description of men whom I have omitted to mention before, are
negroes employed as messengers by the various chiefs in the Capitania
of Minas Geraes. The men selected for this employment are the most
trusty and able-bodied that can be found. Their letters are locked up
in a leathern bag, which they buckle round them, and never take off
until they deliver its contents. They carry a gun and ammunition with
them to defend themselves, as well as to provide themselves with food.
Wherever they halt, they are sure of a kind and friendly reception,
for nothing can exceed the cordiality with which the negroes welcome
each other. These men are trusted on very important missions, and are
despatched to every part of the Capitania. On urgent occasions, some
of them have performed journeys with astonishing celerity. I was most
credibly informed, that one of them had been known to travel seven
hundred miles on a mountainous road in sixteen days, though that
distance usually occupies twenty or twenty-one days. The men are
generally tall, and of spare habit; they are accustomed to light food
and long abstinence.
_Diseases peculiar to the Country._
Of diseases I did not hear of any that were contagious, except Psora,
which sometimes prevails among the lower orders, who rarely use any
remedy against it, nor will they hear of sulphur, as they believe
it to be fatal. Colds, attended with fever, are the most general
complaints; but consumptions are rarely heard of. Among the miners,
I saw no symptoms of elephantiasis, though that disease is so common
in many other parts of Brazil, particularly on the sea-coast. The
sciatica which afflicts travellers after long journeys on mules, is
attributed by the people of the country to the bodily heat of those
animals, which is much greater than that of horses, and communicates to
the loins of the rider, occasioning almost constant excruciating pain,
which frequently becomes chronic, and sometimes incurable. Being, on my
return from the diamond district, much tormented with this complaint, I
was naturally led to make inquiries on the subject, and was informed,
that a person in the house where I then resided, had returned from a
long journey in the same predicament, and was about to undergo the mode
of cure commonly practised in the country. I was desirous of inquiring
the nature of it, and begged to be introduced to him. On conversing
with him, I found that his symptoms were similar to mine; he complained
of great pain in the os sacrum, and down the left thigh to the knee,
which afflicted him most when in bed, where he could not bear to lie
in any posture for half an hour together, but was obliged to rise and
wait until the warmth was abated, when he lay down again. Thus he
could get no sleep night or day. On asking if he had tried any external
application as a stimulus, he replied, that neither that nor any other
remedy was of the smallest avail, except the one peculiar to the
country. The operation was as follows:—The patient lay down on a bench
with his back upwards, and a youth, twelve or fourteen years of age,
knelt upon his loins, and continued to trample them (as it were) with
his knees for about the space of half an hour, until the muscles were
entirely bruised. In a few hours afterwards, the part became highly
discolored. If one operation had not the desired effect, another, and
even a third, would be had recourse to. It must be confessed, that this
remedy, in removing one evil, occasions another; but the advantage
is, that the latter is of short duration, whereas the former endures
sometimes for life, and gives continual affliction. In some cases the
remedy has been applied with success, but in others it has entirely
failed.
_On the Use of Mercury in the Mining Department._
The Government of Brazil would find it highly to their interest to
promote the use of mercury in the gold district. The process of
amalgamation is so simple, that there would be no difficulty in
introducing it generally among miners; and it would save much time and
labor in the last operation of washing, or what is called purifying.
Perhaps it may not be improper, in this place, to describe the method
pursued in working the silver mines on the coast of Chili, which may be
estimated to produce about a million of dollars annually. Some of these
mines are full fifty yards deep; and we are told of one nearly as many
fathoms. It is probable that they are sunk upon veins of ore; and they
are so ill secured, that they frequently fill, and bury those within
them. The metal is generally a sulphuret of silver with antimony, lead,
and blende: it is brought up on the shoulders of wretched Indians, who
descend and ascend by insecure posts with notches cut in them. They
are total strangers to the operations of boring and blasting, and use
only miserable hammers and wedges. The vein stuff with the metal is,
in some places, reduced by means of a large stone, ill-constructed,
rolling on its edge; in others, it is pounded by hand, and, when
sufficiently fine, it is washed by several operations in a slovenly
manner, until the metallic part alone remains, which is not unlike lead
ore dust. This is formed into small heaps, perhaps about 100lb, to each
of which are added about 20 or 25lb of muriate of soda[86]. This is
triturated and worked both by hands and feet for three or four days.
When the salt is judged to be sufficiently incorporated with the metal,
mercury is used in the proportion of from five to ten per cent. and is
triturated until it loses its globular form; to prove which, a small
bit is rubbed upon a horn, or upon the thumb-nail, and if any globules
appear, however minute, the trituration is continued until they totally
disappear[87]. To this mixture the workmen frequently add filth, rags
torn into small bits, &c. place crosses upon the heaps, and use many
ridiculous ceremonies dictated by folly and a belief in necromancy.
At length the mercury unites with the silver, and forms with it a
paste-like mass separating itself from the remainder, which is thrown
away. This mass is put into goat-skins, and, by twisting and squeezing,
a great part of the mercury passes through, leaving a portion of nearly
pure silver, which is afterwards melted. The remainder is sublimed by
heat, and is condensed with more or less loss, according to the mode
applied, and the skill of the operator. Some little gold is procured
from some of the mines on this coast, by a similar process.
In this part of Chili, the state of society is wretched; gambling is a
general vice, and assassinations are scarcely regarded as criminal. The
greatest depredations are committed with impunity, nor do the crosses
placed on the heaps protect them; so that, when a mine proves good, the
hopes of the proprietor are often frustrated through the poverty and
envy of his neighbours.
The copper mines of Guasco, Copiapo, and Coquimbo, are wretchedly
worked, nor would it perhaps be safe to introduce other methods. The
copper is smelted in a hearth with bellows and wood; and if, when it
runs into cakes, it has the appearance of copper, they do not smelt
it again, but if it is so covered and intermixed with slag as not to
be known, it is broken up and undergoes a second smelting, when not
unfrequently slag is placed so as to be in the centre. These, and other
deceptions, have brought the trade into great discredit. The copper is
sold from eight to eleven dollars per 104lb. It is considered a poor
trade, though the Spaniards generally think the Chilian copper, and
even the timber which serves for fuel, _to be full of gold_!!
Of the mines of Chili I have lately received a very particular account,
from which it appears that they are not under any regulations, and
are extremely ill worked. They are considered a very bad species of
property; and almost every metallic vein hitherto discovered, whether
worked or not, has numerous claimants, who are continually litigating
with each other, so as totally to prevent their being worked to
advantage. Chili contains abundance of copper, some lead, a little
gold, a portion of silver, and a great quantity of iron, and would,
in the possession of an industrious and civilized people, be, without
doubt, very productive. The mines in Peru, on the contrary, are subject
to regular laws, and the property is secured to its owner, particularly
in Pasco, where they are now working to great advantage, under the
control of liberal and enlightened men. It must be observed, that
their proprietors are much richer than those of Chili, where numerous
individuals claim what is scarcely worth being possessed by one. This
state of things discourages adventurers; for who would erect an engine
and free a mine, to be claimed by another? Society there is still in a
wretched state; the miners are in the lowest state of indigence; and
though paid for their work, it would be dangerous to prevent them from
carrying some of the produce away as their own, thefts of this sort
being very general in this province.
Several Cornish miners have lately been sent out, at very high wages,
and under very flattering circumstances, but some disappointments
have occurred in the undertaking to which they were destined. In the
course of the year 1820, some Derbyshire miners, men of good character,
were engaged to proceed to Chili for the purpose of instructing the
natives in the various branches of their art. Since their arrival I
have received very gratifying accounts from them, announcing that they
have commenced their labors by clearing the mines of water, and that
they have immense masses of silver to work upon, some lumps of which,
weighing above 10lb. each, they have sent over as specimens.
THE END.
INDEX.
ABAITE, rivulet, diamonds found in, 344.
Alto do Morro, 231.
Alto de Virginia, 229.
Araguaya, or Grande, river, 409.
Arinos, river, 415.
Armaçao, village of, near St. Catherine’s, 67.
A fishing station, 68.
Asumpcion, city of, 439.
BAHIA, account of, 391.
Sugar plantations, 395.
Tobacco, 398.
Cotton, 400.
Indigo, 401.
Bandeira de Coelho, 228.
Barbacena, 224.
Barro e Castro, near Villa Rica, visit to the estates of, 258, 261,
268, 269.
Barriga Negra, journey to, 22.
Baugre, mode of fishing for the, 59.
Belmonte, 203.
Bertioga, harbour of, 123.
Borda do Campo, village of, 218.
Brazil: arrival at St. Catherine’s, 57.
Description of the island, 58.
Arrival at Armaçao, 67.
Bay of dos Ganchos, 68.
Garoupas, 72.
Plain of Coritiva described, 75.
Port of S. Francisco, 81.
Santos, 82.
Journey to S. Paulo, 85.
Description of S. Paulo, 92.
Gold washings at Jaragua, 107.
Manners of the Paulistas, 113.
Character, 121.
Coasting voyage from Santos to Sapitiva, 122.
Journey to Rio de Janeiro, 130.
City described, 135.
Trade, 139.
State of society, 146.
Visit to Santa Cruz, 148.
Province of the Rio, 154.
Journey to Canta Gallo, 157.
Gold-washing of Santa Rita, 177.
Rio Grande, 183.
Reputed silver mine, 185.
Agriculture, 189.
Journey to the diamond mines, 195, 206.
A topaz mine, 233.
Arrival at Villa Rica, 235.
Its origin and present state, 243.
Notice on the Buticudos, 273.
Villa do Principe, 305.
Arrival at Tejuco, 311.
Diamond works on the river Jiquitinhonha, 313.
Account of Minas Novas and Paracatu, 337.
Of Tejuco and Cerro do Frio, 349.
Management of the diamond works, 353.
Return to Rio de Janeiro, 370.
General view of Minas Geraes, 376.
S. João d’El Rey, 384.
Sabara, 386.
Bahia, 391.
Pernambuco, 401.
Seara, 402.
Maranham, _ib._
Pará, 403.
Matto Grosso, 407.
Rio Grande do Sul, 442.
General observations on the trade with England, 450.
Buticudos, Indians, measures of the Brazilian government for
converting, 274.
A boy belonging to them described, 299.
Buenos Ayres, its population, 46.
Races composing it, 47.
CAMAPUA, river, 428.
Camara, Dr. his reception of the author at Tejuco, 311.
Camarro, 288.
Canta Gallo, journey to, 157.
Description of, 170.
Capao, topaz mine near, 232.
Cará, an esculent root, 97.
Carrapato, gold-work at, 323.
Cascalho, a species of gravel containing gold, 107.
And diamonds, 314.
Catas Altas, 289.
Cerro do Frio, 307.
Observations on, 349.
Diamond ground described, _ib._
Animals peculiar to the district, 368.
Chingu, river, 410.
Clara e Maria, farm of, 214.
Conceiçao, village of, 302.
Corgo do Inficionado, 289.
Coritiva, plain of, 73.
Its climate, 75.
Its advantages, 78.
Corolina, visit to a diamond work at, 333.
Cubatao, village of, 85.
Cuiaba, account of, 424.
DEVOLUTO, meaning of the term applied to land, 347.
Diamond District, entrance into, 307.
(See Tejuco).
Mode of washing for diamonds, 314.
A view of those deposited in the treasury at Tejuco, 329.
Observations on the diamond district, 349.
Illicit trade, 356, 360.
How to be prevented, 363.
Disperteros, a sort of birds so called, 111.
ENGORDA Cavallos, a species of grass, 335.
FARINHA de milho, mode of cooking, 280.
Felicio, Senhor, his mansion, 290.
Ferreira, Antonio, fazenda of, 212.
——, Capt. his plantation, 161.
Flax, culture of, in Brazil, 220.
GAMA, fazenda do, 225.
Garoupas, harbour of, 72.
Gaspar Soares, village of, 296.
Goyaz, account of, 405.
Grimpeiros, treated as smugglers, 170.
INDIAN Corn, mill for grinding, 190.
Inferninho, river, 69.
Itambe, 294.
JACARANDA, rose-wood, common in S. Paulo, 106.
Jaraguá, gold washings at, 107.
Mode of working, 108.
Jiquitinhonha, river, visit to the diamond works on, 313.
Juruena, river, 416.
LAGOS, village of, 297.
Lavras Velhas, 260.
Lichen, from Minas Geraes, containing coloring matter, 382.
MACHADO, farm of, 182.
Madeira, isle of, on the coast of Brazil, 129.
Madeiras, farm of, 211.
Mandanga, visit to the diamond works at, 312.
Mandioca, how cultivated, 101.
Mantiqueira, farm of, 217.
Maranham, account of, 402.
Mariana, city of, 257.
Marimbondos, insects so called, 191.
Mate, herb, of Paraguay, 27.
Mathias Barbosa, register of, 210.
Matto Grosso, geographical description of, 407.
Meni, a species of ground-nut, 162.
Minas Geraes, general view of, 376.
Minas Novas, account of, 338.
Monteiro, diamond work at, 323.
Monte Video, arrival at, 1, 3.
Confinement there, 4.
Adventure at the signal-house, 8.
Description of the town, 11.
Inhabitants, 12.
Trade, 13.
Climate, 15.
Vicinity, 16.
Farms, 17.
Fazendas, 18.
Breeding of cattle, 19.
Defective state of agriculture, 32.
Town taken by the British, 40.
Moremim, river, 202.
Morro de St. Anna, 288.
Morro Queimado, fazenda do, 165.
NEGROES employed in the diamond works, observations on, 358.
OURO Branco, 298.
PARA, account of, 403.
Paracatu, account of, 343.
Paraguay, river, 419, 434.
Paraibuna, river, 207.
Parana, river, 431, 441.
Pardo, river, 429.
Pecari, or pig of the woods, 38.
Peons of Paraguay, 28.
Mode of catching cattle, 29.
Their habits of life, 34.
Dress, 36.
Exploit of a female, 37.
Pernambuco, account of, 402.
Piabunha, river, 204.
Piranga, 276.
Plata, Rio de la, voyage to, 1.
Origin of the name, 441.
Porto Negro, near Ilha Grande, 128.
Pounding machine for Indian corn, 190.
Purpura, a shell of the murex genus, 70.
REGISTRO Velho, 222.
Resequinha, 223.
Rio de Janeiro, arrival at, 133.
Description of, 135.
Trade, 140.
State of society, 146.
Rio do Carmo, 250.
Rio Grande do Sul, account of, 442.
Rio Pardo, visit to the diamond works on, 330.
Rosina de Negra, 209.
SABARA, account of, 386.
Gold-washing, 387.
Santo Antonio, farm of, 182.
Santa Cruz, royal farm of, 148.
St. Catherine’s, isle of, voyage to, 55.
Arrival, 57.
Description, 58.
Trade, 59.
Its parishes, 61.
St. Francisco, river, described, 346.
Harbour of, 73.
San Gonzal, diamond work at, 371.
S. João d’El Rey, account of, 384.
San Jose da Barra Longa, 272.
San Paulo, 90.
Described, 22.
Population, 94.
Manufactures, 96.
System of farming, 100.
Manners and customs of the inhabitants, 115, 118.
St. Pedro d’El Rey, settlement of, 425.
Santa Rita, gold washing at, 177.
Santos, harbour of, 82.
Its intercourse with S. Paulo, 84.
Voyage from, to Sapitiva, 122.
Sapitiva, arrival at, 129.
Journey from, to Rio de Janeiro, 130.
Savages, measures of the Brazilian government for converting, 274.
Seara, its trade, 402.
Sebollati, river, 23.
Serpents, large, in Minas Novas, 339.
Silver-mine, account of a reputed one, 185.
Sorocaba, 74.
Sugar, process of making, in Bahia, 395.
Sumidouro, river, 415.
TAPAJOS, River, 413.
Tapinhoa canga, 303.
Tejuco, capital of the diamond district, arrival at, 310.
Description of, 326.
Visit to the treasury, 328.
Observations on, 349.
Civil and military establishments at, 352.
Mode of preventing illicit trade, 363.
State of society in, 369.
Thomas, father, his farm, 184.
Tiete, river, 431.
Tigreno, river, 69.
Tocaya, advantages of its situation, 341.
Topaz mine near Capao, 232.
Toque Toque, harbour of, 125.
URUGUAY, river, 447.
VAZ, hamlet of, 292.
Vermelho, river, 429.
Villa do Principe, a pretended diamond found at, 196.
Arrival at, 305.
Villa Rica, arrival at, 235.
Description of, 238.
Its origin and present state, 244.
Visit to the mint, 252.
Visit to the estates of Barro e Castro, 258.
Revisited on returning to the capital, 375.
Military establishment there, 377.
WOODS, species peculiar to Brazil, 188.
ZURILLA, description of that animal, 38.
FINIS.
_W. M’Dowall, Printer, Pemberton Row, Gough Square._
ERRATUM.
Page 411, line 13, and note, for _Sutâo_, read _Sertâo_.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] NOTE. Of the objects in the lower compartment of this plate, the
Pine is mentioned at p. 81; the Aloe at p. 130; the Cara is described
at p. 97, and the Mandioca at p. 101.
[2] Here I found mint, caraway, balm, wormwood, and many other aromatic
herbs, growing wild in the greatest luxuriance. The stratum of
vegetable earth was at least two yards thick.
[3] At a small town called Minas, ten leagues from Maldonado, I was
informed that there was a lead mine in limestone. A piece of that
substance was sent to me; it was flesh-colored, granular, and close in
texture.
[4] The people of Paraguay are a more inactive and listless race than
any I ever met with. They seem to be conscious of no wants beyond
those of mere animal existence, and these they choose to supply at the
smallest possible expense of bodily exertion. Their supreme enjoyment
is to remain at home in a state of quietism or rather torpor, leaving
to the negroes the little agricultural toil that is required. They
are reserved, slothful, and patient, yet, with all their apathy, they
are friendly and somewhat courteous to strangers, provided they be
not required to go much into society or to bear an active part in
conversation. Commerce is almost unknown among them, and there is
very little specie in circulation. To a stranger, who has mingled in
the busy scenes of life, they seem absolutely weary of existence as
of a burthen. Blest with a fine climate and a land flowing with milk
and honey, they are unable to appreciate and turn to advantage the
bounties which divine Providence has lavished upon them; and from
these and other causes the population is very scanty compared with the
extent of the country. Such is the native land of the Peons of Monte
Video and Buenos Ayres. The state of society in that remote region is
deteriorated by the admission of refugees from Europe, who here find
shelter from justice, and propagate, in safe obscurity and with perfect
impunity, their vices among a people too much predisposed by indolence
for such contaminations, and unfitted by the same failing for receiving
any tincture of civilization, which a more lively and apprehensive
race of men might imbibe from foreign settlers, however dissolute in
morals. The Peons, who migrate southward to seek employment, soon
acquire a taste for ardent spirits, and thus heighten, sometimes to an
uncontrolable degree, the ferocity engendered by the habit of torturing
and killing cattle. They have no strong sense of danger to deter them
from crime, but, on the contrary, are aware, that on any breach of the
law they can elude its penalties by galloping three or four hundred
miles into the interior, where their crimes will be unknown, and where
they can bid defiance to pursuit or detection.
In some parts of Paraguay timber grows in abundance; it is cut, and
floated down the river to Buenos Ayres, not in rafts but in single
trees.
[5] A platted lash, about twenty yards long, with an iron ring at one
end, through which the other end being passed forms a noose.
[6] Such indeed is their excessive propensity to gambling, that they
frequently carry cards in their pocket, and, when an opportunity
occurs, form parties, and retire to a convenient place, where one of
them spreads his _poncho_ or mantle on the ground, in lieu of a table.
When the loser has parted with his money, he will stake his clothes, so
that the game generally continues until one of them goes away almost
naked. This bad practice often leads to serious consequences. I once
observed a party playing in the neighbourhood of a chapel after mass
had been said, when the clergyman came and kicked away the cards in
order to put an end to the game. On this, one of the Peons rose up,
and retiring a few paces, thus accosted the intruder: “Father, I will
obey you as a priest; but” (laying his hand on his knife) “you must
beware how you molest our diversion.” The clergyman knew the desperate
character of these men too well to remonstrate, and retired very
hastily, not a little chagrined.
On another occasion a Peon was gambling with a Spanish corporal in the
prison-yard, when a dispute arising, the latter drew his sword on his
unarmed antagonist, and wounded him so severely in the arm, that he was
obliged to undergo amputation the day following.
It is usual for a Peon who has been fortunate at play, to go to Monte
Video and clothe himself anew in the shop of a slop-seller. While the
shopman is looking out the articles he calls for, he deliberately
places his dollars on the counter, in separate piles, assigning each to
its destined purpose. He then retires to a corner, and attires himself;
an unfortunate comrade invariably attends him, who examines his cast
clothes, and, if better than his own, puts them on. After passing a few
days in idleness, he sets out on his return home, where he appears in
his new dress.
[7] Among the many daring and active feats performed by the Peons,
one of the most extraordinary of late years, was the capture of a
tiger by a female of that tribe. She was a mulatto-woman, brought up
in the vicinity of Barriga Negra. She was accustomed at an early age
to ride horses, and prided herself in doing offices which belonged
to the stronger sex, such as catching cattle with the noose, killing
them, &c. Her form was masculine, and she became so inured to men’s
work, that she was hired as a Peon, and fulfilled that office much
to the satisfaction of her employers. She was noted for selecting
spirited horses, and for riding them at full speed. One day on her
return from labor, as she was passing a rivulet, she observed a large
tiger at no great distance. Surprised that the animal did not steal
away, as is generally the case when he sees a person mounted, she drew
nearer, still keeping her horse’s head from him, so as to be ready to
gallop off if he should make a spring. He was still inattentive and
motionless; the woman observing this, and thinking he ailed something,
after some minutes’ pause backed her horse until she came within
twenty yards of him, loosening at the same time her noose from the
saddle, which she threw most dexterously over his neck, and immediately
galloped away with him to a considerable distance. Whether maimed or
not before, she knew he must now be dead; she therefore alighted,
flayed him, and carried home the skin as a trophy. The animal was above
the ordinary size, and not smaller than a calf six weeks old. This
exploit was long the talk of the neighbourhood, and I have heard the
woman herself relate the adventure.
[8] _Sus Tajassu._—Lin. _Tajaçu._—Buffon.
[9] One mode which they adopted for displaying their triumph over their
late conquerors was singular enough; they collected all the sign boards
belonging to the English warehouses and shops, and made a bonfire
of them. A great quantity of these boards was from the _pulperias_,
the masters of which had been obliged to have on them the following
inscription, painted in large characters, “Licensed to sell liquor.”
[10] The fishery of the _baugre_ here is very considerable, and the
mode of catching the fish, by means of a curved line of boats, by
night, (from each of which is held a flambeau of straw to scare the
fish toward the shore), is singularly picturesque, and might remind the
imaginative spectator of a crescent of wild fire dancing on the waves.
The fish is called at Rio de Janeiro the _mulatto velho_; the negroes
eat it during Lent, and on Fridays and Saturdays.
[11] This very rarely happens.
[12] Forty years ago they caught a whale a day; but they now catch only
one in the course of a month.
[13] The oil, in consequence of not being well refined, is black and
_sooty_.
[14] Three leagues from Sorocaba, which is twenty leagues distant from
the capital. S. Paulo is the famous mountain of Varessoiba. It contains
such an abundance of iron, _solta e á garnel_, (loose or in heaps),
that ten foundries, each melting 10,000 quintals _per annum_, would not
exhaust it in a century; and it has wood for charcoal, which the same
number would be unable to consume in that space of time. A company of
Swedish miners was established here in 1810, but the undertaking was
frustrated by intrigue.
[15] According to a statistical report, dated 1811, the city of S.
Paulo contains 4017 houses, (_fogos_, hearths); 5219 whites (males),
6319 whites (females); 377 free negroes, 485 free negresses; 1967
male, and 1914 female captive negroes; 2394 free mulattoes, 3279 free
mulattas; 745 male, and 896 female captive mulattoes; making the whole
population 23,764. In this year (1811), the births were 1301, the
deaths 785, the marriages 233.
[16] Probably the coloring matter arises from the decomposition of the
hornblende; I have frequently observed a mass of granite having its
surface decomposed into a red clay, in which the particles of mica were
hardly perceptible, while the compact rock below contained a very fair
proportion. These granites contain hornblende with mica.
[17] In one part of the town is found a beautiful species of decomposed
granite, consisting of extremely white feldspar, quartz, and very
little mica.
[18] Mandioca requires a dry hot soil, of a sandy nature.
[19] This generous root requires but little preparation to make it
serve as a substitute for bread. When taken out of the ground they
wash and scrape it clean, and then rasp it on a coarse grater of iron
or copper, press the juice from it, and place it on a hot surface, a
shallow copper-pan for instance, four or five feet in diameter, or a
clay one, with a brick fire underneath; while drying it is constantly
stirred, and when the moisture is completely evaporated, it is
immediately fit for use. If preserved from wet, it will keep good a
long time. In broths and soups it becomes gelatinous, and affords rich
nourishment; it is particularly good when eaten with cheese. The wild
or spurious mandioca, called _Aipim_, is little inferior, when roasted,
to fine chesnuts. The Portuguese introduce it at table, boiled as well
as roasted.
[20] Its leaf is shaped like a heart.
[21] The _Spur-winged Plover_. In the Spanish territories they are
called _disperteros_ (awakeners), on account of the noise they make
when disturbed in the night. A flock of them in any plantation answers
the purpose of an alarm-bell against thieves.
[22] Fr. Gaspar da Madre de Deos.
[23] I may also add their public spirit in resenting injuries done to
individuals, and in supporting the cause of the oppressed; a singular
instance of which I have often heard related. Some seventy years ago,
one of their governors, who was a nobleman, had an intrigue with the
daughter of a mechanic. The whole town espoused the cause of the
injured female, and compelled the governor, at the peril of his life,
to marry her.
[24] Had I approached this city by sea, I might have been enabled to
give a more animated description of its aspect; but I feel it incumbent
on me to adhere to veracity, the first duty of a traveller, and to
describe the impression made on my mind by the view as I approached by
land on my route from S. Paulo.
[25] Several have been established since the time when this narrative
was written.
[26] By way of experiment, I had some fat ewes killed, and the mutton
was acknowledged to be excellent; but the male lambs are never prepared
for the table.
[27] A name given to those persons who go about the country seeking
gold-washings, and do not give notice, or solicit a grant when they
discover any. They are considered and treated as smugglers.
[28] Ere they departed, I saw an instance of that dangerous excess to
which the passions of savages are liable when once excited; for, on
presenting a few bottles of liquor, there was a general strife for
them, and the person, man or woman, who first obtained one, would have
drank the whole of its contents, had it not been forcibly taken away.
It is very unsafe to give them ardent spirits, for when intoxicated it
is necessary to confine them. If preference is given to one, the rest
are insolent and unruly until they obtain the same mark of favor.
[29] I was well informed that a few hundred pounds, judiciously
employed, would defray the expense of making a good road from Canta
Gallo to Porto das Caixas, which loaded mules might travel in two days.
[30] The mode of crossing a river with horses or mules in these parts,
is to tie one to the canoe, and drive him into the water; the rest
follow.
[31] The little lime which they use here is made of shells, and is
brought from Porto das Caixas.
[32] In one part of the road we passed a nest of insects (called
_marimbondos_), which are extremely troublesome to cattle, and cause
the mules to be very violent and unruly. They attack with great
pertinacity, and pursue to a considerable distance; we took a devious
route to get rid of them, but I was followed by some which stung me as
painfully as an irritated wasp could have done. There is a singular
variety of them, having a horny pointed proboscis, with which they
pierce most keenly and give intolerable pain.
[33] No person can be permitted to see the diamonds in the Treasury
without a joint order from the ministers to that effect.
[34] This name is given to what we should call a huckster’s shop,
where various articles, such as liquors, Indian corn, and sometimes
sugar, are sold. Though they profess to answer the purpose of inns,
they are destitute of conveniences; travellers who carry their beds and
cooking utensils with them, generally prefer lodging in a _rancho_ or
_estallage_. Shelter from rain and night air is the only convenience
which a lodging in these districts can be expected to afford.
[35] In this country the practice of cutting flax is attended with
great success, and is preferred to that of pulling it, which prevails
elsewhere. The fibres, though cut, are considered sufficiently long to
be spun and made into good common linen. The old roots produce fresh
shoots incredibly soon.
[36] They also informed me that green topazes were sometimes found,
which I very much doubted. If any substance of that color, resembling
topaz, did occur, it was most probably _Euclase_. It is now known that
Euclase is found with topazes.
[37] Our mules required at least six penny-worth each per day,
exclusive of their corn.
[38] In England I once knew an instance in which an ingot with mercury
adhering to it, in the possession of a person ignorant of metallurgy,
was sold at a reduced price, as if the discolored part had really been
lead; the purchaser also supposing that to be the case.
[39] The finest parts of these tracts, in the best season, are by no
means so rich in grass as an English meadow.
[40] This species of sublimation on a small scale interested me
greatly. Could it proceed from any glimmering of science in the minds
of the negroes, or was it merely an accidental discovery?
[41] This substance contains fine-formed octahedral crystals of
magnetic iron.
[42] An owner of mules, who travels with a number of them, carrying
goods for other persons, as well as on his own account.
[43] _Canga_ is the name of ferruginous quartz, fragments of which
abound in this town, and are used for paving the streets.
[44] Four _vintens_ are nearly equal to a shilling of our money. When
this rivulet was first washed for gold, the quantity produced by
each _gamella_ amounted in value to that sum. As the _cascalho_ then
lay near the surface, and required very little trouble to get at,
one washer could clear about twelve bowls-full per hour, which was
considered a comparatively rich return.
In the mines they have two methods of estimating the quantity produced:
for example; _Quatro Vintens_, here mean four _vintens_ of gold, which
is equal to eight of copper; whereas, in Rio de Janeiro, the same
expression implies four _vintens_ of copper.
[45] In order to insure the vigilance of the overseers, these chairs
are constructed without backs or any other support on which a person
can recline.
[46] The negroes employed in these works are the property of
individuals, who let them to hire at the daily rate of three _vintens_
of gold, equal to about eight-pence, Government supplying them with
victuals. Every officer of the establishment is allowed the privilege
of having a certain number of negroes employed.
[47] The negroes are constantly attending to the _cascalho_ from the
very commencement of the washings, and frequently find diamonds before
this last operation.
[48] Probably fugitive negroes, who subsist in this remote district by
plunder and smuggling.
[49] It was then in seed, of which I collected a small quantity; since
my return, I have sent part of it to the Agricultural Society, and
the remainder I have distributed among gentlemen who endeavoured to
promote its growth in this country, but without effect. It is rather a
hardy grass, as it grew in situations which were all so cold, that the
bananas and coffees were frequently blighted.
[50] The ladies particularly wished to have the cheese of a fine color,
like that sent thither from England; and I was at no loss for an
ingredient for tinging the milk, as the tree, which produces the seed
from which annatto is made, grew spontaneously in the neighbourhood.
[51] On the road there are numerous farm houses, which afford
sufficient accommodation for a traveller. They in general belong to
persons resident in Tejuco, where their produce is sold.
[52] In some of the low swampy tracts large serpents are not uncommon.
At Tejueo I was shown the skin of a young one, of the Boa Constrictor
genus. It was twenty-four feet in length, and about twenty inches in
circumference. These formidable reptiles have been killed forty feet
long! The strength of such a serpent is not easily to be imagined; they
have an undulating motion, and carry their head erect four or five
feet from the ground; their jaws, &c. are capable of inconceivable
dilatation.
[53] Since my return, His Excellency the Conde de Funchall, ordered a
model of a ballast-lighter, which I got constructed for him, and which
will one day or other be found extremely useful.
[54] It may become useful at Villa Rica; but the quantity required
there at present is so trivial as scarcely to merit attention.
[55] If salt were cheaper they might be cured, and would become an
article of commerce, particularly during Lent.
[56] Exclusive of this amount there is a vast quantity smuggled.
[57] One Sunday morning during my stay, an owner of a washing came to
the house of the Intendant, and brought him two miserable diamonds of
bad color, which did not weigh together above five grains, and these,
he said, were all which his ten negroes had found in six weeks. In the
course of conversation, the Intendant observed that all the smugglers
were either imprisoned or dispersed, when the man immediately assumed
an appearance of great disgust at the mention of persons of so vile
a description, and was liberal in his epithets of abuse on them. If
I durst have enquired how it happened that his negroes in six weeks
could find only two _bad-colored_ diamonds, what emotions would this
immaculate miner have manifested!
[58] From all accounts relative to the Indians, either by the officers
employed against them, and better acquainted with their habits than
other men, or from any of the settlers who live near the coast, it does
not appear that they have the smallest knowledge of gold or of precious
stones; hence they can in no degree have contributed to the discovery
of those treasures in the district.
[59] At a place called Caldeiroens, near to Ouro Branco, I received two
bits of this metal, but they were so small and disfigured, as to leave
strong doubts respecting their being natural; the more so, by reason
of the many impositions that were attempted to be practised upon me by
false specimens of copper-ores, silver, &c.
[60] A part of the lichen which I brought home with me I presented to
a gentleman who was fond of chemical experiments: he obtained from the
small quantity of three grains as much coloring matter as imparted to
an ounce of fluid a deep purple, sufficiently strong for every purpose
of dying.
The following are the results of some experiments which he did me the
favor to make:
White sewing-silk, put into an alcoholic solution only once, received a
fine strong purple.
Part of a skein of the same material, was put into a solution of
potash, which produced a purple deeper in hue than the former.
Cotton thread and worsted yarn, immersed only once in the same
solution, produced very nearly the same colors.
The part of a skein of silk died in the alcoholic solution was immersed
in a solution of muriate of tin, which produced a beautiful lilac,
approaching to dove-colored blue. The same substance died in a solution
of potash, and immersed in a solution of muriate of tin, became a few
shades darker, and rather more of a pink hue. These are not unfavorable
results from a quantity so minute; and I feel confident that this
substance may be rendered a very valuable article of trade.
A few weeks ago, I received another sample of excellent lichen, very
full of color, which I hope may be turned to some advantage.
[61] In many parts of the coast, the plant which produces the barilla
would probably florish abundantly, if introduced, and would form an
excellent article of commerce, not only for exportation, but for home
consumption.
[62] There are several rivulets in various parts that bear this name.
[63] If necessary, another channel might be made at a convenient
distance from the first.
[64] It cannot be too much recommended to Government to introduce the
process of amalgamation generally throughout the mines.
[65] _Bucking-irons_, are pieces of cast-iron with wood handles, used
at the lead mines, to break the ore from what it adheres to.
[66] A lixivium of strong ashes is made, and a quantity of lime is put
into it: or sometimes the ashes are mixed with a larger proportion of
lime, and the clear fluid running from the mixture is added to the
juice in various quantities, at the discretion of the negro who manages
the process: respecting this _temper_ various opinions prevail. Every
negro has his peculiar mode of making, mixing, and applying it.
[67] In skimming, lading, and managing the syrup during the operation,
the negroes display great dexterity.
[68] Large trees are cut into planks of these dimensions for making the
cases, which are preferred to hogsheads.
[69] The West India sugars are not clayed, consequently much stronger
and fit for refining and making loaves.
It is much to be desired that the very excellent work, written by Bryan
Edwards, upon sugar making, and distilling rum, was introduced in
Brazil.
[70] It is considered bad policy to subject the raw material, as
cotton, to a heavy duty, and very discouraging to planters, who must
have large capitals employed, and who are greatly exposed to loss if
the crops fail. Too much stimulus cannot be given to the growers; and
they ought to be encouraged by a premium, rather than to pay a tax on
the unmanufactured article.
[71] During the past few years, the Governors of Matto Grosso have
used every effort to shorten the distance from these remote provinces
to the sea ports, by making roads, cutting down woods, and forming
establishments to accommodate passengers, so that canoes, &c. may be
transported over land, and make straight-forward communications from
one river to another, which has shortened this journey at least two
months.
[72] Sutaò. This is a place understood to be uninhabitable for
Europeans, being the residence of uncivilized Indians, and covered with
almost impenetrable woods.
[73] So called, because they abound with these animals.
[74] This river being the grand channel of communication from Rio
de Janeiro, Santos, S. Paulo, and other places, to the interesting
districts of Cuiaba, Matto Grosso, the whole of Paraguay, the river
Plata, Potosi, Chiquisaca, and a great part of Peru, I have preserved
the particular detail given in this paper, of its numerous falls, and
the difficulties of its navigation, as it is now well known, and there
is great reason to suppose, that it will soon be much more frequented.
[75] The labor of dragging the canoes over-land to avoid the cataracts
might be much lessened (where the finest timber is in such abundance),
if Government were to order rail-ways to be made, upon which loaded
canoes might easily be drawn on wheels. This would more facilitate the
intercourse than any other measure, and, from the present enterprising
spirit and wisdom of his Majesty’s ministers, we may soon hope to see
it put in practice.
[76] The Silver from Potosi, which some years has exceeded twenty
millions of dollars, came down the Rio de la Plata to Buenos Ayres.
[77] Some English settlers, disappointed in the river Plata, went to
Rio Grande to establish concerns for curing beef, refining tallow, &c.
which they soon abandoned from the want of practical knowledge.
[78] Almost every vessel brings a greater or smaller number of negroes,
it being the practice at Rio de Janeiro to ship off all those who are
ill-disposed and troublesome for Rio Grande, whence, if they continue
refractory, they are frequently sold into the neighbouring colony.
[79] It has been found, however, from modern surveys, that those rocks
are by no means so dangerous as they have been represented.
[80] In Brazil and the Plata the bridle is made of sufficient length to
serve the purpose of a whip.
[81] Delicate connections were soon formed, and females of the
obscurest class appeared dressed in the most costly extreme of English
fashion.
[82] An _arroba_ is equal to 32lbs. avoirdupois.
[83] Cotton of third quality is manufactured in the country into coarse
cloth for bags, negroes’ dresses, &c. and exported to the Spanish
colonies in large quantities.
[84] Formerly, if any diamonds were found in a gold-washing, the owner
was obliged to desist from working it, and the ground was appropriated
by government. This law is now no longer in force.
[85] It is reasonable to suppose, that few persons would hazard the
penalty incurred by dealing in diamonds clandestinely, when, by paying
a duty, they could bring them fairly into circulation.
[86] Bay salt.
[87] It would be interesting to enquire, in what manner the salt acts
upon the ore containing silver, for without it the mercury has no
effect.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Travels in the interior of Brazil - with notices on its climate, agriculture, commerce, - population, mines, manners, and customs: and a particular - account of the gold and diamond districts." ***
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