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.
