Chapter I (5)

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.