_Boundaries--Extent--Climate--Discoverers of its
Mines--Mountains--Rivers--Mineralogy--Zoology--Phytology--
Exports--Comarcas and Towns.--Comarca of Villa
Rica--Limits--Mountains--Rivers--Capital--Povoações.--Comarca of
Rio das Mortes--Limits--Mountains--Rivers--Povoações.--Comarca
of Sabara--Limits--Mountains--Rivers--Lakes--Povoações.--Comarca
of Serro Frio--Limits--Rich in Diamonds--Mountains--Rivers--
Povoações--Diamond District--Tijuco--Seat of Diamond Junta._
This province, created in the year 1720, being until that period a
portion of that of St. Paulo, is bounded on the north by the province
of Bahia, from which it is separated by the river Verde, and by that of
Pernambuco, from which it is divided by the river Carynhenha; on the
south by the serra of Mantiqueira, which separates it from that of St.
Paulo, and the rivers Preto, Parahibuna, and Parahiba, which divide it
from the province of Rio de Janeiro; on the west by the province of
Goyaz; and on the east by that of Espirito Santo, Porto Seguro, and
a part of Bahia. It is nearly four hundred miles long from north to
south, and two hundred and eighty of medium width, extending from 15°
30′ to 21° 40′. The climate is temperate compared with others of the
torrid zone, arising from the elevated and mountainous nature of this
province. The winter commences in October, always with thunder. Some
years, in the months of June and July, towards the southern part, cold
and frost are prevalent, and water congeals in vessels exposed to the
night air.
Gold, which is found in all the districts of this province, was the
origin of its name, (General Mines,) and which becomes still more
appropriate, since all other metals are ascertained to exist here.
The discovery of this country is owing to the intrepidity of S. F.
Tourinho, an inhabitant of Porto Seguro, who, proceeding up the river
Doce, in 1573, traversed it as far as the Jequitinhonha, by which he
descended.
A few years afterwards A. D. Adorno, with a view of profiting by the
mines of emeralds discovered by Tourinho, advanced, with one hundred
and fifty whites and four hundred Indians, up the Cricare, and came
back by the same river as his precursor.
Many years had elapsed when, with the same project, M. d’Azevedo
penetrated into this country as far as the lake Vupabussu.
In 1793, a Thaubateno, A. Rodriguez, entered the certam of Cuyate,
accompanied by fifty men; but discord interrupted their proceedings,
and Rodriguez returned by the capitania of Espirito Santo, where he
exhibited three oitavas (a drachm each) of gold, to demonstrate that
he had traversed auriferous lands. Proceeding to Rio de Janeiro, and
thence to Thaubate, he soon expired, in consequence of the exhausted
state he was reduced to by the fatigues and privations of the
enterprise, previously recommending his brother-in-law, Bartholomew
Bueno, to persevere in this project.
Impelled by the poverty to which extravagancies had reduced him, Bueno
set out, in 1694, upon the enterprise, accompanied by Captain M.
d’Almeida and other persons, directing their course by the heads of the
serras pointed out in the diary of the late Rodriguez.
Captain M. Garcia, accompanied by Colonel S. Fernandez and other
adventurers, actuated by similar motives, took their departure in the
following year; met with Bueno at the serra of Itaberava, near thirty
miles to the south of Villa Rica, and returned the first with twelve
oitavas of gold, which led to the establishment of a melting house in
the town of Thaubate.
This circumstance caused a great many Paulistas to undertake various
other voyages, in spite of the fatigues and dangers with which they
were beset; not as hitherto in capturing savages, but in the animating
pursuit of gold. With this view numbers formed establishments in the
province. Hence arose the envy which subsisted between the Thaubatenos
and Piratininganos, who never associated in their mining expeditions.
With the project of finding gold F. D. Paes penetrated the certams of
Serro Frio, and arriving at the situation of Anhonhecanhuva, (which
in the Indian idiom signifies “water that hides itself,”) at present
called Sumidoiro, (“to swallow up,”) he dwelt there more than three
years, undertaking various journeys during the time into Sabara
Bussu, where he found, in the serra Negra, precious stones; which not
satisfying him he retroceded as far as the serra Tucambira, (the crop
or maw of the Tucano,) and from thence to the river Itamarindiba, (a
small rolling stone,) where, from its having fish, he remained for
some time. Although his party was diminished by the desertion of the
major part in the serra Negra, impatient at their long stay there,
he determined to visit the lake Vupabussu, (Large Lake,) which he
ultimately found, after a laborious search; and was also directed, by
an Indian which he had taken, to the emerald mines. On the return of
this certanista towards St. Paulo, he died near the river Velhas, where
he fortunately met with, amongst other countrymen, Manuel de Borba
Gato, his son-in-law, to whom he left the golden fruits of all his
labours.
In the mean time D. Rodrigo de Castello Branco entered the country,
with the appointment of superintendent of the mines, and wishing
also to participate in the credit of discovering the emerald mines,
on his arrival at the river Velhas sent to beg of M. de Borba Gato a
part of the equipment and provisions left him by Paez. His refusal to
comply with this request occasioned some menacing words to escape from
Branco, which were sufficient to cause his assassination basely by a
servant of Gato, to whom General A. de Sa offered a pardon, in the name
of the King, on condition of his pointing out the copious mines of
Sabara, discovered by him. Those conditions being fulfilled, the rank
of lieutenant-general was unwisely and undeservedly granted to this
instigator of murder.
The abundance of gold attracted a great number of Paulistas and
Europeans to this province, between whom obstinate disputes arose, and
a prolonged civil war.
M. N. Vianna, a native of the town of Vianna, was chief of the
European party, who had appointed him governor of the new mines, when
A. d’Albuquerque Coelho, the first general of the province of St.
Paulo, with prudence and power, terminated, in 1710, the sanguinary
dissensions between the disputants.
This province, whilst a comarca of that of St. Paulo, and before it
had generals for governors, was various times visited by those of Rio
de Janeiro, not only at the period of the disorders caused by the
Paulistas and Europeans but anterior to the conclusion of the strifes
that existed among the Piratininganos and Thaubatenos.
D. Lourenço d’Almeyda was the first general of the province, which
appointment was bestowed upon him with much splendour in the church
of Our Lady of Pilar, of Villa Rica, on the 18th of August, 1720.
This province is now, comparatively speaking, tolerably populous, and
divided into four comarcas.
MOUNTAINS.--It is the most mountainous country in the Brazil. The serra
Mantiqueira, which is the most celebrated in the province, commences
in the northern part of that of St. Paulo; from thence, running almost
north-east, not without many windings, as far as the town of Barbacena,
where it inclines northward to the extremity of the province, varying
its direction, elevation, and name, and extending many branches from
both sides of greater or less extent and height. It bounds in part all
the comarcas.
RIVERS.--None of the other provinces are so abundant in water, and the
greater part of its rivers have their origin in the Mantiqueira Serra,
and their egress in general by four channels; two flowing eastward,
namely the Doce and the Jequitinhonha; the St. Francisco northward; and
the Rio Grande westward. The first irrigates the comarca of Villa Rica,
the second that of Serro Frio, the third that of Sabara, and the last
that of St. Joao d’el Rey.
MINERALOGY.--Gold, platina, silver, and brass, iron, pewter, lead,
mercury, antimony, bismuth, amianthus, talk, calcareous stone, granite,
black jasper marked with white; _amolar_, or grindstone, fossil-coal,
saltpetre; white, red, yellow, grey, and black argils; diamonds,
rubies, emeralds, chrysolites, topazes, sapphires, _aqua-marinas_,
agates, amethysts, petrifactions, (_pingos d’agua_,) crystals,
flintstone, and _pedra sabao_, of a pearl colour, very compact and
heavy, but easily worked; images, candlesticks, and vessels by the
turner are made of this stone. It affords excellent chalk, and its very
fine dust is sought after by travellers. Many profound caverns and
excavations are met with, from whence immense quantities of gold have
been extracted. Some rocks are perforated from one side to the other;
others have disappeared entirely, in the course of withdrawing their
rich contents. Many mountains frequently reverberate, demonstrating
that they are fully charged with minerals. A great number of torrents
have been diverted, for a greater or less space, from their natural
beds, to facilitate the extraction of gold and diamonds.
ZOOLOGY.--All the species of Spanish domestic animals are bred here;
the oxen and hog are the most numerous; the savage quadrupeds and birds
met with in the adjoining provinces are common in this. The population
principally consists of negroes, the property of the miner and the
agriculturist. Indians exist only upon the eastern boundaries of the
province. Many persons of all complexions are met with of the age of
one hundred years.
PHYTOLOGY.--The soil produces in abundance the first year; the second
usually little, and in the third almost nothing; it is therefore
requisite, according to the present mode of agriculture, to allow it
to remain fallow for some years, until it is covered with a strong
brushwood, which is then burnt down to form the first coat of manure.
Here are cultivated mandioca, tobacco, sugar, (the greater part
of which is distilled into spirit,) cotton, (part of which is
manufactured into cloth,) wheat, rye, and a great quantity of white
Indian corn, the dry flour of which is the ordinary bread; this corn,
after the skin is taken off, dressed, and sweetened with sugar, is a
dainty introduced into every banquet, and is called _cangica_.
Also are grown potatoes, legumes, hortulans, coffee, and indigo.
Amongst other medicinal plants, there are ipecacuanha, columbo root,
liquorice, jalap, a species of spikenard upon the serra Caraça;
vanilla, and the _urucu_ dye tree. Amongst the resinous trees, are
remarked the gum-copal, gum-mastick, benzoin, and _angico_. In
some places are the storax, and the oil of cupahiba tree; in others the
_barbatimoes_, its leaves nourishing the _cantharidas_, which
is a lucrative branch of commerce. Some trees furnish fine bark, some
ashes for the soap-house, others venom, with which fish are killed,
and the upper bark of a tree which supplies the real _quina_, or
Jesuit’s bark. There is a variety of the palm, and of trees affording
fine timber for building. The cedar is common in some situations, and
the Brazilian pine grows in the southern part, near the skirts of
serras. There is a shrub differing from the _myrica cerifera_,
the trunk and branches of which are always covered with a species of
wax; also the _verniz_, or varnish tree, with which the Indians
dye their _cuyas_ (clay cups.) Almost all the fruit trees of
Portugal are naturalized here, but none of them improve; the peach and
quince alone fructify abundantly; from the latter, a large quantity
of sweetmeats are made. The _cajue_, the _jabuticaba_, the
_araticu_, and the _mangaba_ fruits are common; also oranges,
limes, bananas, pine-apples, and water-melons.
From this province are exported hides, skins of deer, and of other wild
animals; coarse cotton and woollen cloth, tobacco, coffee, fruits,
sugar, cheese, pork, _pedra sabao_, precious stones, saltpetre,
marmalade, &c. The whole is conducted to the metropolis upon mules,
which proceed in caravans of one hundred and more, divided into troops
of seven, managed by one muleteer. Their return cargo consists of salt,
and other dry and moist goods.
The treasury, besides the diamonds, fifths of gold, dizimos, duties
upon negroes and goods introduced from the ports, of cattle, horses,
and mules, entering from St. Paulo, receives a considerable revenue on
the passage of rivers by bridges and barks, which are numerous.
In the year 1808, the circulation of gold dust, till then, the only
circulating medium, was prohibited, and coins of the three current
metals substituted.
In the year 1714, this province was divided into four comarcas; namely,