CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO.
Leaves the Cidade Diamantina—Reaches As Borbas—Passes
the Arraial do Milho—Tres Barras—Arrives at the
Cidade do Serro, formerly Villa do Principe—The Town
described—Passes Tapanhuacanga—Retiro de Padre Bento—N.S. de
Conceição—Description of an Iron Smelting Work at Girão—Vast
abundance of Iron Ores in this District—Reaches Escadinha—Morro
de Gaspar Soares and two other Iron Smelting Works and
Forges—Ponte Alta—Itambé—Passes Onça—Ponte de Machado,
where frost was seen—And arrives at Cocaes—Visits the large
Establishment of the Cocaes English Mining Company—The author’s
unkind reception by the Director of that Establishment—Reaches
S. João do Morro Grande, part of the Mining Establishment
of the English Gongo Soco Company—Hospitable reception and
visit to the Gold Mines—Its Workings described—Geological
structure of the Mines, and the surrounding Country—Leaves
Gongo Soco and passes Morro Velho-Rapoza—And reaches the
Establishment of another English Mining Company at Morro
Velho—The author’s delight on receiving letters after two
years’ absence—His kind reception and abode there—Village
of Congonhas de Sahara described—Attached to the Gold Mines
of Morro Velho—Account of those Mines—Mode of Working and
extracting Gold from the Ore—Visits the City of Sabará—Mining
Establishment of Cuiabá—Serra de Piedade—And Serra del
Curral del Rey—Leaves Morro Velho—Reaches the Villa de
Caëté—Passes S. José de Morro Grande—Barra—Brumado—Serra de
Caraça—Catas altas—Inficionado—Bento Rodriguez—Camargos—And
reaches San Caetano—Visits the City of Mariana—Passes the
Serra de Itacolumi—Arraial de Passagem—And arrives at the
city of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica—City described—Its
Population—College—And Botanic Garden.
Before leaving the Cidade Diamantina, I made several excursions to the
valleys, the ravines, and the mountain tops in its vicinity, which
yielded me many acquisitions; having made all the necessary preparations
for our departure, we left early in the forenoon of the 15th of August.
We made a journey of about three leagues, and remained for the night at
a place called As Borbas, encamping in an open grassy spot, not far from
the only house there, that belonged to a blacksmith. The road by which
we travelled is the high way leading to Rio de Janeiro, and is perhaps
the worst in the country, notwithstanding the great traffic here carried
on, not only to the capital of the Diamond country, but also to that
large district to the N.E. called Minas Novas. The numerous ascents and
descents are very rocky and full of large stones, the last ascent, of
greater extent than the others, about a league from the city, leads to an
open flat grassy country, the summit of the Serro do Frio. To the left we
passed some higher ranges, one of which is the elevated Serra de Itambé;
it was a very arid desolate tract, the few shrubs which grew on it being
two or three species of _Lychnophora_, called Candeia by the inhabitants,
and the grotesque _Lychnocephalus tomentosus_, together with a few
occasional clumps of _Vellozia_. Shortly before we reached As Borbas,
we gradually descended to a considerable extent, by a rocky path, and
entered a broad valley, which, though more wooded than the plain above,
was still very arid in its appearance.
As some of the mules had strayed during the night, we were delayed at
our encampment till near noon on the following day; this was not at
all agreeable, for we were exposed to a hot sun, without any means of
sheltering ourselves from its influence. As I had now no animals of my
own, I was obliged to submit to the will of the tropeiro, who did not
seem very anxious to proceed rapidly on his journey. We found the mode of
travelling in the southern provinces very different from that we had been
accustomed to in the northern. Horses are seldom or never used, and only
one journey is made in the day, which, according to the nature of the
road, extends from three to four leagues. The troops, which often consist
of as many as from fifty to one hundred mules, are very well organized,
those which are not conducted by the owner himself being entrusted to
an Arrieiro or muleteer, who, mounted on horseback, follows in the rear
of the troop. It is he who gives the necessary orders for its starting
and halting, looks to the condition of the pack saddles, and takes care
the loads are well balanced, as otherwise they would gall the backs of
the animals; it is also part of his business to examine the feet of the
mules, when the troop halts, to ascertain the state of their shoes,
and replace those which have been lost; the situation of Arrieiro is
generally held by a free mulatto, and to him also the sale and purchase
of goods is often entrusted. The roads in Brazil are so narrow that the
animals are obliged to go singly, one before the other, and so much are
they accustomed to this, that even when the road is broad enough for many
to go abreast, they still persist in the habit they have acquired of
following one another. The troop is subdivided into divisions (lotes) of
seven mules each, which are separately managed by a driver (tocrado), who
goes on foot, and is generally a negro. From As Borbas we made a journey
of about three leagues and a half, through a hilly, rocky, uninteresting
country, and arrived at a place called Tres Barras. Shortly before
reaching it we passed the Arraial de Milho Verde, but at a short distance
to the south, at a place called Váo, we crossed a small river over an old
half-rotten wooden bridge. At this place there are a few poor looking
houses, the owners of which are principally diamond washers; one of them
showed me a few diamonds, all of which were very small, and not nearly
equal in colour to those found near the Cidade Diamantina; one was jet
black, a colour that not unfrequently occurs.
Leaving Tres Barras, another journey of three leagues and a half brought
us to the Cidade do Serro. The road leads through a hilly undulating
country, evidently much lower than that in the Diamond district which we
left behind at Tres Barras; it had now lost its barren rocky appearance,
the greater part of the rounded hills being wooded to their tops, and
occasionally houses and plantations were to be seen in the hollows. In
place of the gravelly soil which exists in the Diamond district, the red
argillaceous ferruginous clay, so common in the country, again made its
appearance. We came in sight of the city when about a league distant from
it, and although much smaller than the Cidade Diamantina, its elevated
situation gives it quite as striking an appearance. Like it, the greater
part of the Cidade do Serro is built on the slope of a hill, which,
however, is of less elevation, and the houses are not so closely crowded
together. At this place I parted with the tropeiro who brought us from
the Cidade Diamantina, and as there was no inn of any description, I
took up my quarters in the public rancho, which is a large well-built
house, expressly constructed for the accommodation of the troops that
pass and repass, three only of which are allowed to rest in it at a time,
and the proprietor charges four vintims (about two pence) per night
to each tropeiro for the accommodation. He has adjoining it, a large
venda, for the sale of provisions and Indian corn, and it is understood,
that the tropeiros are expected to purchase there what they require for
themselves, their men, and their mules. At this rancho I met with a
muleteer returning to Ouro Preto, with his mules unloaded, eighteen of
which I hired to carry us forward, and for which I agreed to pay him on
our arrival there, 180 mil-reis, or about 22_l._ sterling.
Cidade do Serro, formerly known by the name of Villa do Principe, is
situated partly on the northern acclivity, and partly upon the ridge of
a hill which runs from east to west, and consists, principally, of one
long street, with a few others that intersect it; these are nearly all
well paved, and the houses are, with but few exceptions, white-washed. As
in the capital of the Diamond district, almost every house has a small
garden, which gives to the city a very pleasing appearance, when seen
from a distance. I remained here only part of a day, and had, therefore,
little opportunity of gaining much information respecting it; it struck
me, however, during a walk through its principal street, that it was a
dull place. According to St. Hilaire, it contained in the year 1817, a
population of from 2,500 to 3,000 inhabitants; it has a few good shops,
but the greater part of the respectable inhabitants are agriculturists,
who have their fazendas in the neighbourhood. Gold at one time was found
rather plentifully in the argillaceous soil, particularly in a small
stream which runs in the valley below the city called the Corrego de
quatro vintems; it is now, however, nearly exhausted, and only a few of
the more wealthy citizens employ some of their slaves in search for this
metal.
The hills around the Cidade do Serro, are covered with a grass which
the Brazilians call Capim gordura (_Melinis minutiflora_, Nees ab E.).
It is covered with an oily viscous matter, and universally makes its
appearance in those tracts, which have been cleared of virgin forest for
the purposes of cultivation; both cattle and horses are very fond of it,
but although they soon fatten on it, the latter get short-winded, if
they feed on it for any length of time. Martius considers this plant to
be truly a native of Minas Geräes, while St. Hilaire is of a different
opinion; as it is now everywhere so common in this province, it is a
difficult matter to say which of those excellent botanists is in the
right; all the agriculturists that I have spoken with on the subject
agree with St. Hilaire, although they differ in opinion in regard to
the place of its original growth. It is only on the mountains, that it
is found covering large tracts, and at present it is rapidly extending
northwards. St. Hilaire during his travels did not observe it beyond 17°
40´ of south latitude; but while crossing the Serra Geral from Goyaz
to Minas, I met with it many degrees to the north of that parallel. T
noticed it only near houses, and there is little doubt that in the course
of a few more years it will overrun that chain in the same manner that it
has done those of Minas. The seeds had evidently been brought from the
latter country by troops, which pass that way into Goyaz; it is not to be
met with at all in the Sertão. Another plant which makes its appearance
with this grass, and one of the worst pests which the Brazilian farmer
has to contend with is the _Pteris caudata_, a large brake similar to
that so common in many places in Great Britain; it is called by the
common name of Samambaia.
Leaving the Cidade do Serro, and passing through a hilly country, which
is more thickly wooded, and contains a greater number of habitations
than that we had lately traversed, a journey of four leagues brought us
to the Arraial de Tapanhuacanga, where we passed the night in the public
rancho; a large troop of about one hundred mules had arrived there before
us, from Rio de Janeiro, loaded with European merchandise. This village
is situated in a hollow, which is surrounded by some rather high hills,
the nearest of which are covered with grass, a few solitary trees, and
an immense number of the large clay nests of the white ant; while the
more distant are covered with virgin forests. At the time the village
was founded, gold was discovered abundantly in the neighbourhood, but
it is now very nearly exhausted; it contains at present only about
twenty or thirty houses, the greater part of which are falling into
ruin, and the two churches are in the same condition. Below the village
runs a small stream, in the bed of which a few miserable beings still
endeavour to earn a livelihood by washing for gold. While in the rancho,
one of the men belonging to the troop brought in a handful of branches
covered with leaves, with which, after holding them some time over the
fire, so as to render them brittle, he made a kind of tea for himself
and his companions; from the fruit on it, I found it to be a species of
_Symplocos_. The leaves of many other shrubs and trees are used in the
same manner by the inhabitants of Minas, under the name of Congonha;
those of the _Ilex Caraguayensis_, from which the celebrated Yerba of
Paraguay is prepared, are most commonly used.
We left Tapanhuacanga early next morning, and having accomplished about
five leagues and a half, we halted at a fazenda called Retiro de Padre
Bento, a large house built on the gentle slope of a grassy hill; our
whole journey, indeed, was through an open, hilly, grassy country, the
pasture being chiefly Capim gordura. In many places the ground had been
turned up to a great extent in search after gold, but the workings were
all abandoned; large tracts were likewise covered with the tall brake of
which I have already spoken. One of the most common trees I observed was
a fine large _Hyptis_ (_H. membranacea_, Benth.) bearing great panicles
of purple flowers. This tree is from twenty to forty feet high, and is
one of the largest species of the family of the _Labiatæ_ I met with in
Brazil.
After travelling about half a league next morning, we passed through the
Arraial de Nossa Senhora de Conceição de Mato Dentro. This village is
situated in a hollow, on the banks of a small stream, and is surrounded
by high grassy hills; it contains about two hundred houses arranged in
two long parallel streets, and is one of the most miserable looking
places I have ever seen; many of the houses are falling into decay, and
those which are still inhabited, are not even white-washed, but are
merely covered with the red clay used in plastering them. The country
around has a barren aspect, but as the hills are all covered with Capim
gordura, it does not look quite so sterile as that around the Cidade
Diamantina; they are, however, destitute of all those beautiful small
shrubs, which render the mountains in the diamond district so interesting
to the botanist. Except a few small gardens attached to some of the
houses, there are no signs of cultivation in the neighbourhood of
Conceição. At a short distance from this village the road passes over
a high hill, upon reaching the top of which we got into a cold dense
mist, which was rolling down into the valley before the wind, but which
disappeared as soon as it reached a warmer atmosphere. We travelled
in the mist for about half a league, and finally emerged from it by
descending the opposite side of the Serra. On this descent we met another
large troop consisting of upwards of one hundred mules, part of which was
destined to the diamond district, and part to Minas Novas; the road was
here so narrow that our small troop was obliged to halt while the others
passed.
About a league and a half from Conceição, we passed a small iron work
belonging to a German blacksmith; it is situated in a most romantic spot
on the banks of a small river, the waters of which rush through a narrow
rocky channel, and is surrounded by hills covered with virgin forests.
The proprietor of this establishment told me that he had been eighteen
years in Brazil, seven of which had been spent at this place. His furnace
is a small one, making only a hundred weight of iron per day, but he was
about to erect another of equal size. The blasts for the furnace, and
for the forging fires, as well as the large hammer by which the iron is
beaten into bars, are worked by water. He had several men in his employ,
making all kinds of iron implements used in the country, but principally
shoes for mules, for which he finds a quick sale from the tropeiros
that are daily passing. He also manufactures a small quantity of steel,
which he confessed to be of an inferior quality; there is abundance of
iron-stone in the neighbourhood, and plenty of wood to make charcoal for
reducing the ore. The province of Minas Geräes is perhaps richer than any
part of the world in iron; indeed, as St. Hilaire observes, it may be
considered as inexhaustible.[19] In Europe iron ore is generally found
at a considerable depth, but in Minas it is frequently met with near the
surface.
From Girão, for so this forge is called, we went on another league, and
halted for the night in a public rancho at a fazenda called Escadinha.
The country during the latter part of the journey was well wooded with
virgin forests similar to those on the Organ mountains, and like them
abounding in tree-ferns, small palms, and a large species of bamboo. It
was quite refreshing to be once more in such a region, after wandering so
long in the arid provinces of the north.
On the following morning, after travelling about two leagues, we passed
a small village called the Arraial do Morro de Gaspar Soares, which,
contrary to the general custom in Brazil, is situated on the summit of a
high hill. It is surrounded by other hills covered with Capim gordura,
which, although it was then the end of the dry season was quite green,
and presented a great contrast to the pastures of Ceará, Piauhy, and
Goyaz, which in the same season are quite burned up. Here there was no
sign of cultivation, although I was informed that at one time the whole
of these bare campos were under culture till the Capim gordura took
possession of them; new plantations have been formed at a distance by
the cutting down of the virgin forests, which in time will have to be
abandoned from the same cause. Notwithstanding the richness of these
pastures but few cattle were to be seen grazing here. As we did not
intend to stop at this village, and as the road passes along the foot of
the hill on which it stands, I had not an opportunity of seeing it more
closely, but it had a neat and picturesque appearance at a distance. On
the road not far from each other, we passed two small iron works; these
forges were established by government while Brazil was still a colony
of Portugal, and the greater part of the iron they produced was sent to
the diamond district for the use of the mines there; they are now in the
hands of private individuals. About two leagues beyond this village, we
finished our day’s journey at a venda called Ponte Alta, which has a
public rancho attached to it. The country through which we passed was
not very interesting to the botanist; by the side of a little rivulet
near the rancho grew a fine species of _Vochysia_, covered with its long
spikes of bright yellow flowers, and a _Rubus_, the fruit of which, when
ripe, is green, and has somewhat the flavour of the strawberry.
From Ponte Alta, a journey of three leagues brought us to the Arraial de
Itambé; the road led through a hilly but rather well wooded country, with
a more varied general vegetation than any part I had passed over since
leaving the diamond district. About a league and a half from Itambé, we
ascended a hill of considerable height; and after journeying about half a
mile through a low wood, we entered on an open tract with a moist sandy
soil, which afforded me a large collection of very rare and interesting
plants.
The Arraial de Itambé is situated in a beautiful valley, on the banks
of a small river which bears the same name, and which we crossed before
entering the village, over an excellent wooden bridge. The village
contains from eighty to a hundred houses, and a church, most of which are
in a state of great decay; indeed, the aspect of ruin and desolation was
more apparent here than in any place of its size I have seen in Brazil,
with the exception perhaps of the Villa de Parnagoá, in the south of the
province of Piauhy; the appearance of the inhabitants was equally abject
and miserable. The valley in which it stands is surrounded by high gently
sloping hills, some of which are grassy and rocky, while others are
covered with low woods. Beyond these hills, and about a league distant
from the village in a westerly direction, a higher chain of mountains
exists called Itacolumi; from the seven summits it presents, it also
bears the name of Sete Pecados Mortaes; this range was once covered by
forests, which about forty years ago were accidentally destroyed by fire.
As at the Arraial do Morro, the neighbourhood of Itambé presents no signs
of cultivation, if a few small gardens attached to some of the houses,
containing some orange and other fruit trees, be excepted. Formerly gold
washing was carried on to some extent in the bed of the river, but it
is now found in such small quantities that the produce will not pay the
expense of the labour.
From Itambé we went to a little hamlet consisting of about a dozen
houses, and a small chapel called Onça, the distance being about two
leagues and a half. The ascent of the Serra from Itambé was very rocky,
and the country afterwards hilly. One of the few plants which I met with
on this journey, was the really beautiful _Mutisia campanulata_, Less., a
climber with pea-like leaves, and large heads of bright scarlet flowers,
which are gracefully suspended on long footstalks.
Our next journey was very long, being a double day’s march, or about six
leagues. The road led through an open, undulating, and very rich country;
and we passed some large fazendas surrounded by extensive plantations
of Indian corn; those parts of the country not under cultivation were
covered with virgin forests, in which I observed, for the first time
since I had left the Organ mountains, abundance of the Brazilian
cabbage-palm (_Euterpe edulis_, Mart.). The sun was excessively hot all
day, and there was scarcely a breath of wind stirring; in consequence
of this I suffered much from a severe attack of headache. The place
we stopped at is called Ponte do Machado, where there is an excellent
rancho; the night was clear and cold, and when the men went out in the
morning to collect the mules, the grass was covered with hoar frost; and
the dew which had fallen on the leaves of the shrubs during the early
part of the night, was formed into small icicles; this was the only time
I observed ice in Brazil, and the first time in their lives that my men
had ever seen it.
From Ponte do Machado, a short journey of two leagues brought us to
the Arraial de Cocaes early in the forenoon, where we took up our
quarters as usual in the public rancho, the village not affording
better accommodation. Long before we arrived at this place, I had been
informed that an English mining company possessed an establishment in the
neighbourhood; and I now learned that it was situated on a high Serra,
which bears the same name as the Arraial, and only about a quarter of a
league distant. My stock of money was very nearly exhausted, and as I
should have to pay my tropeiro on our arrival at the city of Ouro Preto,
from which we were now only eleven leagues distant, I determined to
apply to the chief commissioner of the Cocaes mine for some assistance.
From Natividade, in the province of Goyaz, I had written to the house
of Messrs. Harrison & Co., at Rio de Janeiro, who kindly acted as my
agents during the whole time of my residence in Brazil, requesting
them to forward all my letters and parcels to Mr. Herring, the chief
commissioner of the San João d’El Rey mining company, and once at that
place I felt certain that all my wants would be supplied, as Mr. Herring
knew me personally, having had the pleasure of meeting him in Rio,
in the beginning of 1837; but we were still about thirty-six leagues
distant from the town of San João d’El Rey, at which place it was then
my impression Mr. Herring resided. Coming as I did from the ‘far west’
of Brazil, I had of course no letters of recommendation to Mr. Goodair,
the chief commissioner of the Cocaes mines, yet I resolved to solicit
from him that aid which a countryman of my own could only be expected to
supply.
As soon as my luggage was all properly arranged in the rancho, I rode
up to the mine, but found that Mr. Goodair was out visiting some of
the works at a distance, and was not expected to return for two hours,
I therefore determined to await his arrival; and in the meantime
I was invited to dine with Mr. Roscoe, one of the officers of the
establishment. This gentleman, who is married to an English lady, had a
fine family of several little flaxen-haired children, and they, and the
dinner, which consisted principally of roast beef and English potatoes,
made me feel as if suddenly transported to my own country. Shortly after
dinner Mr. Goodair arrived, and after stating to him the object of my
long journey, I candidly informed him of the unpleasant circumstances
in which I was placed for want of money, and asked him for the loan of
£25, for which I would give him an order on my agents in Rio; by doing so
I told him he would confer an obligation, not only on me, but on those
under whose patronage I was travelling, at the same time offering to show
him credentials, which I purposely took with me, to prove that I was not
an impostor. These, however, he would not look at, told me he was sorry
that he could do nothing for me, but added, that as my agents in Rio were
also the agents for the Morro Velho mining company, perhaps I might meet
with some assistance there: “at all events,” he concluded, “the doctor
there is a countryman of your own, a Scotchman, and he, perhaps, may feel
inclined to do something for you.” After giving me this advice, he turned
on his heel, and without even bidding me good day, walked out of the room.
As may well be imagined, my feelings were not a little hurt at this
uncourteous treatment; it was quite optional on his part whether he
would let me have the money or not, but I certainly expected a kinder
reception. I looked back on my long and painful journey of more than two
years’ duration, and my memory recalled the many acts of kindness I had
received from people of the country who had never heard of me before,
and I felt keenly the marked contempt with which I was treated by an
Englishman, and the only one too, to whose benevolence I appealed during
the whole course of my travels. My personal appearance might perhaps
have influenced him, for the necessarily limited wardrobe with which I
started from the coast was now nearly exhausted, nor would the state of
my funds allow me to add to it. I was deeply sunburnt from exposure, and
the fatigue of long continued travelling, innutritious diet, and latterly
even little of that, together with much anxiety of mind, produced by the
evil which I here tried in vain to remedy, gave me, I have no doubt,
no very prepossessing appearance. Had Mr. Goodair, however, been of an
obliging disposition, a little enquiry would have satisfied him that my
object was not to deceive; the fact of my having arrived in the village
with four attendants, and nearly twenty mules’ load of luggage, and the
excellent credentials I possessed, carried with them sufficient evidence
that this was not the case.
Learning from Mr. Roscoe, and Mr. Rigby, another officer of the
establishment, from whom I received much civility, that Mr. Herring was
chief commissioner of the Morro Velho mine, which was only about eleven
leagues distant from Cocaes, I instantly determined to go and ascertain
if any letters had been sent up for me from Rio de Janeiro. I expected
to have been able to examine the geological nature of the mine, but the
reception I met with put a stop at once to my intentions. Mr. Rigby,
however, showed me over the surface works.
The mine is situated near the top of the eastern side of the Serra de
Cocaes. In the year 1833, a lease for fifty years was bought by the
present company; the former proprietors had worked it previously for a
long period with much profit; in June 1834, the company began operations,
and though these have been carried on with much perseverance, and at a
great yearly expenditure, but very little gold has been extracted. At
the time of my visit, the money laid out on the mine altogether exceeded
£200,000. The manner in which the mine was worked, formed a great
contrast to what I had previously seen adopted by the Brazilians; all the
machinery was put in action by water power, and it was a most interesting
sight to observe how one very small stream of water, brought from a
distance of several leagues, was turned to so many useful purposes. In
the first place it was made use of to drive a saw mill, then descended
to the mill where Indian corn for the slaves was ground into flour,
thence it was conducted to the blacksmith’s shop, to work the blast for
a furnace, and the tilt hammer, after this it was led into a large
vegetable garden for the purposes of irrigation, and thence conducted to
work a machine for drawing ore from the mine. Leaving this it descended
to drive a large pumping wheel, forty feet in diameter; besides which
it kept in action two stamping machines for reducing the ore to powder,
another machine for raising ore, a second forty feet pumping wheel, and
lastly, it turned a wheel that worked a machine for ventilating the
mine. The gold is found in a soft, friable, greyish-coloured, micaceous
iron schist, which is called by the Brazilians Jacotinga: the principal
shaft is about fifty fathoms deep. At the time of my visit, there were
thirty English miners, about three hundred slaves, and thirty hired free
Brazilians, at work in and about the mine.
The village of Cocaes is not only the prettiest I have seen in Minas, but
is also the most beautifully situated. It is built on the gentle slope
and summit of a low hill that stands in the bosom of a semicircle formed
by the Serra, which in some places is covered with virgin forest, and in
others is bare and rocky. Between the Serra and the village runs the Una,
a small stream, which, however, in the dry season contains but little
water. Everywhere along its banks, and even to a considerable distance,
the ground has been turned over and washed for gold; these operations are
still carried on. Far from exhibiting the ruin and decay, which the other
villages we shortly before passed through presented, the houses here
have all a neat appearance, being mostly white-washed, and surrounded
by little gardens containing orange and coffee trees, bananas, &c. The
church stands out conspicuously from all the other buildings, and around
it are planted a few tall palms, which give to the whole place a truly
tropical aspect.
On the morning of the second day after our arrival, we left the Arraial
de Cocaes; and I thought it very hard to be travelling in the famous El
Dorado, with scarcely a sixpence in my pocket, while judging from my
first attempt there were but faint expectations of improving my pecuniary
wants. Ascending the Serra de Cocaes by an excellent road, and passing
the entrance to the mine, we descended to the other side, and following
a nearly westerly route for about the distance of four leagues along the
base of the Serra, reached the celebrated Gongo Soco mine, about two
o’clock in the afternoon. About half way we passed through the Arraial
de San João do Morro Grande, which consists principally of one long
narrow street. The country around it is formed of a coarse ferruginous
soil, that everywhere has been turned up in search of gold, but as it is
now nearly exhausted, very few of the inhabitants are engaged in that
species of labour. Like most other villages that owe their origin to the
auriferous soil in their neighbourhood, it presents all the symptoms of
decadence; houses that were built in times of prosperity are quickly
falling into ruin, and the few that have been more recently erected, are
of a much inferior construction; near the centre of the Arraial is a fine
church, still kept in good repair. On the road several English miners
passed us on their way to Rio, from a mine which had been established
a few years before on the Serra de Candonga, between Tapanhuacanga and
Cidade do Serro, but which was now about to be abandoned.
As I brought a letter with me from Mr. Rigby at Cocaes to Mr. T. Baird,
one of the partners of a large general store at Gongo Soco, and as I was
most kindly received by him, I found myself more comfortably situated
than at Cocaes. The whole of the houses at this place belong to the
company, and it is undoubtedly one of the prettiest little villages
in the province. The situation in which it is placed adds much to its
beauty, being a narrow valley bounded on the north by the high wooded
Serra, that runs westward from Cocaes, and by a lower undulating grassy
elevation on the south. With the exception of the large house occupied
by Mr. Duval, the chief commissioner, the others are all of one story,
arranged in streets, isolated, and in the English cottage style, adorned
in front with flower beds, and not unfrequently with palms and other
tropical trees. Near the centre of the village stands a small but elegant
church for the use of the free Brazilian workmen and slaves, employed by
the company. There is a catholic priest in the pay of the company, and
formerly there used to be an English clergyman also; in this village the
officers and the greater part of the English miners reside. The mining
operations are carried on about half a mile further to the westward, and
the houses of the slaves are situated near the works.
By Mr. Hammond, the chief acting commissioner, Mr. Duval being then on
a visit to Rio, and by the other officers I was kindly welcomed to the
establishment; and to one gentleman in particular I shall ever feel
grateful for his disinterested kindness, and more so from his being a
foreigner,—I mean Mr. Virgil Von Helmreichen, the civil engineer of the
establishment. Having entered into conversation with me on the nature of
my travels and pursuits, he told me that he was well acquainted with Mr.
Natterer, the celebrated zoological traveller in Brazil, who had often
mentioned to him the awkward situations in which he had frequently been
placed, when in the interior, from the want of opportunity to draw for
money; and his knowledge of this fact led him to enquire into the state
of my funds, which I candidly explained to him, when he very generously
offered to let me have as much money as would convey me to Rio, on no
other security than my promise to pay it into the hands of his agent on
my arrival there. This obliging offer I however declined to accept, until
I could ascertain at Morro Velho whether my letters had arrived there or
not.
Having expressed a wish to Mr. Hammond to be allowed to visit the
interior of the mine, he at once kindly consented, and requested one of
the mining captains to escort me: Mr. Ferriar, a young gentleman whom I
had formerly met at Rio, offered to accompany me. Before going down, we
were taken to the room where the captains keep their mining clothes, and
were there obliged to change our dress for one of the suits used in the
mines. This consisted of a large coarse flannel shirt, a pair of drawers
of the same material, and a coat and trowsers made of coarse canvass, a
stout leathern hat which fitted the head tightly, and a pair of strong
shoes, which we put on our bare feet. Being thus accoutred, we were each
provided with two candles, one which was for immediate use was stuck
into a ball of soft clay which served as a candlestick, and the other
hung to the button of the coat for after use. Fitted out in this manner,
we entered the mine by what is called the Adit level, whence we descended
to the next level, seven fathoms deeper; and so on in succession, till
we visited seven out of the nine levels, or workings, of which the mine
consists; as the two lowest were full of water we could not visit them.
The distance between each of the levels is seven fathoms, so that we
reached the depth of 294 feet, while the greatest depth is about 378.
The excavations in these levels consist of narrow passages or galleries,
not more than four or five feet wide, and five or six in height, driven
in various directions through the Jacotinga, or micaceous iron schist.
This schist is of so soft a nature, that the passages as they are driven
require to be strongly lined with wood to prevent their filling up again;
and in many places it is quite astonishing to see how some of the thick
pillars of hard Brazilian wood, often a foot and a half in diameter, are
crushed and broken by the weight from above. The principal gold vein runs
to the westward, but there are many ramifying branches. The vein is very
unequal in richness, sometimes, as at the period of my visit, yielding
hardly any gold, while at others it is found in what the miners call
bunches, which are sometimes so rich that more than one hundred pounds
weight of the pure metal has been taken out in one day. The rich ore is
washed and pounded up in mortars, while the poorer sort is sent to the
stamping mills, and afterwards either separated by washing in the Bateia
or amalgamated. Notwithstanding the superior richness of this mine, the
machinery appeared much inferior to that at Cocaes.
From an excellent diagram constructed by Mr. Helmreichen, exhibiting a
section of the country in which the mine is situated, and which he kindly
allowed me to examine, I have been enabled to make the following sketch
of its geological structure. The Serra which runs from east to west, and
lies to the north of the mine, is of primitive character, the mass of its
centre consisting of granite; upon the granite is imposed a thick bed of
schistose and clay slates, cropping out at an angle of about 45°. Above
this lies another thick bed of ferruginous Itacolumite, having the same
inclination as the rocks below; and immediately over this the Jacotinga,
or soft micaceous iron schist which contains the gold, and which is
about fifty fathoms in thickness. Above the Jacotinga is another thick
layer of Itacolumite; and lastly, about half a mile to the south of the
mine, a thick bed of a highly crystallized stratified limestone crops
out at the same angle, and in the same direction as the other rocks.
About half a mile to the eastward of the entrance to the mine, the bed of
Jacotinga narrows to a point, but towards the westward it appears to be
inexhaustible, and in that direction all further mining operations will
be carried on.
On the morning of the 29th of August, I left Gongo Soco to visit the
Morro Velho mine, which is distant about six leagues, in a N.W.
direction. I was accompanied only by a guide, having left all my men and
luggage at Gongo, as I expected to be absent only about three days. The
country between the two places is very hilly and barren, consisting of
elevated grassy hills occasionally studded with a few small trees. In the
hollows, however, there are generally patches of trees, forming those
woods to which the name of Capoes is given. About two leagues and a half
from Gongo, we passed through a small straggling village called Morro
Vermelho, which was in a state of great decay; and about two leagues
and a half further on a still smaller village, called Rapoza, situated
on the banks of the Rio das Velhas; we crossed this river over an old
narrow, tottering, wooden bridge without rails. On my arrival at Morro
Velho about eight o’clock in the afternoon, I found to my great delight,
that all my English letters and parcels, which had been accumulating
during more than two years, were here awaiting my arrival, which had been
expected several months. Letters of credit had also been kindly sent up
by Messrs. Harrison, for such sums of money as might be required by me,
so that my mind was now quite at ease on that point. I sat up nearly all
the night reading my letters, but the state of mind produced by them was
far from happy, for not a few of them brought most unwelcome news, of
the death of near and dear relations and friends. The kind reception I
met with from Mrs. Herring, the lady of the chief commissioner, and from
Mr. Crickitt, the acting commissioner for Mr. Herring, who was then in
Rio with his two eldest daughters, will ever be remembered by me with
gratitude. Rooms were ready to receive me, and instead of remaining only
one day, as I originally intended, I was prevailed on to spend about a
month at Morro Velho, during which time my health improved rapidly. The
day after my arrival, I sent to Gongo Soco for Mr. Walker, the men, and
the luggage.
The mine of Morro Velho is situated about half a mile to the S.E. of the
Arraial de Congonhas de Sabará. The village, which is very irregularly
built, is placed in a hollow, and contains a population of about 2,000
inhabitants; but until the mines in the neighbourhood began to be worked
by the English, the population was much less; here are three churches,
one of which has never been finished and is now falling into a state of
ruin. The mine is situated on one of the hills surrounding the valley,
and had been worked by its proprietors for about a hundred years previous
to its being bought by the present company. When St. Hilaire visited
this village the gold was considered as exhausted,[20] but it now yields
perhaps more gold than any other mine in the empire. The present company
first commenced its operations about 1830, under the superintendence of
Captain Lyon, the northern voyager. This mine is very different from
that at Gongo Soco, inasmuch as the auriferous vein occurs in a greyish
coloured clay state; the vein, or lode itself, consisting of a kind of
quartzose rock mixed with a considerable proportion of carbonate of lime,
strongly impregnated with iron and arsenical and copper pyrites; its
general direction is from east to west, and it is about seven fathoms
wide a little to the west of the central workings, at which point it
divides into two branches that run to the westward, while other two
extend to the eastward; the more easterly branches are those that have
been worked to the greatest extent. These ramifications gradually
diverge, and ultimately take a N.E. direction, running parallel to each
other, at a distance of about a hundred feet.
The ore is first removed from its bed by blasting, and is afterwards
broken by female slaves into small pieces, about the size of the stones
put upon macadamized roads, after which it is conveyed to the stamping
machine to be reduced to powder; this machine consists of a number of
perpendicular shafts placed in a row, and heavily loaded below with
large blocks of iron; these being alternately lifted up to a certain
height by a toothed cylinder, turned by a large water-wheel, fall down
upon, and crush the stones to powder; a small stream of water constantly
made to run through them, carries away the pulverized matter to what is
called the strakes, a wooden platform, slightly inclined, and divided
into a number of very shallow compartments, of fourteen inches in width,
the length being about twenty-six feet; the floor of each of these
compartments is covered with pieces of tanned hide about three feet long,
and sixteen inches wide, which have the hair on; the particles of gold
are deposited among the hair, while the earthy matter, being lighter, is
washed away. The greater part of the gold dust is collected on the three
upper, or head skins, which are changed every four hours, while the lower
skins are changed every six or eight hours, according to the richness
of the ore. The sand which is washed from the head skins, is collected
together and amalgamated with quicksilver in barrels, while that from
the lower skins is conveyed to the washing-house, and concentrated over
strakes of similar construction to those of the stamping mill, till it
be rich enough to be amalgamated with that from the head skins. The
barrels into which this rich sand is put together with the quicksilver,
are turned by water, and the process of amalgamation is generally
completed in the course of forty-eight hours; when taken out, the amalgam
is separated from the gold by sublimation. In the whole process, the
loss of mercury amounts to about thirty-five pounds a month, but up to
two months before my visit, it was nearly double that quantity. For a
long time the gold dust was extracted from the sand by hand-washing in
Bateias, after the Brazilian manner; but the process of amalgamation is
found to be superior, requiring less labour, and extracting a larger
proportion of gold. The zillerthal, or running amalgamation process,
similar to that used in the Tyrol, has also been tried here, but was not
found to answer owing to the great loss of quicksilver. The roasting
process has also been attempted, but although by this means the ore
yields a much larger per-centage of gold, the fumes arising from the
arsenic were found to be so injurious to the health of the workmen, that
it was abandoned. A ton of ore produces from three to four Portuguese
oitavas of gold; but the same quantity has often yielded as much as seven
oitavas. At the time of my visit, from fifteen to sixteen hundred tons of
ore were reduced to powder every month.
After having rested about a week at Morro Velho, I started, with Mr.
Monach, the surgeon to the company, to ascend the Serra de Piedade, which
is the highest part of the great western chain in the Gold district.
After travelling about three leagues in a northerly direction, we arrived
at the city of Sabará, which, except the Cidade Diamantina, was the
largest I had then seen in the interior; it is situated on the north bank
of the Rio das Velhas, at the eastern foot of the great chain already
alluded to. From the place where the first view of it is obtained,
it has a very fine appearance, its site being somewhat elevated, the
houses are generally large, and there are several fine churches; the
old and new city together are about a mile in length, but the breadth
is inconsiderable; the streets are well paved, and judging from the
numerous public fountains, it appears to be well supplied with water.
It was only about two years before the period of my visit that Sabará
was raised to the dignity of a city; the greater part of the inhabitants
are shopkeepers, who trade with those of the Sertão to the westward.
Notwithstanding its near approach in size to the Cidade Diamantina, it
forms a great contrast with it in the stillness of its streets. The
ferruginous gravelly soil around it, and along the banks of the river,
has all been turned over in search of gold, but now very few seem to be
engaged in that pursuit; the bed of the river is said to be rich in gold
dust.
From Sabará we went to Cuiabá, a mining establishment belonging to the
Cocaes Company, about two leagues distant; the road for nearly the whole
way runs up a narrow and very picturesque valley, along the banks of
a small river. At the Cuiabá mine there were only two officers, Mr.
Richards, the superintendent, and Dr. Morson, the surgeon, who is married
to an English lady, by whom we were kindly received. The Serra de Piedade
being still about two leagues and a half distant, we slept that night at
Cuiabá, and started next morning about half-past six o’clock, accompanied
by Mr. Richards. After crossing the small river which passes the mine, we
almost immediately began to ascend the high country on the opposite side,
and having travelled about two leagues, through a hilly, grassy country,
destitute of trees, except in low hollow places, we crossed entirely from
the eastern to the western side of the mountain chain, of which the Serra
forms part, so as to reach the proper place of ascent; this we gained by
skirting along the base of the Serra, but at a considerable elevation
above the plain below, through a bushy stony spot. The first half of the
way from this place is pretty steep, and leads over a rough hard reddish
iron-stone tract, thinly covered with a few bushes of a species of
_Baccharis_, and another of _Lychnophora_, while on the grassless stony
surface of the ground, there were numerous species of _Orchideæ_, among
them a beautiful _Lælia_ with yellow flowers, a very prickly procumbent
species of _Cactus_, and numerous large water-bearing _Tillandsias_.
Leaving this region we came upon a flat space covered with large blocks
of micaceous rocks, the layers of which are very tortuous. The road
then winds along the western side of the mountain, close to the edge
of some deep precipices, and finally ascends to a level spot, situated
but a little way below the highest part of the mountain. On the extreme
northern part of this flat there is a small church called Nossa Senhora
de Piedade. Upon our arrival there, we found a party consisting of half
a dozen women and two men, who had reached it a short time before us;
we soon learned they had come to fulfil vows which they had made some
time before. We saw large offerings of candles which they had presented
to the church; and most of them had made promises to sweep the floor of
the chapel, for we observed that the women in particular cut small twigs
from the bushes in the neighbourhood, of which they made brooms, and
with which they, one after the other, swept it, but in no very careful
manner. Leaving our horses near the church, we ascended the highest peak,
which is of a very rocky nature, and covered with a vegetation of small
_Orchideæ_ and _Tillandsias_. Ordering the refreshments we had brought
with us to this place, we sat down on the rocks to breakfast; according
to Spix and Martius, this mountain is 5,400 feet above the level of
the sea. While skirting along the lower part of it, we felt very cold,
in consequence of being enveloped in a mass of dense clouds which were
rolling past us, discharging at the time enough of their contents to
wet us not a little; I never, before this occasion, saw so distinctly
the vesicles of which clouds are formed. It was not till about eleven
o’clock, or nearly two hours after we had reached the summit, that these
clouds began to disperse, and then we had a most extensive view of the
country on all sides, which is of a very hilly nature, excepting on the
west, where the flat Sertão district presents itself. Notwithstanding
the magnificence of the view obtained from this point, the pleasure to
be derived from overlooking a populous and richly cultivated country was
wanting. But few houses came within range of the sight; and the Villa
de Santa Luzia, about six leagues distant to the south, is the only
town that can be descried, the others being hidden by the surrounding
mountains. Two of the most prominent objects that strike the view, are
the Serras of Cocaes and Caráça, the latter of which is the highest, and
about eight leagues distant, in a N.E. direction.
On the eastern side of the mountain, close to the church, there is a
small garden, which seems to have been well attended to in better times.
I observed there a few stunted peach and apple trees, a few potatoes,
and other European vegetables. The greater part of the garden, as well
as the top of the Serra, in front of the church, is overrun with the
common strawberry of Europe, and being then in fruit, we each obtained a
handful. Several other European plants have become naturalized, such as
the chickweed, _Cerastium vulgatum_. The church is kept by a middle-aged
Mulatto woman, and a dirty-looking old white man, dressed in the manner
of a priest, who calls himself a hermit, resides there also. Except the
few vegetables which they cultivate, food comes all from below, and the
water they drink is obtained from the numerous _Tillandsias_ which crowd
the rocky parts of the Serra, and which in the bases of their leaves,
contain a large quantity of water, an ordinary sized plant yielding about
a pint.
The Serra is rich in plants interesting to the botanist, but not nearly
so much so as the Organ Mountains, in the province of Rio de Janeiro,
owing, no doubt, to its great want of moisture. From the upper part, I
obtained two fine shrubs belonging to the natural order _Malpighiaceæ_;
a fine shrubby _Styrax_; a _Cassia_, about four feet high, which is very
common near the middle of the mountain; a red-flowered _Gaylussacia_,
and a _Gualtheria_, both abundant near the summit; a shrubby variety of
_Drymis Granatensis_, several ferns, and a few mosses and lichens.
Shortly before we began to descend, the atmosphere became so hazy, that
we could see only a short distance; this was caused by the custom that
prevails at the end of the dry season of burning the campos, as this
encourages the more speedy growth of a crop of new grass, after the rains
have set in; it is also at this season that the wood is burned on the
grounds which have been cleared for cultivation. After a very pleasant
day’s excursion, we reached Cuiabá about dusk, and having spent the
greater part of the evening with Dr. Morson and his lady, I was occupied
till near midnight in preparing the specimens I brought with me from
the Serra. On the following day we returned to Morro Velho. The mine of
Cuiabá is very similar in its nature to that at Morro Velho, but wrought
on a much smaller scale, and the ore moreover is not nearly so rich.
During my stay at Morro Velho, I made many little excursions in the
neighbourhood, and thus added largely to my collections.
On the morning of the 24th of September, after having taken leave of my
kind friends at Morro Velho, we again resumed our journey. There is a
direct road from this place to the city of Ouro Preto, the capital of the
province of Minas, through which I wished to pass, but part of my luggage
having been sent on from Cocaes to a village called San Caetano, situated
about three leagues below the city of Marianna, I was obliged to proceed
there first. It was my intention to return to Gongo Soco by the way I had
come, but the day before we left, information reached Morro Velho, that
the wooden bridge over the Rio das Velhas, at Rapoza, had fallen down. We
were therefore obliged to return by the way of Sabará, which increased
the journey about two leagues. We passed through Sabará without halting,
and arrived in the afternoon at the Cuiabá mine, where we spent the
night with Mr. Richards, and started again next morning after breakfast,
reaching Gongo Soco between five and six o’clock in the afternoon. Almost
the whole of the country between the two places, with the exception of
the Serra to the N.W. of Gongo, consists of bare grassy hills, a few
small woods only existing in the hollows. Being then the end of the dry
season, the hills had a very arid and barren look, everything being
burned up from the want of rain. The roads were covered with fine yellow
dust, the _débris_ of the clay slate of which the hills are formed; and
we were nearly the whole way enveloped in a dense cloud of it, rising up
from the horses’ feet.
At about half way between the two places, we passed through part of the
Villa de Caeté, a miserable looking town of some size, situated in a
narrow shallow valley, running in a N.E. direction from the Serra de
Piedade, the Villa itself being distant from it about two leagues. This
Villa, like many others in the mining districts, has all the appearance
of having seen better days, as it contains the ruins of many fine houses,
as well as one of the finest churches that exists in the interior, and
St. Hilaire doubts even if there is one in Rio de Janeiro that may be
compared with it.
On the day we left Gongo Soco, we passed through the Arraial de San João
do Morro Grande, and halted for the night at a small hamlet called Barra,
about a league to the S.E. of it. The country around, as well as the road
we had passed over, was hilly, bare, and arid; a small stream passes
through the village, the gravelly banks of which have been completely
turned over in search of gold. Next day we made a journey of about two
leagues; and about half a league from Barra we passed through the Arraial
do Brumado, a long straggling village in a state of great decay. Leaving
this place, we continued in an easterly direction till we arrived at the
foot of the Serra de Caráça, and winding along the hilly base of its N.E.
side, we reached, shortly after mid-day, the Arraial de Catas Altas,
which is situated at the foot of the Serra towards its S.E. extremity. It
consists principally of one long street, and like Brumado does not seem
to be in a very flourishing condition. The hills around the village, and
between it and Brumado, are covered with Capim gordura. At a considerable
elevation on the Serra itself, there is a hermitage, called Nossa Senhora
Mai dos Homens. The building was begun by a Portuguese in 1771, who was
still alive, though above a century old, when it was visited by Spix and
Martius in 1818; it is now converted into a theological seminary, but is
said to contain but few pupils. This Serra was botanically explored by
St. Hilaire, as well as by Spix and Martius, and found to be very rich in
rare and curious vegetable productions; I wished also to devote a day to
ascend it, but the weather was very unfavourable, as it rained heavily,
and the upper parts of the mountain were enveloped in clouds.
Leaving Catas Altas, the road takes a southerly direction, along the
foot of the Serra de Caráça; and after travelling about two leagues, we
passed through the Arraial de Inficionado, another long narrow village,
about the same size as Catas Altas, and, like it, in an obvious state of
decadence. About a league further on, we arrived at the Arraial de Bento
Rodrigues, where we took up our quarters for the night in the public
rancho. The road, on this journey, was far from good, being both hilly
and stony; I saw but little soil fit for plantations, it being generally
of a clayey nature, intermixed with a coarse ferruginous gravel, or the
_débris_ of the schistoze rocks of the Serra; and everywhere this soil
has been turned up in search of gold, but with the exception of a small
mine between Inficionado and Bento Rodrigues, I saw no workings being
carried on.
At about a league from Bento Rodrigues, we passed through a small village
called Arraial de Camargos, which is situated among some hills on the
side of a small river. We were now only three leagues from the place
of our destination, San Caetano, which I was anxious to reach without
further delay; but the road, which here passes through a bare hilly
country, is bad, and the mules being only lately broken into work, we
got on but very slowly, from their either lying down or going off the
road. On this account it was about five o’clock in the afternoon when we
reached the last house on the road to San Caetano, the distance between
them being somewhat less than a league. At this house, the tropeiro
wished to remain for the night, a proposal I would by no means consent
to, especially as it threatened to rain, and the house was so small, and
so badly covered, as to afford but very indifferent shelter. He, however,
insisted on remaining, and would have done so, had I not threatened
him with non-payment, when, very much against his will, he resumed the
journey, and about dusk we reached the Arraial de Caetano, where I found
all my collections in good condition, in the house of the tropeiro who
brought me from Cidade do Serro, and who again agreed to take me to Rio.
In passing through a small forest, not far from the Arraial, I collected
specimens of three kinds of tree ferns, and added to my collection of
_Orchideæ_ a pretty sweet-smelling _Epidendrum_.
The Arraial de San Caetano, which is small, and evidently poor, is
situated on the acclivity of a low hill on the north bank of a small
stream which empties itself into the Rio Doce. It contains only one
church, which if finished on the scale it has been begun, would be
a great ornament to the place, standing, as it does, on a height
which overlooks the village. Gold washing in the bed of the stream,
and along its banks, seems once to have been the chief occupation of
its inhabitants, but that source of gain being now exhausted, they
have mostly taken to the cultivation of the soil much of which in the
neighbourhood is well adapted for the growth of coffee, Indian corn, &c.
The tropeiro not being able to start for some days after my arrival,
and making objections to go round by Ouro Preto, which I had a great
desire to see, I determined to make a hurried visit to that city alone.
I therefore hired a guide, and started on the morning of the 5th of
October. A journey of three leagues through a hilly and thinly-wooded
country, brought me to the city of Marianna, the situation and appearance
of which pleased me very much; it stands on the S.W. side of a broad
level valley, on the gentle declivity of a rising ground which skirts
the base of the range of the Serra de Itacolumi. It is more compactly
built than the towns I have generally seen in Brazil, and as there are
several fine and handsome churches, and the houses are mostly large and
white-washed, the city has altogether a very noble appearance. In the
suburbs, and even in the city itself, many of the houses have gardens
attached to them, planted with bananas, oranges, and the round-headed
Jaboticabeira, which with their different shades of green, contrast well
with the white-washed walls of the houses; in passing through the town,
it appeared so quiet, that I could almost have fancied it deserted. In
some of the principal streets, I saw a few shopkeepers leaning listlessly
over their counters, and on the stairs in front of the prison a few
soldiers keeping guard; these and an occasional black urchin squatted at
a door, were all that gave an idea of life in the city, which is said to
contain about 5,000 inhabitants. It is more a clerical than a commercial
city, being the residence of the bishop and the seat of a theological
college.
The imperial city of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica, is about two
leagues distant from Marianna in a south west direction. The road, which
is very good, gradually rises towards Ouro Preto; in many places along
the side of it there are planted at irregular distances wild fig trees,
natives of the country, which have grown up, and not only give a good
shade, but recall to a European the roads of his native country. Near the
entrance to the city, where the road has been hollowed out of the solid
rock, many galleries are to be seen entering the hills; these are gold
workings which have long been abandoned, and some of which are now made
use of as pig-styes, by the poor people who live in their vicinity. About
half way between the two cities, the road passes through the Arraial de
Passagem, a small village, the inhabitants of which formerly subsisted by
gold washings, but the mines being now exhausted, they occupy themselves
with the cultivation of provisions, for which they find a ready market in
Ouro Preto.
During my short stay in the Imperial city, I lived in the house of Senhor
José Peixoto de Souza, having carried letters to him from Morro Velho.
He is the principal merchant in the province of Minas, and possesses
the finest house in the city; the erection of it cost him about £4,000
sterling, a great sum for a house in the interior of Brazil. He is a
man of a very kind and obliging disposition, and being agent for all
the English mining companies, his house is the place where the officers
belonging to them put up at in passing through the city, there being
no respectable inn in the whole place; nor is it only Englishmen who
make his house a rendezvous, his own countrymen sharing in like manner
his hospitality. During the three days I remained there, so many guests
arrived and departed, that it had more the appearance of an inn than the
dwelling of a private individual. He began life as a simple washer of
gold (faiscador), and is now the principal gold merchant in the province.
The country around the city is hilly in the extreme, and the rocks
consist of clay-slates, soft micaceous iron schist, commonly called
Jacutinga, and that hard iron slate rock, now known by the name of
Itacolumite, all disposed in layers that are much inclined; the country
round is auriferous, and many workings exist in the neighbourhood. In
the narrow valley, on one side of which the city stands, runs a small
stream, called the Riberão de Ouro Preto, which takes its rise in the
neighbourhood; the bed of this brook consists of a soft kind of gravel,
and in it the poorer part of the inhabitants gain a scanty subsistence
by washing for gold. The operation is called Mergular, or diving, and
the people who work in this manner are called faiscadores; they are
generally half-naked, and after raking away the larger stones from the
place which they select in the bed of the stream, they fill their flat
wooden plate (Bateia) with the fine gravel and sand, which is purified by
washing in a peculiar manner, till at last the gold dust remains in the
bottom of the vessel, from which it is transferred to a small leathern
bag which is suspended from their middle; they are not able to make more
than about a shilling a day. The time they prefer is after heavy rains
have caused a strong current in the stream.
Although the city of Ouro Preto is much larger than that of Marianna,
it has not the same imposing appearance, not for the want of large
buildings, but from the irregularity of its site. The greater part of
it is built upon the side of the Serra de San Sebastião, which forms
the N.W. boundary of a deep narrow valley. It is naturally divided into
an upper and lower town, the upper being by far the finer; it contains
a number of handsome buildings, such as the palace of the provisional
government, which is a large and well-built stone edifice, standing on
one side of a square of considerable size, the opposite side of which
is formed by the town house and prison, which is also a fine building.
A little below these stand the barracks, which are the best I have
seen in the interior; the treasury is also a good substantial stone
building, but the low situation, and the narrow street in which it is
built, do not allow of its being seen to advantage. The city contains
six large churches, the finest of which, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, stands
in the upper town, not far from the prison house; the city is abundantly
supplied with water of an excellent quality, a fountain existing in
almost every street.
The population of the city is said to amount to about 8,000 souls; it
contains many good shops, but not one devoted to the sale of books. It
boasts, however, of two printing offices, and four newspapers, two of
which are ministerial, and two belong to the opposition. They are of
small folio size, and their contents are almost entirely of a political
nature. In the beginning of the year 1840, a college, a preparatory one,
was established by a law passed in the provincial assembly, in which
Latin, French, English, philosophy, mathematics, and pharmacy, are taught
by as many different professors.
About a mile from the city there is a Botanic Garden, which is maintained
by government, and principally intended for the propagation of useful
exotic plants, to be given gratis to those who may apply for them.
I found the plants principally cultivated here to be the Tea plant,
Cinnamon, the Jaca, Bread-fruit, Mango, &c. Several acres are devoted to
the cultivation of tea, of which a considerable quantity is manufactured
yearly, and sold in the city at about the same price as that which is
imported from China. The avenue leading to the garden, as well as several
others which surround it, are planted with the Brazilian pine (_Araucaria
Brasiliana_), which adds greatly to the beauty of the grounds; these
trees were about thirty years of age, and bore abundance of their large
cones yearly.