Equally if not more desirable is a sail into the inner harbor. From Caes Pharoux boats go four times daily to the Island Paquetá, also to the Governador; (fare to either 500 reis each way). The former island is especially picturesque, with charming embowered chalets. On Sunday afternoons, a three hours’ sail may be taken; fare 1$500.
UNITED STATES EMBASSY, PETROPOLIS
STREET WITH RIVER
CHAPTER XXXII
NORTHERN BRAZIL—HOMEWARD
The large majority of tourists will embark at Rio on one of the fine large steamers of the Lamport and Holt Line for New York. Return may also be made by way of England on a Royal Mail boat. A few may desire a more extended acquaintance with Brazil. Some facts are therefore presented in regard to other States of this immense Republic and the facilities for visiting them.
Minas Geraes. One inclined to journey into the interior, to the rich gold and diamond region in the State of Minas Geraes, may go by the Central Railway 400 miles north to the capital of Minas, Bello Horizonte, a made-to-order city, not twenty years of age, but with a population of 30,000, already a fine town for its size. While this State has no seaboard, no rubber, and no city of 50,000 inhabitants, it has a larger population than any other State of Brazil and than most of the countries of South America. This is due to its good climate and excellent waters, as well as to its rich resources. The author Diaz says: “In this State what doesn’t hide gold contains iron; what does not contain coal spreads diamonds.” Here for a century 80,000 men toiled to supply gold to the kings of Portugal. Discovered in 1699, the output of the gold mines at the middle of the eighteenth century was at its height. Five thousand pounds weight is said to have been panned in one year in the area of one square mile; in another place 100 pounds in one night; 360,000 pounds weight were registered in Rio in 1792. The entire output has been about one billion dollars. In the nineteenth century less was produced on account of a heavy tax, new methods, and uncertainty as to property rights and mining laws. At present there is a revival and a good outlook. The oldest producing gold mine in the world is said to be the Morro Velho, between Ouro Preto and Bello Horizonte, yielding one ounce to the ton and 80,000 ounces a year.
The diamond mines of Jequitinhonha Valley, famous for two centuries, were discovered in 1729. The Regent diamond, weighing nearly an ounce, found by three convicts in 1791, secured their pardon. The Estrella do Sul, now belonging to the Rajah of Baroda, picked up by a slave who gave it for his freedom, was the highest ransom ever paid for liberty. Weighing uncut 250 carats, about half that when cut, it is worth $15,000,000. The center of the industry is the town Diamantina (population 10,000), 600 miles from Rio. Black diamonds are found, also amethysts, tourmaline, topaz, aquamarines, garnets, chrysolites, etc., in many places.