A history of the Brazil

by James Henderson

The municipal body of this town, whose revenue amounts to one thousand oitavas of gold, are said to have a sesmaria of land, in a circle around the town of five leagues in diameter.

Half a mile distant from the town, there is a hermitage of St. Barbara. Five leagues to the north-west of it is situated the small arraial of Barra, with a hermitage of the Lady of Rozario, at the embouchure of the Bugres. Its territory is auriferous.

Eight leagues in the same direction as the preceding is the arraial of Anta and parish of Bom Jesus, with two chapels of the Lady of Rozario and Boa Morte, situated between two small streams, which unite themselves previously to entering the Vermelho, and was founded in the year 1729. The gold which caused its origin is not yet exhausted; but, whether from indolence or any other cause, no one is at present occupied in its extraction.

Ten miles to the north of the latter place, near the river Peixe, in a plain, is the arraial of St. Rita, ornamented with a hermitage of the same name. It is actually the port of navigation from the capital to the city of Para. The river discharges itself into the Tizoiras by the left margin, and is only navigable during the rainy season.

Thirty-five miles to the north of the arraial of St. Rita, near the river Tizoiras, was founded, in the year 1755, the arraial of the same name, which was the parish of St. Miguel, and flourished whilst cultivation was profitable; but with the apparent exhaustion of gold it began to decay, and from the sterility of the land, and the want of water, it was ultimately forsaken. Cattle are, however, now bred in its district. A species of bird, which the discoverers of the country called tizoiras, (or scissors,) in consequence of having a tail similar to a pair of opened scissors, was the origin of its name.

Ninety miles to the north of the capital is the considerable arraial and parish of Crixa, the head of the julgado of that name, which was founded in the year 1734, near a small river, and about ten miles distant from the left margin of the river that affords it the name. Its church has for a titular saint the Lady of Conceiçao. There is also a chapel of St. Efigenia, two of Nossa Senhora of Rozario and Abbadia. The population forms four companies of militia, one of which is cavalry, and another free blacks.

Thirty-five miles to the east-north-east of Crixa, near a small river which runs into the Almas, is the large, flourishing, and well situated arraial and parish of Pilar, head of the julgado, founded in 1741, with the name of Pappuan, a herb abundant in this part. It is ornamented by a church, whose titular saint affords its name to the establishment, a chapel of St. Gonçalo, two of the Lady of Rozario and Merces, a fountain, and good streets. The environs are mountainous. In front of it there is a morro, which, it is calculated, has afforded more than one hundred arrobas (thirty-two pounds each) of gold, and from whence a much greater quantity might be extracted with water and proper management. There is a curious operation of nature in its vicinity, near the road of Carretao, representing human visages. It is worthy of notice.

Twenty miles to the east of Pilar is situated the aldeia of Lavrinhas, near the source of a small stream, which, after a course of ten miles, enters the river Almas.

Ten miles to the south-west of Pilar, near the river Moquem, a branch of the Crixa, is the arraial of Gorinos, with a hermitage. It was fully inhabited whilst its mines of gold were productive.

Three miles to the east of Villa Boa is situated the arraial of Ferreiro, (Blacksmith) with a chapel of St. Joam Baptista. It is the most ancient establishment of the province. It derived its name from a blacksmith, who remained there exercising his trade, after the miners had deserted it, for the purpose of mining in other places. About eight miles to the east of the preceding place, near a small river, a branch of the river Uruhu, is the considerable arraial of Oiro Fino, (Fine Gold) which took this name from the superior quality of that metal found here. It has a chapel dedicated to the Lady of Pilar.