A history of the Brazil

by James Henderson

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.