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,
| COMARCAS. | TOWNS. | |
| Villa Rica |  | Villa |
| Marianna | ||
| Rio das Mortes | | St. Joam d’el Rey |
| St. Joze | ||
| Queluz | ||
| St. Carlos de Jacuhy | ||
| St. Maria de Baependy | ||
| Campanha | ||
| Barbacena | ||
| Tamandua | ||
| Sabara | | Sabara |
| Caethe | ||
| Pitangui | ||
| Paracatu | ||
| Serro do Frio | | Villa do Principe |
| Fanado |