Eight miles to the north-north-west of St. Joao d’el Rey, and near the right margin of the Rio das Mortes, is the middling town of St. Joze, with the handsomest church in the province, dedicated to St. Antonio, a chapel of the Lady Rozario, and another of St. Joao Evangelista: it abounds with the necessaries of life, and is provided with good water. The inhabitants, and those of its wide district, who are well supplied with Catholic places of worship, raise much Indian corn, some barley, a diversity of fruits, cattle, and numerous herds of hogs, its principal riches. Some are miners.
Barbacena is a middling town, having a beautiful aspect, well situated in the proximity of the serra Mantiqueira, and three miles from the Das Mortes, with a church of the Lady of Piedade, a chapel of St. Francisco de Paula, two of the Lady of Rozario and Boa Morte. In its environs is the Brazilian pine; and the olive tree fructifies in some parts. The inhabitants raise cattle, and cultivate the most substantial lands with the most useful articles; some search for gold, and others are occupied in various branches of industry, with advantage to the place. It is thirty-five miles east-south-east of St. Joao d’el Rey, and fifty south-south-west of Villa Rica.
Quelluz, otherwise Carijos, is a town finely situated about thirty miles south-south-west of Villa Rica, fifty north-east of St. Joao d’el Rey, and three from the Congonhas, near the skirt of the serra of Oiro Branco. It has a church of Our Lady of Conceiçao, two hermitages of St. Antonio and Carmo. Cattle is the wealth of its inhabitants.
Tamandua is a middling town between two small streams, which are branches of the Lambary. It is well supplied with the provisions of the country, and has a church of St. Bento, two chapels of Our Lady of Mercez and Rozario, another of St. Francisco de Paula, with a fraternity, whose brothers enjoy extraordinary privileges. It is nearly ninety miles west of Villa Rica, fifty north-west of St. Joao d’el Rey, seventy south of Pitangui, and seventy west-north-west of Sabara. The inhabitants and those of its district are cattle breeders, farmers, and miners.
Campanha, properly the town of Princeza da Beira, is in a state of mediocrity, situated in a plain twelve miles from the Verde, with a church of St. Antonio do Valle de Piedade, (St. Anthony of the Valley of Piety,) two chapels of the Lady of Rozario and Dores, one of St. Sebastiao, and another of St. Francisco de Paula, with a brotherhood subject to the town of Tamandua. It has a Juiz de Fora, who is head of the orphans, a royal professor of Latin, and a vicar, and is nearly eighty miles south-west of St. Joao d’el Rey, and one hundred and fifty south of Pitangui. The inhabitants and those of its environs are miners, farmers of rye, wheat, Indian corn, tobacco, some mandioca, cotton, and sugar, and raise many cattle and hogs. In some situations are cultivated flax; and generally coarse woollens and cottons are manufactured.
St. Maria de Baepondy is yet a small town. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Conceiçao, and the wealth of its inhabitants consists in tobacco, for which the soil is well adapted. It is fifty miles east of Campanha, and was created a town by a law of the 19th of July, 1814, when to its civil government were added two ordinary judges, one of orphans, three magistrates, two regulators of the market, two public scriveners, judicial and notarial, the first filling also the offices of escrivao of the town house, excise, and market, the other the office of escrivao of the orphans; there is also an alcaide and his escrivao.
St. Carlos de Jacuhy is situated near the origin of the river which lends it the name, has a church of the Lady of Conceiçao, and was created a town by the same law as Baepondy, with the same civil officers, to whom the parishioners of Cabo Verde became subject. It is near the boundary of the province of St. Paulo, and is abundant in cattle.
In this comarca are the following parishes:—St. Anna de Sapocahy, twenty-five miles from the river of the same name; the inhabitants cultivate legumes and are gold miners. Conceiçao de Camanducaya, fifteen to the right of the Jaguary; it exports hides. Carmo de Cabo Verde, near the river from which it takes the name; its parishioners cultivate cotton, some wheat, are miners, and export hides. St. Anna d’Itajuba, where wheat, rye, and Indian corn are cultivated. Pouzo-Alegre, whose inhabitants are agriculturists. St. Pedro d’Alcantara Oiro Fino, where there are hot springs; it is fifty miles from the town of Bragança, and cattle and wheat are its productions. Conceiçao das Laoras do Funil, sixty miles from St. Joao d’ el Rey; the inhabitants are agriculturists. Conceiçao de Pouzo Alto, fifty miles from the town of Campanha, where cotton and wheat are raised. Conceiçao da Juruoca St. Gonçalo, formerly a large and flourishing arraial, near twenty miles from Campanha; the inhabitants are miners and agriculturists.
Comarca of Sabara.
This comarca is bounded on the north by the province of Pernambuco; on the west by that of Goyaz; on the south by the comarca of Rio das Mortes; and on the east by that of Serro Frio. It is three hundred and fifty miles from north to south, and more than two hundred and ten from east to west. It is watered by many rivers, the whole tributary to the St. Francisco, which traverses its southern part and separates it on the north from the comarca of Serro Frio. It abounds in pasturage and large herds of cattle, and has mines of various metals, diamonds, and other precious stones. It produces Indian corn, mandioca, rice, sugar, tobacco, legumes, cotton, various fruits, and in many parts plenty of game.