A small mount in the vicinity of this pottery presented much ferruginous matter, and a heavy substance that appeared to me barytes in a botryoidal form, a specimen of which I took with me. Since my return to England it has been proved, by analysis, to be Wavellite, without fluoric acid.
During my stay at Villa Rica, I rode to the city of Mariana, distant eight miles, by a tremendous and almost impassable road, along a ridge of mountains; and afterwards went thither by the general road which passes between two high hills, and for some distance along the river-side, all the way on the descent. The margins of the Rio do Carmo, which runs through the town, have been washed the whole way from Villa Rica: parties from which place held possession of this settlement as early as the year 1710, claiming it on account of the gold brought down from thence by the current of the river. It was made a bishop’s see about the year 1715, and was called Cidade de Mariana, in honor of the then reigning Queen of Portugal, the present Prince Regent’s grandmother. It is a small, neat, and well-built town, containing from six to seven thousand inhabitants. Here is a college for the education of young men destined for the church. The bishop is a prelate of exemplary character, and is beloved by all who know him. The place has very little trade, and depends chiefly on the mines and farms in its vicinity. Many miners reside here whose works are several leagues distant, some of them have also washings extending to the village of Camargo, situated beyond a large plain which stretches westward from the confines of the city.
Having resided in Villa Rica nearly a fortnight, I expressed a desire to visit two estates, forty miles distant, known by the names of Barro and Castro, both belonging to the Conde de Linhares. Between the years 1730 and 1740 these estates produced much gold, and were then in the possession of Senhor Mathias Barboza, a settler of great respectability, who took up these lands and drove the Aborigines from them. He becoming very rich, sent his only daughter to Portugal to be educated, where she remained, and after his death inherited his whole property. She was married in Lisbon to a gentleman of the family of Sousa, and from them are descended the two noblemen of that name, who now hold high official situations under the Prince Regent. His Excellency the Conde’s steward furnished me and my worthy friend with mules, and Dr. Lucas, the Judge, obligingly ordered every necessary to be provided for our journey. We rode through Mariana, and arrived at Alto do Chapada, a village, three miles distant from it, situated on an elevation in the midst of a fine plain. We soon afterwards reached a very high and confined situation, between two perpendicular mountains, from whence we had a bird’s eye view of the village of S. Sebastian. From this steep we descended, with great difficulty, on foot, to the Rio do Carmo at its base, over which is a very high-arched and picturesque bridge. Passing this ravine we proceeded a full league by the river side, through a rich country abounding in fine sloping hills and fertile plains, watered by numerous streams, which flow into the river in various directions, and all of which bear vestiges of having been formerly washed for gold. The road-side exhibited similar remains, and seemed to have been at some period connected with the river, which, in this part, is as large as the Thames at Windsor. We passed through San Giatanha, a straggling, thinly peopled village, and proceeding about three miles farther, arrived at an indifferent house, called Lavras Velhas, where we halted for the night, having performed half our journey. The owner of this place found it difficult, with thirty or forty negroes, to maintain himself decently, though the land was susceptible of every species of culture, and needed only the hand of industry to render it productive. Every thing about the establishment exhibited a pitiful spectacle of neglect, indifference, and sloth. It is but justice to add, that he treated us with the greatest civility, and amply supplied our necessities.
Leaving Lavras Velhas at eight next morning, we passed Morro dos Arreaes, the country presenting still finer valleys and excellent timber, but totally destitute of cattle. Ascending a high hill, we were immerged for about an hour in a cloud, and exposed to some small rain, but not sufficient to penetrate our coats. This was the only rain we experienced on the road by day. In the night the rain sometimes fell plentifully. We observed some exceedingly large worms, stretched motionless on the road, which our guide told us were sure signs of wet weather. From this height we saw the Rio Gualacha, which, with another river, joins the Rio do Carmo about ten leagues below, and forms the Rio San Jose. Proceeding in that direction through a fine country, we reached Altos de St. Miguel, where the river last mentioned is of considerable width, but not deep. Its waters are extremely turbid, on account of the mud brought from the gold-washings along the banks, from its source to this place. These heights command a fine view of three windings of the river; at their base there are vestiges of one of the oldest and most extensive gold-washings, which yielded much treasure to its discoverer and proprietor, Senhor Mathias Barboza. The country is well wooded, but rather thinly peopled; I expressed some surprise at observing no good dwelling-houses in a district which formerly produced so much wealth, and was informed that the first miners, eager to take the cream of the gold to as large an extent as they could, seldom remained long on the same spot, and contented themselves with building sheds, or ranchos, to serve for their temporary residence.
Descending this mountain, we entered upon the estate of His Excellency, called Fazenda do Barro, and were shewn the house at a distance of nearly a league, on a pleasing eminence, near the river-side. On arriving, an excellent dinner was provided for us, of which, having been eight hours on our mules, we partook very heartily.
The house, and indeed the whole establishment, were strikingly superior in point of convenience, to the miserable places we had lately passed. Having dined, we refreshed ourselves with a walk in the garden, where the coffee-trees in full blossom showed, at a distance, as if their branches were loaded with snow. This spot afforded a view of a most enchanting country, diversified with gentle eminences and large valleys well clothed with timber. From the farther margin of the river, which flows at one hundred yards’ distance in front of the house, rises a fine hill, well calculated for the culture of every species of produce, and connected with others of equal fertility.
On the following day I was chiefly occupied in visiting every part of the establishment. The distil-house, sugar-engine, and corn-mill, were very much out of repair; the two latter were worked by horizontal water-wheels of great power. The buildings of the fazenda form a square, the southern side being occupied by the house, and the three others consisting of dwellings for the negroes, storehouses, carpenters’ and blacksmiths’ shops, and other offices equally useful.
Having requested to see the cattle, I was shown seven fine well proportioned cows; their calves were old, and they being unaccustomed to be milked regularly, gave very little. I signified to the people my wish to instruct them in the way of making butter after the English mode; and the carpenter hearing my description of a churn, readily assured me that he could make one, and set about it forthwith in the following manner. He procured a trunk of a tree of the length and girth required; sawed it length-wise in two equal parts, which, (after hollowing them sufficiently, and preparing a bottom), he joined with two iron hoops so tightly as to hold water. The churn-staff and top were soon finished: but now an unexpected difficulty occurred; here was no place free from dust and dirt to serve for a dairy, nor any pan fit to hold the milk. All the cooking-pots that could be spared were cleaned for this purpose, but they were quite of the wrong make, being wide at the bottom and narrow at the brim. They were, however, laid by along with the churn, to be used the first time the cows were milked. The good lady of the house assisted in our preparations, and seemed much interested in them.
In the afternoon I rode out to see the gold-washings. On the way thither I observed a man training a horse, with a cord attached to the bridle in one hand, and a whip in the other. Two pieces of leather, in the form of breechings, were sewed to two iron rings; one part was put over the back of the animal, the other part slipped down as a breeching; the part on the back was to prevent its slipping lower. To these rings were tied cords from the horse’s fore-feet, capable of being shortened or lengthened at pleasure. The horse being put in motion, took very short fore-steps, somewhat like those of the chargers in equestrian performances. Horses thus trained are here called pacers, and are in great request among persons of distinction of both sexes, their gait being very easy and graceful.
On arriving at the washings, I saw a great extent of ground already worked, and immense heaps of quartzose stones. On the margin of the river where they were then working, I found them cutting away the bank, to the depth of at least ten feet, to get at the cascalho incumbent on the rock. The substance they had to cut through was clay, so strong that, though falls of water were let upon it, and negroes were constantly working it with hoes of various kinds, it was with difficulty to be removed. This was not the only impediment, for, by the constant precipitation of mud, the cascalho was five feet below the bed of the river; hence, when they had sunk their pits, they had to use means for drawing the water from them. The hydraulic machines employed for this purpose are constructed as follows: A trough or spout, made of four stout planks, forming a trunk, about six inches square, is placed in an inclined position, with its lower end in the pit, where a roller is properly secured to a pile driven in the ground: an iron chain, with peculiar links, on every one of which is fixed a piece of wood, nearly answering the interior dimensions of the spout, is passed through it, then under the roller, and over the outside, up to the axis of a water-wheel, which, being put in motion, causes the discharge of a column water equal to the cavity. These machines are calculated to raise a great deal of water, but they are liable to be thrown out of repair. In many cases hand-pumps would serve the purpose better, being made at little trouble or expense, easily repaired, and always ready at an hour’s notice. They are here utterly unknown.