thirty feet wide, two or three feet broad, and about one foot deep, and, near the bottom, a trench two or three feet deep is formed. On each step stand six or eight negroes, who, as the water flows from above, keep the earth continually in motion with shovels, until the whole is reduced to a liquid mud which is washed below. The particles of gold contained in this mud descend into the trench, where, in consequence of its weight, it remains. Workmen are continually employed at the trench to remove the stones, and clear away the surface; and this operation is much assisted by the current of water which falls into it. At the end of every five days the contents of the trench are taken out, and carried to some convenient stream to undergo a second washing. For this purpose wooden bowls, of a funnel shape, about two feet wide at the mouth, and five or six inches deep, are used. Each workman, standing in the stream, takes into his bowl five or six pounds of sediment. He admits into it a certain quantity of water, and moves it about so dexterously, that the gold, separating from the other substances, settles to the bottom and sides of the vessel. The workman rinses his bowl into a larger vessel, of clean water, leaving the metal in it, and then begins again. Some of the particles of gold are so minute as to float on the water, while others are as large as peas, and some even much larger. As the result is of considerable importance, this operation is superintended by overseers. When the whole is finished, the gold is carried home to be dried, and afterwards is taken to an office called the Permutation Office, where it is weighed, and one-fifth of it is reserved for the prince. The remainder goes through the requisite operations of smelting, purifying, and being cast into bars or ingots, and stamped according to its value. These ingots are afterwards circulated as specie.

After Mr. Mawe had remained here five days, he and his friends returned to St. Paul's, and subsequently to Santos, whence they sailed for Rio Janeiro.

Twenty-third Day's Instruction.

BRASIL CONTINUED.

Account of Rio de Janeiro and the adjacent Country. From Mr. MAWE's Travels in Brasil.

MR. MAWE arrived at Rio de Janeiro immediately after the court and chief nobility of Portugal had reached it. The English shipping, which had escorted them, was lying in the harbour. This was a circumstance peculiarly favourable to him, for it afforded him the means of being introduced to many of the principal persons, both of the court and the country.

The approach from the water to the city of St. Sebastian, or Rio, as it is usually called, is peculiarly fine. The lofty eminences of this place, crowned with convents, and the hills in its environs, interspersed with villas and gardens, have a rich and magnificent appearance. The royal palace skirts the beach, and is seen to great advantage from the principal landing place. Though small, this palace was now the residence of the Prince Regent and the royal family. Parallel with the beach runs the main street, which consists of noble buildings; and from this the smaller streets branch off at right angles, and are intersected by others at regular distances.

Some idea of the extent of Rio may be formed from the population, which, including negroes (its most numerous portion) is estimated at one hundred thousand individuals. The streets were formerly incommoded by latticed balconies, which obstructed the circulation of the air, but these had all been taken away, by order of the government, before the arrival of Mr. Mawe. The greatest nuisances now remaining were those which arose from the custom of persons of every rank

riding on the foot paths, and from the inconvenient hanging of the shop and house doors, which all opened outward into the street. In wet weather also numerous puddles were formed in the streets, which, in consequence of the heat, emitted the most putrid exhalations. Water for the use of the city flows from the hills through aqueducts, and is distributed to fountains in several public places. Many of the inhabitants, however, live at a great distance from these, and consequently are obliged to employ persons to bring the water to them: consequently great numbers of poor people earn their subsistence by carrying and selling

water.

The houses of Rio are seldom more than one story high; notwithstanding which the rents are nearly as great as they are in London. This is chiefly owing to the dearness of all kinds of building materials, and to the high price of masonry. Timber, in particular, is extremely scarce. The inns and public houses of this place were at this time almost destitute of accommodations, and were also excessively uncomfortable. The convents and churches were in general well built; and the cathedral, which had just been finished, was in a superior style of architecture.

Owing to the lowness of its situation, and the general filthiness of the streets, Rio de Janeiro could not be considered a healthful place; but improvements were making, which, it was imagined, would remedy many of these evils. The police was by no means ill regulated; and from the attention that had been paid to it since the arrival of the court, there appeared a reasonable hope that it would soon be placed on a footing equally respectable with that of any European capital.

Rio de Janeiro is the chief mart of Brasil; and few ports are so well situated for commerce as this. It enjoys beyond any other a convenience of intercourse with Europe, America, Africa, the East Indies, and the South Sea islands. As the capital of a rich and extensive territory, it also commands resources of

immense amount and value. The imports from the Rio Plata, and other parts of South America, consist of immense quantities of dried beef, of tallow, hides, and grain. Those from the United States are chiefly salt provisions, flour, household furniture, pitch, and tar. From the western coast of Africa, Rio de Janeiro imports wax, oil, sulphur, and some kinds of wood. From Mosambique, and other parts of Africa, it obtains ivory, ebony, drugs, oil, and various kinds of gum. The imports from Portugal, the mother country, consist chiefly of wine and oil. The whale fisheries on the coast have proved a source of wealth to many speculators. The exports consist of cotton, sugar, rum, ship-timber, various kinds of wood for cabinet work, hides, tallow, indigo, and coarse cotton cloths, and other articles. Among the more precious articles of export may be enumerated gold, diamonds, topazes of various colour, amethysts, tourmalines, chrysoberyls, aqua-marines, and wrought jewelry.

Provisions at Rio de Janeiro are plentiful, but not of excellent quality. Pork is tolerable; but the beef is bad, and mutton is almost unknown. Poultry of every description are excellent, but dear. Vegetables are very abundant, and the fish market is not ill supplied. Turtles are frequently caught.

During his residence at this place, Mr. Mawe was induced to visit the royal farm at Santa Cruz, distant about fifty miles from the capital. The house had once been a convent of Jesuits, and the apartments were thirty-six in number, but, in general, very small. Of late, however, it had been somewhat decorated and improved for the purpose of its being used as a summer residence for the royal families. In front of the house, towards the south, extends one of the finest plains that can be imagined, watered by two rivers, navigable for small craft, and bounded by a fine bold and rocky scenery, embellished in many parts with noble forest trees. This plain is clad with the richest pasture imaginable, and supports seven or eight thousand head

of cattle. The park of Santa Cruz occupies, in its entire extent, upwards of one hundred square miles, a territory almost as large as some of the late small principalities of Italy, and capable of being rendered one of the most productive and populous districts of Brasil. Some time after Mr. Mawe's return from Santa Cruz, a circumstance of a singular nature occurred, which occasioned him to undertake a journey to a district called Canta Gallo, distant about a hundred and twenty miles from the capital. Two men re

ported at Rio de Janeiro, that they had found a mine of silver, and they brought to the royal mint a quantity of earthy matter, reduced to powder, from which was smelted a small ingot of that metal. This report being laid before the prime minister, Mr. Mawe, who had a considerable knowledge of mineralogy, was solicited to go to Canta Gallo, for the purpose of investigating the business on the spot, the two men being ordered to meet him there.

Accordingly he and some other persons proceeded in a small vessel along the bottom of the harbour, and thence up one of the rivers that empty themselves into it. They passed through a part of Brasil, very various in its appearance. In some places it was swampy, in others it presented extremely beautiful and picturesque views, and in others there were farms and sugar plantations; but most of these were in an extremely neglected and dilapidated state. There was a general sickliness in the looks of the inhabitants, which could be imputed only to their miserable diet and inactive life. On the third day the travellers reached the mountains, and entered on an extremely steep and uneven road. They rode on mules, but were now obliged to dismount for the purpose of walking up almost perpendicular passes, and along fearful declivities. The rocks appeared to be chiefly of granite. Mr. Mawe was informed that some of the farms and plantations in the mountains were much infested by ferocious animals.