that it was not a diamond, but an inferior substance, of little value.

After the examination of this imaginary diamond was over, other boxes were unlocked, from one of which Mr. Mawe was shown two slabs of diamond, each a full inch in length, and about the eighth of an inch in thickness, but of a very bad brown colour. This stone, when whole, not being known to be a diamond, the chief of the working party that had found it, had had recourse to a very common experiment, of placing it on a stone and striking it with a hammer. The result of this mode of trial is, that if the substance either resist the blow or split into leaves, it must be a diamond. The latter was the case in the present instance; and the stone was thus excessively reduced in value.

Mr. Mawe was then shown the remaining diamonds in the treasury. They were very numerous, but few of them were of large size. Among the few coloured diamonds that were kept here, one was of a beautiful pink, one a fine blue, and several of a green tinge: the yellow were the most common and the least esteemed.

With respect to the stone which Mr. Mawe had been conducted to the treasury to examine, the poor negro, who had presented it, was of course deeply afflicted by the unwelcome discovery that it was of no value. Instead of being accompanied home by an escort of soldiers, he had to find his way thither as well as he could, and had no doubt to encounter the ridicule of many of those who had lately congratulated him on his good fortune.

In his journey to Villa Rica, near which the diamond mines are situated, Mr. Mawe was accompanied by a respectable merchant, whose name was Goodall, by two soldiers, a servant, and a negro boy. The party embarked, on the 17th of August, 1809, and proceeded in a large market-boat, to the bottom of the Bay, a distance of about six leagues. After this they entered the river Moremim, which presented in its serpentine

course, a great variety of beautiful scenery. When they had advanced about two leagues up the river, they reached a place, on the bank, whither great numbers of mules every day arrived from the country, laden with the produce of the interior, for the purpose of its being embarked for the capital. Here the travellers passed the night, in an extremely dirty and uncomfortable inn; and from this place they proceeded, on mules, over a beautiful plain, about nine miles in extent, to the foot of the mountains. These they crossed, and, in the valleys, observed several farmhouses and plantations. Beyond the mountains, the road was bounded, on each side, by extensive forests.

One evening, as the travellers were amusing themselves in the woods with shooting, they observed a man, in a friar's habit, with a box, containing a picture of the Virgin, fastened to his belt. His face was overgrown with hair, and his whole appearance was wild and uncouth. On inquiry they were informed that he was a hermit, and that he had embraced this austere kind of life by way of doing penance for some great crime.

At the distance of about one hundred and fifty miles from Rio de Janeiro, the travellers arrived at a village, consisting of about two hundred dwelling-houses, and seated on a commanding eminence, in an extremely fertile country. This was a place much frequented by people from various parts of the interior, and had a considerable traffic in various articles, particularly in baizes, cotton goods, salt, and iron; and many of the shops were well stocked with English manufactures. In its vicinity there was a quarry of soft whitish granite, from which mill-stones were made.

After a fatiguing journey of several days, over a varied country of mountains, valleys, and plains, intersected in many places by rivers, they at length_approached the vicinity of Villa Rica, the place of their destination.

At some distance from this town, they had ridden down a hill that was covered with rich iron ore in such

profusion that tons of it might have been gathered from the surface. A little beyond this they had arrived at a house, the owner of which, as they were informed, possessed a topaz mine in the neighbourhood. The mention of a mine of topazes excited the curiosity of Mr. Mawe, as it gave him the idea of a vein worked underground. On expressing to the owner his desire to see the works, the latter kindly undertook to accompany him to the spot. After having walked about half a mile up the side of the mountain just mentioned, two breaks or slips in the rock were pointed out to him as the mines for which he had inquired. He entered one of them, the sides of which were chiefly of slate, and observed two negroes, each of whom was employed in poking into little soft veins with a piece of rusty iron. On inquiring what these men were about, he was informed that they were the miners, searching for topazes. Mr. Mawe took one of their instruments, and, on using it as they did, he found the veins to contain a very minute micaceous substance, some quartz, and many large crystals of iron ore. He had also the good fortune to find two or three topazes. The topazes which Mr. Mawe was shown here, were very imperfect and full of flaws. The negroes employed in these works were superintended by two creoles, who received what the negroes found. In the owner's house Mr. Mawe was afterwards shown a great quantity, at least a cartload of inferior topazes, any number of which he might have been permitted to take away. He selected several specimens; and, then pursuing his journey, arrived about three o'clock of the same day at Villa Rica.

This town stands on an eminence, somewhat steep and lofty. Its environs exhibited few signs of cultivation. Not an acre of good pasture ground, nor an enclosure of any kind was to be seen. The travellers were conducted to one of the best inns in the place. The owner was a priest, who entrusted the management of his house to a mulatto; and it was not remarkable either for cleanliness or for excellence of accommodations.

Villa Rica, or, "the rich village," the capital of a province and the seat of its government, was, for many years, reputed to be the wealthiest place in Brasil, as to it was brought all the gold that was collected in the vast surrounding district. Mr. Mawe and his friend were consequently desirous of seeing some vestiges of that splendour which the name imports. After having been introduced to a few of the principal persons there, they devoted some hours to a perambulation of the town. The streets were irregular, badly paved, and so steep that many of them ranged, in a kind of steps, from the base towards the summit of a mountain. There were fountains in every part, and an abundance of water was conducted into almost every house. Villa Rica is divided into two parishes, and at this time contained about twenty thousand inhabitants, of whom more were whites than blacks. The population, however, was by no means so great as it had formerly been, when the mines in the adjacent country were rich. Few of the inhabitants, except shopkeepers, seemed to have any employment. Persons in the higher classes, particularly the ladies, dressed much in the English style. The houses of the principal people were convenient, well furnished, and very neat. Mr. Mawe says that the beds were peculiarly elegant. The posts of some that he saw were formed of fine wood, fluted or carved in various ways: the sides were plain, and the bottoms were formed of boards or leather. The beds themselves were of cotton; and the sheets of fine linen, edged with lace at least nine inches broad. The bolsters were covered with muslin, the ends of which were also edged with lace. The pillows were made round at the ends, and were covered with pink sarsenet, over which was a cover of fine muslin, terminated with broad lace. The coverlets were of satin with lace round them. The hangings were of similar materials, and in the form of a canopy.

The gardens around Villa Rica were laid out with great taste, and, from the peculiarity of their formation, presented a singular spectacle. As there was scarcely

a level piece of ground, ten yards square, on the whole side of the mountain, this defect had, in some degree, been remedied, by cutting spaces, one above another, at nearly equal distances; and supporting them by low walls, the top of one being on a level with the bottom of that next above it. An easy flight of steps led from one level to another. These terraces, says Mr. Mawe, seemed to be the very kingdom of Flora, for he never before had seen so great a profusion of flowers. Here also were excellent vegetables of almost every kind, artichokes, asparagus, spinach, cabbages, kidney beans, and potatoes, and many kinds of fruit. Some of the peach trees were so heavily laden that their branches required perpendicular support.

Notwithstanding the fertility of the land around Villa Rica, the market was but ill supplied with provisions. Vegetables for the table were scarce, and even grass was an article in great demand. Poultry were sold at about four shillings per couple; but tolerably good. beef might have been had for three halfpence per pound. The pork was fine; but mutton was wholly unknown.

The climate of this place is delightful. Owing to its elevated situation, the temperature of the air is generally moderate; but, in consequence of this, there are often sudden changes, from heat to cold, in the same day, and frequent showers of rain. Thunder-storms are common, but not violent; and the sun is sometimes obscured by fogs so dense as not to subside till near the middle of the day. The mountain on which Villa Rica stands, appeared to Mr. Mawe to be from eight to nine miles across, and was chiefly composed of slate. This mountain was once excessively rich in gold; and for some time many private adventurers collected great quantities of it. This they appropriated to their own use, without paying the royal claim of one-fifth part of the produce. Since the year 1711, however, proper persons have been stationed here, for the regulation of the mines, and now all the gold that is obtained is de