CHAPTER XIII.

CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO.

Leaves the Cidade Diamantina—Reaches As Borbas—Passes the Arraial do Milho—Tres Barras—Arrives at the Cidade do Serro, formerly Villa do Principe—The Town described—Passes Tapanhuacanga—Retiro de Padre Bento—N.S. de Conceição—Description of an Iron Smelting Work at Girão—Vast abundance of Iron Ores in this District—Reaches Escadinha—Morro de Gaspar Soares and two other Iron Smelting Works and Forges—Ponte Alta—Itambé—Passes Onça—Ponte de Machado, where frost was seen—And arrives at Cocaes—Visits the large Establishment of the Cocaes English Mining Company—The Author’s unkind reception by the Director of that Establishment—Reaches S. João do Morro Grande, part of the Mining Establishment of the English Gongo Soco Company—Hospitable reception—And visit to the Gold Mines—Its Workings described—Geological structure of the Mines and the surrounding country—Leaves Gongo Soco and passes Morro Velho—Rapoza—And reaches the Establishment of another English Mining Company at Morro Velho—The Author’s delight on receiving letters after two years’ absence—His kind reception and abode there—Village of Congonhas de Sabará described—Attached to the Gold Mines of Morro Velho—Account of those Mines—Mode of working and extracting Gold from the Ore—Visits the City of Sabará—Mining Establishment of Cuiabá—Serra de Piedade—And Serra del Curral del Rey—Leaves Morro Velho—Reaches the Villa de Caëté—Passes S. José de Morro Grande—Barra—Brumado—Serra de Caraça—Catas altas—Inficionado—Bento Rodriguez—Camargos—And reaches San Caetano—Visits the City of Mariano—Passes the Serra de Itacolumi—Arraial de Passagem—And arrives at the City of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica—City described—Its Population—College and Botanic Garden 360