It cannot be too much recommended to the Government of Brazil, immediately to order a survey of this river, which might be performed in one of their launches in two months at little or no expense, and, were it found necessary, a chain of connection might be established from its mouth to Tocaya. The benefits resulting to the inhabitants from opening the navigation may be easily conceived. The produce of the country, its cotton, coffee, and sugar, its rich cabinet-woods, and many other valuable articles, would be brought into active commerce; extensive plantations would be established, and the whole territory would be improved. It is true that the commerce of the district would flow through another channel, and the tolls paid on passing the Paraibuna, to and from the capital, would be a little diminished: but surely the policy of Government is not so confined as to allow that consideration to have any weight against a measure of such national importance, when it is obvious that one of the greatest disadvantages under which the empire of Brazil labors, is the want of traffic on all its rivers, except to Rio Grande de St. Pedro.
The population of Minas Novas is thin, compared with its extent, but is daily increasing. It does not appear that mining is the object which attracts settlers, though there is a considerable quantity of precious stones exported, which are found only here, as has been before observed.
Where the rivers are deep it is very difficult to raise the _cascalho_ from their beds, in order to wash it for gold, &c. for this purpose various trivial and ineffectual methods are practised: it would be highly conducive to the interest of the proprietor, as well as of the state, to have rafts or boats constructed, and to adopt the machinery used by the ballast-heavers on the river Thames[53], by means of which the _cascalho_ might be raised, even from a depth of twenty feet. The requisite iron-work might be prepared in Rio de Janeiro, (if necessary,) and admitted into the mining country, free of duty: there would probably be such an increase of gold obtained by it, that the proportionate augmentation of the royal fifths would amply repay the expense of introducing the improvement.