Neither here, nor in any other part of my journey from Villa Rica, did I observe any limestone, though I was informed that considerable quantities were found near Sabará.
Taking leave of the worthy curate, I set out for Tapinhoá-canga[43], distant about thirty miles. After an unpleasant ride through a rough stony country, abounding in quartz laminated with schistus, I reached a village called Corvos, where there are some gold-washings, one of which produced, about half a year ago, a net profit of £800, though only four negroes were employed a month upon it. The road to the village above mentioned led through a most uneven tract, presenting formidable precipices, which required us to travel with so much caution, that we did not complete our journey until an hour after sun-set. I was received into a very respectable house, which had the appearance of former opulence. The owner, Captain Bom-jardim, a venerable old gentleman, came to welcome me: on entering into conversation, he informed me that he had emigrated hither from Oporto at the age of seventeen, and had lived here sixty-two years. He was tempted to settle here by the hope of participating in the rich treasures for which the country was then famed; but he arrived two or three years too late: the mines were already on the decline, and he was obliged to turn his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he persevered with such success that he was enabled to realize a comfortable independency, and to bring up a numerous family in credit and respectability. It had been well if his neighbours had profited by so eminent an example, instead of deserting the country when the gold on its surface disappeared. That many did so was evident from the declining state of the village; a great number of its houses were falling to decay, others were untenanted, and its population, which formerly amounted to near three thousand, was dwindled to a third of that amount.
Continuing my journey next day, I crossed the ridge of a lofty chain of mountains, abounding with streams, that were much swoln in consequence of the late rains; one of the largest, called Rio dos Peixes, I forded thrice, and entered on a wide champaign country. In many parts I saw large tracts of bare places, where the grit-stone alternated with argillaceous schistus. The next ten miles led through an elevated and fertile plain, intersected with rivulets in every direction, and well calculated for farming, but very thinly inhabited. Early in the afternoon I reached an eminence, from which I had a fine view of Villa do Principe, situated on the rise of a lofty hill opposite, the base of which was washed by a rivulet called _Corvinho dos Quatro Vintens_[44]. On arriving in the town, I was conducted to the house of the governor, or chief magistrate, who received me very politely, and introduced me to his lady and a party of friends, with whom I took tea.