Continuing about six miles over this naked country, we entered on a more confined road, and passing a village called Cocaes, proceeded half a league further in the dark, to the mansion of Senhor Felicio, the _Capitao Mor_ of the district, where we alighted, having travelled this day above thirty miles. On being announced, I was immediately shown up stairs into a suite of handsome apartments, furnished with great magnificence, where I was introduced by the _Capitao_ to his amiable lady and daughter. We were joined by Dr. Gomides, a man of talents and science, with whom I entered into conversation, and who afterwards showed me a fine collection of gold in various forms, some like duck-shot, others laminated with micaceous iron, others arborescent. He had also some specimens of stalactitic matter, on which nitre was forming, others of specular iron ore, and three or four fine pieces of chrome, which I at first took for realgar. From this gentleman I received considerable information respecting the mineralogy of the country, which is so difficult to be obtained accurate, that I found reason to reject all which did not correspond with what I saw. In the course of the evening the party was joined by the Count de Oeyenhausen, who commands a corps of cavalry in the district. He made many enquiries of me respecting England, that being the country in which he had received his education, and to which he seemed as much attached as to his native soil.
This large establishment, though still rich in gold, is worked by only two hundred negroes. One part of the estate is an auriferous mountain of schistus, containing beds of micaceous iron ore; the latter substance forms a thin stratum, which contains gold in grains laminated with it. It is singular to remark, that the _cascalho_, which generally, nay, almost invariably occurs in ravines and low situations, is here found at a very small depth below the surface on the summit.
The discovery of the original gold mine in this rich _sesmaria_, is said to have been owing to the following accident. Some negroes employed in clearing the land, broke up an ant-hill of considerable size, when, on laying it open to the air, for the purpose of destroying or dispersing the insects, large grains of gold were found. It is, however, highly probable that the general characteristics of the soil had led to the discovery long before this period, and that the accident here related, served only to indicate the presence of gold in a part which had not been supposed to contain any. The estate is situated almost in the centre of the mining country, and is reputed one of the richest portions of it. The owner and his brother, who are partners, have conducted their concerns in a liberal way, and are said to be very wealthy. It was my wish to have staid a day or two for the purpose of inspecting the extensive works which they have opened; but I forebore to make any request of this nature, as I perceived, or supposed, some little jealousy or suspicion respecting my views. It seemed to be the opinion here, as well as in other places, that I had a mission from Government, authorizing me to enquire into the state of the mines, and give a report concerning them.