Mawe, an English mineralogist, received rare permission from the Portuguese court to visit the mining regions of Minas Gerais. He describes Rio de Janeiro and the routes inland, the climate and farming, trade and population, the methods of gold washing, and the closely guarded diamond works of Tijuco, along with the impostures attempted on him by would-be prospectors.
A classic of early nineteenth-century travel, translated across Europe, for readers interested in Brazil and mining history. Download the free EPUB.