The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

170
AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA.
traversing the eastern slope of the Espinhaco range here penetrates to the
northern mining region through Injicionado, Caftas Alfas, Santa Barbara, Itahira
do Maito Dentro, Conceigao, and Serro, all of which places occupy upland valleys
watered by the headstreams of the Rio Doce. Serro still possesses some gold and
diamond mines, but it now depends chiefly on its agricultural resources.
Diamantina, formerly Tijuco, lies in the upper Jequitinhonha valley, but its
commercial relations are chiefly with Rio de Janeiro through the S. Francisco
basin. The yield of its diamond mines has fallen from about £150,000 to less
than £40,000 a year. Farther north the formerly flourishing town of Grao Mogol
has been nearly abandoned.
In the Upper Rio das Velhas valley are several thriving places, such as Sahara
at the head of the navigation, whose highly productive gold mines, especially
Morro VeUio, near Villa Nora de Lima, are now worked by some wealthy English
companies. ViUa Nova is well known to mineralogists by its old name of Con-
gonhas de Sahara. Morro Velho employs from 1,500 to 2,000 hands, and at pre-
sent has an average annual yield of about £80,000 ; if fully worked the output
might exceed £280,000.
About eight miles from the railway west of Sahara lies the healthy plateau of
Bello Horisontc, one of the sites which have been proposed for the future capital of
Minas Geraes. The pure waters of the district already surveyed would suffice for
the requirements of a city of 450,000 inhabitants. A narrow valley on the oppo-
site side of Sahara is occupied by the mining village of Gaethe, which abounds in
asbestos.
Santa Luzia, below Sahara on the Rio des Velhas, lies near Lagoa Santa, where
Lund passed many years exploring the surrounding caves. The jasper beds
in the neighbourhood supply the material for the statuettes and other objects
executed by the local artists. Farther on, Parauna, " Black Water," on the
affluent of like name, has also been mentioned as a favourable site for the
future capital of the State, of which it occupies the geometrical centre.
In the northern section of Minas Geraes the towns of Mantes Claras das
Farmigas at the head of the Rio Verde, and Paracatu, formerly Piracatu, near the
Goyaz frontier, have become flourishing centres of the cattle trade. Like those of
Lagoa Santa, the Montes Glares cliffs are pierced by numerous caves, iu which
have been found the remains of the megalonyx and other extinct animals.
Towns of Bahia and Sergipe.
Below the Velhas confluence, where stands the little-frequented port of Chiai-
cuhy, Januaria, or Salgado, is the last place on the S. Francisco within the Minas
Geraes frontier. In the State of Bahia foUow Cariuhanha ; Bom Jesus de Lapa
with its "miraculous" grotto; Urubu, the "Vulture" town, facing Motmt Pernam-
buco ; Barra, at the Rio Grande confluence, chief place in the western districts of
Bahia ; Pilao Arcado, lower down on the left bank, a great centre of the salt
industry. Here are vast beds of native salt still untouched by the miner.