Athenæum, where the mixture of whigs, radicals, the slothful satellites of the government. Resavans, foreigners, dandies, authors, soldiers, sail- specting this part of the empire, M. De Saintors, lawyers, artists, doctors, and members of both Hilaire's information is valuable. Previously, houses of parliament, together with an exceed- however, to the publication of his travels, numeingly good average supply of bishops, renders the rous curious particulars concerning the Diamond melange very agreeable, despite of some two or Mines, the mode of working them, the regulathree bores who "continually do dine," and who, tions of the Brazilian government on the subject, not satisfied with getting a six-shilling dinner for the treatment of the slaves, &c., had been colthree and sixpence," continually do complain." lected by the indefatigable Southey; but the meThen there is the Wyndham Club, held at moirs on which he based his account having been Lord Blessington's house, in St. James's square, somewhat antiquated, a description of the whole and called after Lord Nugent, who founded it; district by an eye-witness will be read with conthe two University Clubs; the Clarence, mischie-siderable interest. The present work is the result vously called the Clearance, because it was esta- of the researches and observations of three years; blished upon getting rid of some disagreeable or rather a portion of that result, for two volumes members; and the Oriental Club, which, as its had been previously published, and two others are name implies, consists of the curry and rice gen-hereafter to appear. tlemen from India, with their calico shirts and As access to the Diamond District is exceedlimber legs, and which the young women who ingly difficult, not only to strangers but likewise sweep the crossing at Tenterdon street (where, to the natives themselves, the notions which have par parenthese, there has been within this cen- been generally formed respecting it are particutury founded a Royal Academy of Music) invaria-larly vague and imperfect. Its situation, morebly called the Horizontal Club. All these places, over, in the lofty unfrequented part of the Proand there are one or two others, especially one vince of the Mines, divided from the rest of the called the Garrick, near Covent-garden, and an- empire by a circle of rocks, frowning, bleak, and other in Broad street, called "the City,"-have desolate, has contributed to generate and maintain been established upon a principle of economy, unfounded surmises and mysterious ideas concernand on a scale of comfort and elegance which ing its productions and resources, which have from would have sounded like Hebrew to the unac- the first been monopolised by the government. The customed ears of the world of 1800. The Carlton Club we have not noticed, because its splendid house in Pall Mall remains unfinished, owing to, what certainly was not known in 1800, a strike amongst the unionists. However, the Carlton is altogether a superior body, and ranks with, and perhaps above, the original White's, Brooke's and Boodle's. impediments to a free ingress into this "Valley of Diamonds" consist not so much of the obstacles erected around it by nature, as in certain regulations constructed by the governors for their own benefit. By these, all persons not duly authorised,-formerly by the crown of Portugal, now of Brazil,-are forbidden to approach the sacred district. Bands of soldiers, armed as against a We must restrain ourselves-mercy to our public enemy, vigilantly guard every avenue; the readers compel us to stop, at least for the present, slaves are watched during their labours by numesatisfied that, as far as we have gone, we have rous overseers; every precaution is taken, every made out our case, and promising to continue invention resorted to, in order to secure to the what we flatter ourselves is not an altogether un-crown the possession of that wealth which, in interesting subject, upon some future occasion. in general, appears to be the only object for which monarchs undertake the management of public affairs. But against these regulations, the same thirst of wealth that occasioned their enactment, risk life and all other prospects of fortune, for the arms a number of desperate men, who voluntarily chance of enriching themselves by defeating the ingenuity of despotism. These men, vulgarly denominated smugglers, repairing by circuitous tracks to the rugged precipitous chain of crags during the prevalence of heavy fogs upon the which encompass the Diamond District, contrive mountains, or in the darkness of the night, to descend unseen into the valley, where they sometimes lie concealed for many days in the huts of the slaves by whose thefts they are supplied. Of the numerous provinces which constitute the vast empire of Brazil, none have excited more attention than that of the Mines, in which the celebrated Diamond District is situated. Thither The discovery of the Diamond Mines of BraMawe, Luccock, and other modern travellers, ani- zil, which has proved so detrimental to the prosmated by the spirit of trade, directed their foot-perity of India, took place early in the eighteenth steps. Towards the same point Captain Ashe, in his buccaneering expedition to Brazil, also proceeded; and inferior adventurers, condescending to smuggle where they would formerly have robbed, haunt the wild recesses of the Diamond Mountains, contending by skill and daring with century. In 1730 the diamonds were declared royal property, though all persons were permitted, under certain regulations, to engage in their extractions. On every negro thus employed, a capitation tax, varying from 11. 68. 0d. to 137. Os. 5d., was imposed. Such a mode of levying taxes, as M. De Saint-Hilaire observes, was palpably unjust; for in so uncertain an undertaking the proceeds are by no means necessarily proportioned to the number of hands employed. In a few years an entire change in the system was effected, not from any conviction of its injustice, but because it was found that owing to the extraordinary increase in the number of diamonds brought into the market, their value had diminished three fourths. Measures were therefore taken to limit the extent of the supply. In 1735, the Diamond Mines were farmed at 35,8541. 38. 4d. per annum ; but the speculators were bound to employ no more than six hundred slaves; and this system was continued until 1772.* It was, however, discovered that the working of the Diamond Mines by private individuals, whose interests were diametrically opposed to * The manner in which the precious stones of Brazil were formerly distributed through Europe, is thus described by Lord Tyrawley, in a memoir addressed to the British government, in behalf of certain Portuguese merchants, whose property had been, by some irregu. larity, confiscated. "They put this affair under two heads;-first, as a point of law; secondly, as a point of trade: As to the first, as I believe nobody here has read the act of parliament concerning the importation of diamonds, I cannot tell how it is possible to form any true judgment upon this seizure. The chief persons concerned in those diamonds declare, they have no apprehension of a loss, insisting that it has always been customary to send them in that manner, and that they could not be seized in the mail. They further say, that it is publicly known that the diamond trade is, and has ever been, carried on throughout Europe by the post, being sent in that manner from one place to another, and backwards and forwards as there was a demand for them; and notwithstanding an act of parliament by which a duty has been laid on them in England, the same method of exporting and importing them has been continued in an open and public manner at the General Post House in London, and no seizure has ever been made before. Those that receive them at the post office in London, paid the common postage of the packet, by weight, besides one per cent upon a favourable valuation without showing them; and when delivered at the post house to be sent abroad, there is one guinea paid for each packet, for registering the same, and postage when it is due. Now as our common law in England is as much founded upon customs and precedents as upon statutes and acts of parliament, and in some cases customs prevail; for I make no doubt there are some laws which have never heen repealed, that are entirely abrogated by a constant practice against them: therefore it seems to them, that if this method of importing diamonds can be proved (as they affirm it may) to have been always openly practised, and authorised at the post office, those that were in the mail at Falmouth, however regularly the custom house officers may have made their seizure according to the letter of the laws, cannot be condemned, but only are liable to the duty upon them; since as well those who sent them from Lisbon in that manner, as those to whom they were consigned in London, acted by precedents, upon the public faith of the Post House, and according to a custom practised time out of mind." those of the government, as in despotisms they always must be, was accompanied by frauds and abuses of various kinds; and in consequence, another change was accomplished. The government now determined to take into its own hands the superintendence of the mines; new regulations were drawn up, which, as Southey has observed, bore on the face of them the impress of the character of Pombal, then minister. By these new ordinances the Diamond District was still more effectually cut off from the rest of the world. Situated in a country governed by absolute power, it was now subjected to a despotism still more absolute; all social ties were snapped asunder, or greatly enfeebled,-in short, every thing was sacrificed to the design of securing the exclusive property of the diamonds to the crown. In several instances, however, the extreme severity of rich channel out of ours into our neighbour's country, and give them the advantage which we now have in that trade over all the rest of Europe." "As diamonds are worn and have a real value in all Europe, as well as in most other parts of the world, and must be cut and polished before they are fit to be worn, of consequence that country where the most diamond cutters are settled, and where the fair or market is kept for that commodity from whence the rest of Europe must be supplied, must have a considerable gain." "When diamonds were only found in the East Indies, the settlement which our country had at Fort George had almost brought the whole diamond trade into the hands of the English; so that London, within these thirty years, is become the best market for them in Europe; and upon that account the best diamond cutters have come over and settled there: it has also been for a long time the place where diamonds, but especially brilliants, are cut in the greatest perfection." "The discovery of the diamonds in the mines of the Brazils, has put a stop for the present to that trade from the East Indies, though not to the London market, on account of the advantage which England has over its neighbours in the trade with Lisbon with the packets, men of war, and merchant ships, which are constantly going backwards and forwards between the two countries; so that the much greater part of the diamonds which come from the Brazils have hitherto gone to London, from whence they were distributed to the rest of Europe. But should the seizure at Falmouth prove a loss, or should the duty remain on diamonds in England, it is very natural to suppose, that merchants would trade to those places where they can do it to the most safety and advantage. I am told they cut and polish diamonds very well at Amsterdam; great quantities, but especially small ones, are cut at Antwerp. In Paris they cut brilliants very well: there are also diamond cutters in Venice and in Hamburgh; and in none of those places do the diamonds pay any duty, or run any risk of confiscation. And particularly Amsterdam stands the fairest to rob us of that trade, if any hardships are laid upon it in England, as being better situated by far than London, to circulate them through the rest of Europe." "The price of cutting and polishing diamonds, I find they allow to be at 20s. a carat, one with another; which our calculators here make amount to the sum of 75,000l. a-year. Was this the only profit, I should think it not "As to the point of trade, they say that even the lay.to be despised; but there is besides, the freight, commising any duty upon the importation of rough diamonds is destructive to it, since the greater quantity of rough diamonds are imported, the greater the benefit is to the nation; and that the duty upon them with the penalty of confiscation, if not taken off very soon, will turn that sions, brokerages, and the gains that are made upon what is sold in London, both rough and cut, for foreign parts; all this is real profit to England, and is considerably increasing every day since the finding out the new mines in the Brazils.”—Southey's History of Brazil, iii. Notes. the regulatious caused them to fall, like the laws | or physicians. All the negroes who labour in the of Draco, into desuetude; those for example, in- different services belong to private individuals, tended to limit the amount of the population and who hire them, at so much per week, to the adthe number of the merchants; which condemned ministration of the mines. They once amounted to confiscation or the galleys a negro detected to three thousand; but the increasing poverty of the with mining implements in his possession, or government has caused this number to be diminprohibited the sinking of the foundations of a ished to one thousand; and their pay has also been house unless four officers of government were reduced to less than half of what it formerly was. present. Each negro is clothed, and furnished with medical attendance during sickness, at the expense of his owner; but he is maintained and supplied with tools by the administration. When M. De Saint-Hilaire visited the mines in 1817, the administration had undergone successive modifications. The principal officer, at this period, was denominated the intendant of the The condition of these slaves, whose labours diamonds, whose jurisdiction extended over the furnish the costly gems which sparkle on the bowhole province. His power was nearly absolute. som or amid the tresses of beauty, forms a strikHe regulated at his pleasure every thing connect-ing contrast with that of the classes whom they ed with the working of the diamond mines, remov- enrich or adorn by their toil. A wretched speed or suspended the employés, refused or granted cies of food, scantily doled out, enables them to permission to enter the district,-without which sustain for a few years the weight of their misery. even the governors of the province themselves had Domestic animals, dogs, cats, hogs, are generally not the power to pass its boundaries,-took what- better fed, and more tenderly treated. A quantity ever measures he judged proper for the prevention of coarse maize flour, a certain proportion of kidof smuggling, and directed the movements of the ney beans, and a little salt, constitute the whole military force. But the authority of the intendant of their food; to which, by way of luxury, a small was not confined to what more immediately con- quantity of roll tobacco is added. When the kidcerned the mines: the police in the interior of the ney beans fail, their place is supplied by some district was under his control; and being at once kind of animal food. As very little time is allowan administrator and a judge, it was necessary ed the negroes during the day, they are compelled that he should have studied jurisprudence. In to dress their food on the preceding evening, somecivil transactions, where the value of the property times with no other fuel than a little dried grass. in litigation did not exceed one hundred thousand Being forced to remain, almost the whole year, reis (251. sterling), he judged without audience with their feet all day in the water, living on food or appeal. Lawyers were banished from the dis- little strengthening or nutritious, and generally trict, the government fearing, not so much per- cold or badly cooked, they are subject to enfeehaps their ability to make the worse appear the bling disorders, arising from the debilitated state better reason, as that they might obstruct the of the alimentary canal. Frequently, moreover, movements of despotism by their knowledge of they incur the risk of being crushed by falling law and the force of eloquence. The authority rocks, or avalanches of earth, which suddenly of the intendant in criminal affairs was extremely detach themselves from the face of the precíbounded. The treasury in which the diamonds pices. This labour is painful, and without interwere deposited, had three keys, one of which was mission. Constantly under the eye of the overplaced in the hands of the intendant, the second seer, to snatch a moment's repose is beyond their in those of the first treasurer, and the third was power. Nevertheless, such is the wretchedness held by the principal clerk. of their condition in the domestic or particular The places where diamonds are found, and service of their owners, such the natural appetite where a body of slaves, with the requisite officers of man for gain, such the force of the most reand overseer, are established, are called "ser-mote expectation of liberty, that these unfortunate vices." According to the regulations, each of beings, hard as is their labour, and badly as they these troops should have a separate chaplain; are fed, exhibit a decided preference for this spebut the administration being exceedingly poor, cies of employment. The money, observes M. and therefore compelled to be economical, has De Saint-Hilaire, which they procure by secretcommenced its reforms by diminishing the num-ing diamonds, and the hope of emancipation ber of priests; one chaplain being compelled to should they be fortunate enough to find a gem of superintend two troops of negroes, when they a certain size, are doubtless the principal causes happen to work at the same "service." Mr. of this preference; but they have also other moMawe ("Travels in the Interior of Brazil,") appears to have been misinformed respecting the degree of attention bestowed by the government on the health of these slaves. He asserts that each body of negroes possessed a surgeon. This M. De Saint-Hilaire somewhat roughly contradicts, observing that when the government suppressed the farming of the diamonds, it purchased from the farmers the slaves whom they had employed. In ancient Egypt, as is learned from the sepulA hospital was then established, to which a phy-chral paintings of Eilithyias, even the reapers in sician and surgeon were attached; but the slaves the fields were kept in order by the fear of the not being at present the property of government, whip; and the relation of Agatharchides discloses there no longer exists any necessity for a hospital the character of the cruel regulations to which tives. Being collected together in large numbers, they contrive, in spite of their wretchedness, to excite each other to merriment, singing in chorus the songs of their native land; and whereas in the houses of their masters they are subject to a thousand caprices, here they obey one fixed rule, and so long as they conform to it, need fear no chastisement. the labourers in the emerald mines, in the eastern | forwarding those found in his service, by one or desert, were subjected. The practices of despot-two overseers accompanied by a number of slaves. ism are the same in all ages and countries. In The treasurers verify the number of the gems the diamond mines of Brazil, the whip is the delivered to them, weigh them again, and enter principal incentive to industry; each of the over-in a book an exact account of their weight, the seers being generally armed with a large stick, name of the service where they were found, and terminated by a strip of leather, with which he the dates of their reception. These preliminaries is permitted to chastise upon the spot any negro completed, they lodge them in the treasury. Every whom he considers negligent. It may easily be year they send to Rio de Janeiro the diamonds imagined how frequently such a being, constantly found during the preceding twelve months, in the irritated by the irksomeness of his employment, following manner. They have twelve sieves, each must be tempted to strike. No "fixed rule" was pierced with holes of a different size; the first, ever observed by men so armed; if the negro does large, the rest diminishing gradually; and through not transgress the bounds of his duty, the over-these the gems are successively passed. The seer may be intoxicated by wine, by passion, largest diamonds remain in the first sieve, those by the mere irritation of temper incident to all a size less in the second; and so on, until the persons who lead inactive lives. When the smallest fall even through the last. Thus they are fault is of a serious nature, a more severe punish-divided into twelve lots, each of which is made ment is inflicted; the criminal on these occasions up into a separate packet, enclosed in bags; and being tied to a ladder, and scourged by two of his these are again placed in a chest, on which the companions with a whip of five thongs. The intendant, the fiscal, and the first treasurer put overseers are not permitted to lavish this terrible their seals. This done, the chest departs, accomspecies of torture without the concurrence of their panied by an officer appointed by the intendant, superior officers; but the extent of their humanity with two horse-soldiers, and four infantry under may be judged of by the circumstance, that al-his command. On arriving at Villa Rica, it is though the ordinances of the mines limit the conveyed to the general, who, without opening number of blows to fifty, these amateur floggers it, affixes his seal; it is then forwarded under the frequently indulge themselves with an exhibition protection of the same escort to the capital. more sanguinary than the law has provided for The military force at the disposition of the intheir entertainment. After this, it is not surpris-tendant and administration consists of two coming that the lives of the slaves should be short and uncertain. The remainder of the detachment is generally quartered at Tijuco, where it is employed in the service of the police, or in escorting the chests of diamonds to the capital. panies of infantry, and a datachment of the regiment of the province amounting to fifty men, From this wretched mode of life a fortunate including the officers. The detachment of caaccident sometimes frees the slave. When he valry is commanded by a captain. Twenty men happens to find a diamond weighing an octavo, or are cantoned on the frontiers of the district, to 175 carats, his value is ascertained by the admi- prevent smuggling, visit travellers who are leavnistration, the price is paid to his owner, he is ing the province, or arrest those who attempt to dressed, and set at liberty. His comrades, re-enter without the permission of the intendant. joicing at his good fortune, place a crown upon his head, make a feast, and bear him in triumph on their shoulders. He is entitled to preserve his situation in the mines, and receive weekly the sum formerly paid to his owner. If the diamond weighs only three fourths of an octavo, the slave still obtains his freedom, though he is obliged to labour for the government some time longer. Such occurrences, however, are not frequent. In 1816, out of one thousand negroes, three only obtained their liberty; and in the following year not a single instance had occurred up to the month of October, the period of M. De Saint-Hilaire's visit. For the discovery of diamonds of inferior weight and value, the slaves receive trifling rewards, as a knife, a hat, a waistcoat, &c. It has been seen, says M. De Saint-Hilaire, that the system of administration introduced into the Diamond District, has no other object than to secure to the king the exclusive possession of the gems. For this purpose every thing has been combined with the most marvellous sagacity; the most minute details have been entered into ; every probability of thievery foreseen, and measures taken for defeating the most skilful and able robbers. Not satisfied, however, with combating the ingenuity of thievery by the most minute precautions, it has been judged necessary to oppose When the negro finds a diamond, he shows it temptation by the fear of severe punishment. A to the overseer, holding it between his forefinger free man convicted of smuggling is transported and thumb, and spreading his other fingers; after for ten years to Angola on the west coast of which he deposits it in the wooden bowl suspend- Africa, and condemned to have his property coned from the roof of the shed beneath which the fiscated for the use of the crown. According to operation of washing is carried on. At night-the ordinances, every slave detected in theft, is fall, the overseers in a body bear the bowl to the special administrator, who takes an account of the diamonds found, causes their number and weight to be ascertained, and puts them in a purse, which he is supposed always to wear about his person. Monthly, or at shorter intervals should the junta require it, the diamonds are deposited in the treasury, each administrator VOL. XXVI. JAN. 1835.-2 also to be confiscated; but this iniquitous regulation has fallen into desuetude. The delinquent, having first been scourged, is put in irons for a longer or shorter period, according to the value of the diamonds stolen; during this period no payment is made for his labour; and if his owner is not, as formerly, entirely deprived of his property, he is nevertheless punished for a fault which he did not commit, and possessed no means of prevent-ways the master and slave may league together ing. These condemned slaves form a separate to defraud the government. Accordingly, as M. band, treated more severely than the others, and De Saint-Hilaire observes, while the slaves, duremployed in ruder toils. ing the operation of washing, filch the gems, the It is in vain, however, that the rigour of the overseers engage with enthusiasm in smuggling, laws has been increased, and measures of preven- being commonly supplied by their own negroes. tion resorted to. Cupidity and skill set all terrors It is in fact quite evident, as he remarks, that the at defiance, and triumph over every obstacle. negroes would never have engaged in the pracFormerly, when the diamonds were more abun- tice of thievery, but for the temptations constantly dant, and less difficult to extract, there existed a held out to them by their superiors or other smugsort of smugglers, who, acting in concert, dis-glers. Adventurous men, taking advantage of the persed themselves over the places where the night, repair to the different services by circuitous jewels were most plentifully found, and sought for and almost inaccessible paths. They have their them themselves. Some of the party, stationed as agents in the various troops of negroes, who, for sentinels on the heights, gave notice to the la-a reward, bring to them such of their companions bourers of the approach of the troops; upon which the whole band made their escape, climbing the most difficult and precipitous mountains. This was the practice that caused them to be denominated grimpeiros, or "climbers," from which, by corruption, the word garimpeiros, the appellation by which they are still known, has been formed. Since the diamonds have grown more rare, and require considerable labour to extract them from the earth, this extraordinary race of smugglers has disappeared, though a few fugitive negroes, miserable and desperate, still go in quest of chance jewels along the banks of the remote solitary streams. But though the garimpeiros have become extinct, smugglers will no doubt always remain, since they will always be supplied by the thievery of the slaves. as have any thing to sell. The diamonds are weighed, and the negroes receive at the rate of 12s. 6d, per vinten for stones of all sizes. Frequently the smuggler, engaged in numerous transactions, is unable to effect his retreat before morning; in which case he conceals himself in the huts of the slaves, where he remains all day, and makes his escape the following night. Having cleared the outposts, the smuggler proceeds to Tijuco or to Villa do Principe, where he disposes of his purchases to the shopkeepers. In many cases, merchants travel thither from Rio de Janeiro, with stuffs, mercery, and other articles, in order to have a plausible pretext for sojourning there for a time; but their real object is the buying of diamonds. At Tijuco, the profit of the smuggler on the smaller diamonds does not ex In this kind of slight of hand, the negroes ex-ceed twenty-five per cent; but at Villa do Prinhibit a degree of subtlety which the most expe- cipe, in reaching which he has incurred greater rienced knaves might behold with envy. The risks, his profits amount to forty per cent. As new comers, raw novices, on their arrival, are the negroes sell by weight all the diamonds they quickly instructed in the mysteries of the profes- steal, without any reference to their size, it is on sion by the old, whom they very quickly rival the larger ones that the smuggler gains most; but in ability. One of the predecessors of M. Da it frequently happens that the novices in this speCamara, intendant of the mines, complaining cies of traffic are deceived in their dealings with that the abstraction of diamonds had become ex-the slaves, who substitute small pieces of crystal, tremely frequent, and accusing the administrators to which they have given the requisite appearance of being wanting in vigilance, was assured by the latter that the most active surveillance could not prevent the delinquencies of the slaves. Desirous, however, of ascertaining by experience the ability of the negroes, the intendant commanded the most adroit among them to appear before him, placed a small jewel amidst a heap of sand and flints in one of the channels where they usually washed for diamonds, and promised the slave his liberty if he could steal it without being detected in the theft. The negro then began washing the sand in the ordinary manner, while the intendant steadfastly fixed his eyes upon his movements. In a few minutes the magistrate demanded of the black, where the stone was. "If reliance may be placed on the word of a white man," replied the negro, "I am free;" and taking the diamond from his mouth, he showed it to the intendant. and colour by breaking and rubbing them among grains of lead. But the experienced smuggler is not thus to be deceived. He distinguishes in an instant the false stones from the true, by rubbing one against another, putting them in his mouth and striking them against his teeth, to discover whether they will yield that silvery sound which diamonds thus assayed emit. The temporary villages which spring up rapidly in the vicinity of the mines, and fall to decay with equal rapidity when the works are abandoned, present, while they last, a not unpleasing appearance, perched on the sunny slopes of the hills, or on the romantic precipitous banks of the diamond streams. One of these curious establishments is thus described by M. De Saint-Hilaire. "The houses of the troop of Corrego Novo, in numBut though the slaves may exhibit extraordi- ber twenty-two, form a small hamlet rising on a gentle nary tact and cunning in secreting the diamonds, and thatched with straw, and stand round a square open slope above the stream. They are constructed with carth, it would be exceedingly difficult, without the con- space. None of them possess a second story; and their nivance of their superiors, to carry on the prac-roofs, very different from those which are elsewhere seen tice to any great extent, or to dispose of them in Brazil, are considerably higher than the walls that supwhen obtained. Each overseer has the privilege of employing a number of his own negroes in the services, and it is easy to foresee in how many port them. The huts of the negroes, inferior in size to those of the overseers, have no windows, and are each inhabited by several slaves. Those of the overseers, on |