Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-12-14

by each caravan III gong ana returning, Is from
ten to twelve months
"That this state of things should, in the mid
die of the nineteen century be found to exist ir
the middle of South America, upon one of the
finest of steamboat water courses in the world
whose navigaLle tributaries are owned by no less
than five separate and independent nations, and
which the "polcy Of commerce" has not yet de-
mandcd to be thrown wide open to navigation
and commerce, will in after times be regarded as
more wonderful than any other reality of this
wonderful region.
"Nay, Brazil has, within stones throw of this
very capital, and by easy portage, the navigaLle
waters Of her own Amazon; and yet SO fearful
has she been that the steamboat OH those waters
would reveal to the world the exceeding great
riches Ct this province, that we have here re-en-
acted under our own eyes worse than japanese
policy; for it excludes from settlement and civil
ization, the finest country in the world-a eoun-
try which is larger than the continent of Europe,
and in which there is an everlasting harvest OF
the choicest fruits of the earth.
"Cuyaba is in the midst of the gold REGION
The metal is found in veins, among the pebbles
at the bottom of the brooks, and fine grains in
the soil. After every rain the servants and chill
dren may be seen gathering it from the washings
Of the streets in Cuyaba.
"Thcy get in this city a drug from the Anna
zon, called guarana, Of which the composition is
enormous and to which medical virtues the most
astonishing arc ascribed.
"On the hcadwatcrs Of the Cuyaba is the Gel
cbrated diamond district of Brazil and though
in this day Of sober realities it cannot be said
that the city Of Diamertino, the principal village
Of The district, has its streets paved with dla
monds, yet these Jewels are found there mixed
with the earth like gold in the "diggings" of
California.
"Just before Castelnau was there man plant
ing post to which to tie his mule found dia-
mond of 8 carats The children Eere wash the
earth in the streets for gold, and diamonds are
sometimes found in the crops Of the fowls.
This stone is found in the bottom of the
streams; and the most celebrated for it are the
Onro, the Diamentino, and The Santa Anna, i'll
their whole length; the Areias, the San Francis
cos-of winch there are three; and on the Par
aguay itself for considerable distance down the
main stream.
'The Samdouro, which is on the Amazonan
side of this ridge, is sail also to be exceedingly
rich in diamonds.
"a Spaniard, one Don Simon, with his slaves,
washing on the Santa Anna during the dry sea-
son only, got in four years 1000 carats OF dia-
monds.
"CaIr!GIn c:tmatos tho Whc1o yi"li of dia-
monds from Brazil to the end Of lS49, at near
ssO,oO0,o0o.
1T is the mineral wealth Of this water shed
between the La Plata and the Amazon, opera
ting with its gold and its diamonds upon the Gu
pidty of her counsellors, that has been the curse
of Brazil.
AT first the diamonds belonged to the Crown,
and no person was allowed to visit the diamond
district unless under the strictest surveillance
Military posts were established throughout the
whole region to prevent people from gathering
its mineral wealth.
"Suppose the United States had established
military posts in California to prevent the people
from going there and digging for gold, what
would have been the condition Of that State now
in comparison to What it is! 1t would have
been like the interior of Brazil now is"