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DIAMOND MINES OF BRAZIL 183
the
coast south and east of the Paraguassu fields. This is called the
Cannavieiras district, from the port of that name by which entry to it
is made. At present the diamond-mining industry is practically
confined to the States of Minas Geraes and Bahia, the fields of the
latter being more important because carbon is found in them with the
diamonds.
It
is said that diamonds were known to exist in the State of Bahia as far
back as 1755, but the government, thinking that mining would be hurtful
to the agricultural interests, refused to allow any mining to be done.
The date of the discovery of diamonds in Bahia is therefore given
usually as 1821, when they were found in the Serra do Sincora, but in
common with many other discoveries it was not followed immediately by
the development of an industry. To find an occasional diamond in a
wide territory of wild country difficult of access, may indicate that
it contains great treasures, but the hiding places are usually
discovered by accident long after the fact of their existence is known.
It was so in this instance. In 1844, 23 years after the discovery, Jose
Persira do Prado, journeying to Bahia city, camped on the bank of the
Mocuge, a small tributary of the Paraguassu river, and quite
accidentally found a quantity. This becoming known, many went there. S.
Joao do Paraguassu, or Santa Isabel, was founded on the site of the
discovery, and has remained a center of the district, which from that
time grew in area and importance.
The
State divides the Bahia diamond region into 14 districts: Lencoes,
Andarahy, Chique-Chique, Santa Isabel, Cravada, Lavinha, Campestre,
Morro do Chapeo, Bom Jesus, S. Ignacio, Chapeda Velha, Paraguassu, Sin-
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