Burgalhoa, angular fragments of rocks that strew the ground; and
Cascalho, the generic name of all.
When
diamonds were first found by the gold hunters of Brazil, no notion was
formed of their value. They were used for counters in card-playing.
But at last a native named Bernardo Lobo, who had journeyed to the East
Indies, and had seen uncut diamonds there, recognized the nature of
these disregarded pebbles.
The
news of the discovery spread across the world, and its first effect was
a panic in the diamond trade. Some time had to elapse before the
dealers in Indian gems could reconcile themselves to any rival that
might depreciate the treasures of the Orient.
Meanwhile
upon the inhabitants of the diamond districts the discovery acted like
a curse; and to the bitter sorrows of persecution were added the
horrors of earthquake and drought. "It seemed as if the genii," says
Emmanuel, "guardians of the treasure, were indignant at the presumption
of man, and tried by every means to prevent the dispersion of the
buried treasure."
But
the riches of the province were incalculable. The search for gold no
longer offered any attraction; the children gathered the precious dust
after the rains. The energies of the- gold-hunters were
