leading
figure in the history of Brazilian diamonds is the slave. Negro and
negress, they both appear as discoverers of some of the most
remarkable of the great gems. This arises from the fact that the
miners were chiefly slaves. In the early days of diamond hunting on the
Rio-das-Velhas, as a means of encouraging honesty, if a negro found a
stone of 17 1/2 carats, he was crowned with a wreath of flowers, and
led in procession to the manager. His freedom was given to him, and he
was dressed in a new suit of clothes. For " unfaithfulness,'' which
meant the crime of appropriating diamonds the slaves were beaten with
sticks, and subjected to other physical torture. But in spite of all
kinds of precautions and punishments a third of the produce of the
mines was supposed to be stolen, and it is so to this day. It was a "
cunning slave " who revealed the treasures of Minas-Geraes, and
established the fame of Bahia. He was of the former province, though he
worked as an agricultural labourer in the last-mentioned district.
Diamonds had been found here, but the Portuguese minister. Marquis de
Pombal, would not permit a regular
