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It is called by the miners the cascalho, and consists of loose gravel, the pebbles of which are rounded and polished, having at some previous era been subject to the action of running water. The bed varies in thickness from one to four feet, and the pebbles are of various kinds; but when there are many of a species called Esmerilopreto, the cascalho is considered to be rich in diamonds.
The land showed no sign of hills, but the banks were steep at this season, in places here and there based on ruddy sand and exposing strips of rude conglomerate, the cascalho of the Brazil. This pudding is composed of waterworn pebbles, bedded in a dark clayey soil which crumbles under the touch.
After the cascalho had been thus purified, it was carefully removed to the shed to be finally washed. Here seven slaves were seated on the side of a small canal, about four feet broad, with their legs in the water nearly up to their knees. This canal is called the lavadeira. Each man had a small wooden platter, into which another slave, who stood behind him, put a shovelful of purified cascalho.
Taking Martin round to the back of the shed, Barney showed him a row of troughs, about three feet square, close to the edge of a pond of water. These troughs are called bacos. In front of each stood a Negro slave up to his knees in water. Each had a wooden plate, with which he dashed water upon the rough cascalho as it was thrown into the trough by another slave.
Taking Martin round to the back of the shed, Barney showed him a row of troughs, about three feet square, close to the edge of a pond of water. These troughs are called bacos. In front of each stood a Negro slave up to his knees in water. Each had a wooden plate, with which he dashed water upon the rough cascalho as it was thrown into the trough by another slave.
After the cascalho had been thus purified it was carefully removed to the shed to be finally washed. Here seven slaves were seated on the side of a small canal, about four feet broad, with their legs in the water nearly up to their knees. The canal is called the lavadeira. Each man had a small wooden platter, into which another slave, who stood behind him, put a shovelful of purified cascalho.
In 1881, the Acaba Mundo flume was 140 meters in length and 5.2 m. wide, and, with a velocity of 2.25 m., discharged 4,500 liters per second; still longer ones might be cited that discharged as much as 8,000 liters. In the dry part of the river the extraction of the sand, stones, and cascalho is done solely by hand.
Since the century and a half that these rivers have been dug and redug, it may be admitted that wherever the cascalho has been easy of access it has been removed; and that wherever it has not been, little attempt has been made to work it. How have these attempts, which have doubtless been made at several periods, come out? This would at present be very difficult to ascertain.
It is called by the miners the cascalho, and consists of loose gravel, the pebbles of which are rounded and polished, having at some previous era been subject to the action of running water. The bed varies in thickness from one to four feet and the pebbles are of various kinds; but when there are many of a species called Esmerilo preto, the cascalho is considered to be rich in diamonds.
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