Seventy miles below the river St. Joao, the Vertentes falls also into the Araguaya, after an extensive course. A little to the north of the re-union of the two arms of the Araguaya, which form the large island of St. Anna, is the mouth of the river Ponta, not very considerable; and a short distance lower down that of the Tappiraques, so called from its originating in the territory of the Indians of the same name. To the north of the river Tappiraques, upon the margin of the Araguaya, in the space of eighty miles, were founded the three aldeias of Lappa, Almeida, and Semancelhe, for the habitation of various families of the Ximbiua tribe, reduced to peace in the year 1775, who soon afterwards adopted their former rude mode of living. They are a people passionately fond of hunting and fishing, the produce of which constitute their principal subsistence. The first certanistas who penetrated into these districts, killing some partridges, found in their crops granites with gold, a proof of the existence of that precious metal here, and which may stimulate future exertions in the desirable object of introducing cultivation and Christianity into extensive territories yet uncolonized. The great fertility of these lands, and the facility with which their productions might be transported by their noble rivers, particularly towards Gram Para, also concur in raising the expectation that some effectual measures will be adopted to civilize the savage wanderers, and convert the widely extending woods to the purposes of such culture as the soil, now overshadowed with constant gloom, may be found to be best adapted. CHAP. XI. PROVINCE OF GOYAZ. _First Discovery of Gold--Attempts of Bueno to find the Goya Territory--Settlements--Boundaries--Extent--Mineralogy-- Zoology--Phytology--Cattle and Gold its Exports--Principal Rivers--Comarcas--Julgados.--District of Cayaponia--Limits --Indians--Rivers.--District of Goyaz--Limits--Mountains-- Capital--Povoaçōes.--District of Nova Beira--Limits--Indians --Rivers--Povoaçōes--Indians reduced to Peace--Aldeias established for them.--District of Tucantines--Limits--Rivers --Indians--Povoaçōes.--District of Parannan--Limits--Rivers --Povoaçōes.--District of Rio das Velhas--Limits--Rivers-- Indians--Povoaçōes._ This province had its origin in the year 1749, being until that time a comarca or ouvidoria of St. Paulo, so created in 1737, and colonized by adventuring miners. The first intelligence of this territory possessing gold was given by Manuel Correa, a native of the town of St. Paulo de Piratininga, who found ten oitavas of this metal, which he gave as a diadem to crown the sacred image of the Lady of Penha, at the town of Sorocaba. Though the date of this circumstance is not known, it appears, by a journal found at Correa’s death, that he collected the said gold with a pewter plate in the river Aracis.