Two hundred and ten miles north of Sabara, one hundred and thirty west-north-west of Bom Successo, and one hundred and fifty north-north-west of Villa do Principe, is the famous arraial and julgado of Barra do Rio das Velhas, situated in a plain at the confluence of the river of its name, from whose floods it sustains considerable injury. It has a church of Bom Successo, and a chapel of Lord Jesus of Matozinhos, has much commerce, is well supplied with meat, fish, and fruit, and is the depositary of a large quantity of salt that arrives from the salterns of the river St. Francisco. Fevers, which reign here in the wet season, have driven away many inhabitants, and prevent this place from becoming one of the largest povoaçoes in the province. This arraial, that of Bom Successo, and others of the comarca, belong to the archbishopric of Bahia. Two miles distant is the arraial of Porteira, with a chapel of the Lady of Bom Successo and Rozario. In it reside the vicar, and the officers of justice, in consequence of being a healthy situation. Twenty miles further to the north, upon the margin of the St. Francisco, is the small and agreeably situated arraial of Estrema, with a hermitage of Conceiçao. It abounds with fish and meat. The fruit consists principally of oranges. Within this comarca is the mountainous diamond district, fifty miles in diameter. The beautiful stones found here by Bernardo da Fonseca Lobo, in 1730, on being discovered to be diamonds, afforded this part of the comarca its designation. The value of these stones not being at first known, the district remained free till 1734, when an ouvidor of the province, who had resided at Goa, and had there acquired a knowledge of this most precious article, coming from Golconda, pronounced them diamonds. J. F. d’Oliveira and F. F. da Sylva had the diamond contract in 1741, for three years, at the sum of nine hundred thousand crusades. By a letter of the 3d of April, 1743, the king ordered the provedor of the treasury of Villa Rica to superintend the diamond contract, with a sum not to exceed two hundred thousand crusades per annum. Some time having passed, the contract was publicly sold to some persons of the name of Caldeyras, who, in their operations, met with copious and rich supplies. The opulence thus acquired, led them to perpetrate crimes for which they were sent to Limoeiro, where they ended their days, their property being confiscated by the crown. This contract was granted anew, to J. F. d’Oliveira, with whom it remained till the end of 1771.