The road of St. Christovao and the Cidade Nova, are generally crowded by these caravans, their drivers of all complexions, dressed in cotton shirts and trowsers, with slouching hats, and combined with the horses and mules, carrying persons of rather a superior order coming also from the interior, amount to the aggregate number of at least two thousand passing and re-passing daily. It would be difficult to describe the variety of costume and rude appearance of the latter persons, many of whom are dressed in black or dirty white hats, with prodigious rims, a capote, or cloak, frequently of sky-blue, thrown round the front part of the body, and being crossed behind them, hangs in folds on each side of the mule. The bits of their bridles, their saddles, and stirrups, are of various antiquated and fantastic shapes. Some wear boots of brown leather, closely fitted to the leg, bound round the top with a strap and large buckle; others with capotes, large hats, &c. wear neither shoes nor boots, but introduce the great toes only into the stirrups, and with large heavy spurs upon the naked heels, are not the least remarkable among these burlesque figures. I have frequently ridden with them, and always found that they were communicative and civil. Their mules, which had performed journeys of two and three months, did not appear to have sustained much injury. These people mostly frequent certain streets in the city for disposal of their produce, and the purchase of manufactured goods. The Rua de Candelaria is the great mart for cheeses, brought from the interior. The Rua de Violas, Rua de St. Pedro, &c. are visited by the miners; and some of the shopkeepers, of whom they buy their return cargo, occasionally purchase from the English merchants three or four thousand pounds of goods in one bargain. The other road leading from the Campo St. Anna, does not present so much traffic as the last, and is denominated the old road. It proceeds through the village of Catimby, and from thence to Matta Porcas, one end of which it passes, and advances through the valley, having many good houses by its sides, to Andrahi, contracting afterwards betwixt the mountains into a narrow bridle way, leading to the district of Tejuco. From this road, near the Pedro Mountain, a cross road, with some good houses, the principal one recently occupied by Mr. Gill, an English merchant, conducts through the extremity of the valley of Engenho Velho, and at a distance of about half a mile unites itself with a road coming through another portion of the same valley, from the stone bridge near the turn to the palace. After this junction, the road proceeds through the valley of Engenho Novo, and communicates with the great road to the mines.