The Portuguese were now advancing in several directions into the interior of _Brazil_; more especially up the _Amazons_ and the numerous tributaries of that stream. The _Paulistas_ and the people of _Minas Geraes_ spread themselves across the extensive region lying behind the captaincies of _Bahia_ and _Piauhy_, which now forms the province of _Goyaz_; whilst from _Cuyabá_ the settlers continued to advance towards the _Chiquito_ and _Moxo_ missions, and likewise in the direction of the western branch of the _Tocantins_. They thus secured for Portugal a country containing two hundred thousand square miles, which now forms the province of _Matto-Grosso_. The name _Goyaz_ is derived from the _Goya_ tribe. The first discoverer of its mineral wealth was a _Paulista_, named Manoel Correa, who, in the seventeenth century, made his way thither at the head of a party of slave-hunters. He brought back some specimens of gold, which induced another adventurer to follow in his footsteps. He too found gold upon one of the rivers flowing into the _Amazons_. This second adventurer, called Bueno, was accompanied in another expedition by his son, then only twelve years old. They found the _Goya_ women wearing pieces of gold picked up from the beds of the torrents. This was in 1670, before the age of Brazilian mining had arrived. Fifty years later Bueno’s son proposed to the Governor of _S. Paulo_ to go in search of the spot which he had visited in his boyhood, and which, after three years’ searching, he once more found. He collected gold from five different streams, where he was appointed to establish a colony with the rank of _Capitam Mor_. The mines of _Goyaz_ soon rivalled those of _Cuyabá_, and had the advantage of a shorter and safer communication with the older settlements. Provisions came regularly from _S. Paulo_, but not in sufficient quantities to keep pace with the increasing population. The demand for food induced a portion of the community to devote themselves to rearing cattle and cultivating the ground, occupations which were soon found to be even more profitable than mining. In ten years the colony, requiring a separate jurisdiction, was made a province of _S. Paulo_; twelve years later it was declared a captaincy. Its capital, _Villa Boa_, was chartered in 1739. [Sidenote: 1734.] Mines were first discovered in _Matto-Grosso_ in 1734, upon the banks of the river _Sarare_. These, too, were found by a _Paulista_. Gold was found during the first years in greater abundance than in any other quarter; but the earlier adventurers suffered the greatest hardships from want of provisions. Even the necessaries of life rose to famine prices. The gold was not enough to prevent many from starving from want of food. The settlement was at length relieved by the arrival of a supply of cattle from _Cuyabá_; but not until the original discoverer, who was at the time rolling in wealth, had fallen a victim to disease. [Sidenote: 1742.]