gems, Brazil, diamond, topaz, gold

A two-volume account by the Irish clergyman and traveler Robert Walsh describing Brazil during his residence and travels there in 1828–1829. The work covers Rio de Janeiro and journeys into the interior, with observations on politics, society, slavery, religion, natural history, agriculture and commerce. Of particular gemological interest is Walsh’s visit to Minas Gerais, where he describes mining districts, gold workings and the Capão topaz mine near Ouro Preto (Vol. 2, pp. 104–108), including the occurrence and extraction of Brazilian topaz. The work is a valuable firsthand source for the mineral wealth and mining practices of Brazil in the early nineteenth century.