of trees, as stately in size as endless in variety,
intermixed with brambles and creeping plants
flowering in every variety and tinge of colour, emit-
ting the most delicious odours, and for hundreds
of square miles in extent so dense as to be quite
impenetrable, except to the native Indians, are
spread over the greater part of the country from
the sea-coast to the Araguay river, which separates
Goias from Matto Grosso. In the cultivated
parts, the palma christi, orange, lemon, citron,
and various other trees and plants flourish in the
utmost luxuriance ; and among the foreign plants,
the sugar-cane, coffee tree, and cotton plant, are
yielding an increasing supply of their respective
products of the very choicest quality; but the
productions for which Brazil has hitherto been
the most celebrated are its gems, gold, and silver.
The gems are as various as beautiful; and, al-
though diamonds have been appreciated from the
earliest periods of social refinement, the largest
and most valuable ever known was found in Bra-
zil, weighing in its rough state 1680 carats or 14 oz.
troy, which, according to the imaginary and con-
ventional rule of valuation, at xc2xa32 sterling for the
first carat, would be equal in value to 25,062,912
dollars American money. The quantity of gold
and,silver during a series of years averaged in
money, about 22 million dollars per annum. On
the gold and silver, the government levied a tax
of one fifth of the produce, but restricted the
searching for diamonds and cutting of the Brazil
wood to its orai agents, subjecting the violators
of the Taw to the severest penalties. Rich as Bra-
zil is, in a comparative sense, in gems and metals,
they have obviously retarded, rather than advanc-
ed, the genuine prosperity of the country, having
tended to divert the inhabitants from the more ra-
tional and socializing pursuits of agriculture.
Since 1806, however, cultivation has been pursu-
ed with greater avidity, and its superior advanta-
ges once established, it will probably increase in
estimation, whilst the infatuating pursuits in
search of diamonds and gold will subside. The
revolutionary spirit, so widely spread over all
Spanish America shortly after the commence-
ment of the present century, extended itself in-
to Brazil. Pernambuco, in 1817, revolted against
the government, and the whole country manifest-
ing rather an equivocal dispositon towards the
ruling family, the court of Rio Janerio, in 1821,
emigrated back to Lisbon, leaving Don Pedro,
the eldest son of the king, as viceroy, who no
sooner felt himself separated from paternal allegi-
ance, than he began to turn his thoughts to his
individual aggrandizement, and strove to cherish,
rather than subdue, the revolutionary spirit which
had previously been excited ; and on the 11th of
September, all allegiance to Portugal was formal-
ly denounced, and Don Pedro proclaimed emper-
or of Brazil. This change not proving satisfacto-
ry to all parties, and the integrity of Don Pedro
appearing equivocal to the neighbouring govern-
ment of Buenos Ayres, a spirit of political disqui-
etude generally prevails, and the final issue of its
mode of government consequently remains pro-
blematical. The political cabals, however, have
not materially retarded cultivation and commerce,
which continue to increase. Of the extent of the
population accounts are much at variance. The
introduction of slaves from the coast of Africa,
since the excitements to agriculture commenced,
has been very great, and must have added at
least 50,000 annually to the population of the
Cftast, unless the mortality has been proportiona-
bly great with the importation. The aggregate
population probably amounts to near a million,
four-fifths of whom are slaves and people of col-
our. The Brazilians are indolent, and great num-
bers of those who are wealthy pass their time up-
on their estates in the country, where their chief
delight is to swing in their hammocks all the af-
ternoon. The chief amusement besides this is
hunting, which from the abundance of game in

the interior districts may be carried on to a great
extent The natives who inhabit'the inland parts,
live almost in a state of nature ; they are copper-
coloured, go naked, cohabit indiscriminately, and
have no signs of religion ; they are strong, lively,
and gay, and subject to few diseases ; hut of their
aggregate number, whether one, two, or more
millions or only a few thousand, even conjecture
does not hazard an opinion. See Lisbon, Portugal,
Rio Janeiro.

Brazza, an island in the Adriatic, Dear the coast
of Dalmatia, 30 miles long, and 10 broad. The
soil is stony, but it produces much excellent wine,
and this article, with fire-wood and sheep, form
the chief trade. It has a town of the same name,
several villages, and an aggregate population of
about 15,000. Long. 17. 35. E. lat. 43. 50. N.

Breage, a populous village on the shore of
Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, Eng. with ten mines in
its vicinity, 4 m. W. of Helstone, and 10 E. by

S. of Penzance. Pop. in 1821 3,668.

Brechin, a borough of Scotland, in Forfar, an-
ciently a bishop’s see and the county town. The
cathedral is partly ruinous, but one of its aisles
serves for the parish church. Adjoining to this is
a curious antique round tower, which tapers from
the bottom, and is very slender in proportion to its
height. Here is a manufacture of linen and cot-
ton, and a considerable tannery. It is seated on
the South Esk, 8 m. W. of Montrose, and 12 E.
N. E. of Forfar. Pop. in 1821, 5,906.

Breckenridge, a county of Kentucky, on the
Ohio. Pop. 7,345. Hardensburg is (he chief town.

Brecherfeld, a town of Westphalia, in the coun-
ty of the Mark, about 30 m. N. N. E. of Cologne.
Pop. 1,100.

Brecknock, towns in Berks Co. and Lancaster
Co. Pa.

Brecon, or Brecknockshire, a border county of
South Wales, bounded on the east by the coun
ties of Hereford and Monmouth, north by Radnor,
west by Caermarthen and Cardiganshires, and
south by Glamorgan. It is a mountainous dis-
trict, yielding iron, coal, and limestone in great
abundance, and some copper and lead, and at
Llanelly, on the border of Glamorganshire, the