José Basílio da Gama's Brazilian Goldmines

Published here for the first time in an accessible edition, Brasilienses Aurifodinae or “Brazilian Goldmines” is an 18th-century hexameter poem in Latin, by Brazilian author José Basílio da Gama (1741-95). Two addenda follow the text, translation, and commentary on this poem: an Appendix Compendiaria, which summarizes the content of the poem in simple prose; and a Quaestio Curiosa, where Gama answers common questions about his topic, as well as an alphabetically organized Index rerum notabilium.

Gama, famous for his anti-Jesuit works in Portuguese and for his support of the liberal reformation of the Portuguese crown, touches in this work upon central questions of his time, such as life in the colonies, the use of slave labor, the relationship with the metropolis, and payment of taxes. He also showcases his technical knowledge of the extraction of gold and his scientific knowledge regarding geography, geology and mineralogy of the mining sites – not to mention his erudition in mastery of Latin and his familiarity with the Classical tradition.

This edition contains the edited Latin text, as well as the first English translation of the work, an introductory study, and commentaries to the text.