74 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



Esequibo ; at the sea its mouth is 2 leagues wide ; its banks are occupied 

 by Caribs. 



190. The Amacuro is 2 leagues distant from the Varima ; in size 

 and depth it is the most important, and the channel entered by boats 

 going upriver to Santo Tome, Guiana, which lies 40 leagues from 

 the sea; for vessels of 100 tons it is navigable for 250 leagues and 

 over, as far as the port of Meta and Casanare in the New Kingdom 

 of Granada. The Guaini is the third in order, 4 leagues beyond the 

 Amacuro ; its mouth is over 2^ leagues wide ; it is very pleasant and 

 attractive to the eye, with many fruit trees of guavas and other fruits, 

 which serve as cheering refreshment to those who travel upon it. 



191. The Aracanasa comes next in order after the Guaini, follow- 

 ing the coast up toward Trinidad ; it takes its name from a small 

 island opposite the mouth and some 3 leagues out to sea, called 

 Aracanasa, where vessels anchor coming out of the rivers. This 

 island has quantities of iguanas, a sort of animal or vermin like 

 lizards but much more savage and ugly ; its meat is like chicken or 

 rabbit ; although it walks on the ground, it is eaten in Lent. There 

 are such quantities of them on this island that when you go to catch 

 one and it runs away from you, you pursue it into its hole or burrow, 

 and as the whole island is made of sand and you can easily open up 

 the burrow, you generally take 15 or 20 out of each one, which gives 

 plenty to eat. 



192. The Cutipe lies half a league distant from Aracanasa; it is 

 the smallest outlet of the Orinoco. The Macareo is 8 leagues distant 

 from the Cutipe ; it is over 2 leagues wide ; this is the outlet generally 

 used as the safest for travel to the island of Trinidad. The Capure is 

 4 leagues beyond the Macareo ; it is 5 leagues across, but shallow ; 

 in the center it has a tiny islet crowded with herons, ducks, and other 

 birds. The Pedernales' mouth is 3 leagues beyond the Capure ; it is 

 a league wide and is deep. 



193. The Guarapiche is the last mouth of the Orinoco ; it is i 

 league distant from the Pedernales, and measures another league 

 across ; it is the outward and inward channel for the Carinas Caribs 

 living in those mouths. This outlet emerges back of the Province of 

 Paria, and in that quarter borders on the Cumanagotos, i.e., the 

 Gulf of Cariaco, and serves the Cumana farms. This gulf looks like 

 the mouth of a river, for on each side it has over 10 leagues of terra 

 firma. The gulf is very rich in fish, and at low tide such quantities 

 are stranded in the shallows and pools that they can load boats with 

 them. The land abounds in game, paujies, pheasants and so many 

 other birds and animals that it is impossible to enumerate them. It is 



