78 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



206. All this country has attractive landscapes, with trees tall and 

 shady, occupied by multitudes of birds which nest in them and create 

 sweet harmony with their variety of song; there are quantities of 

 graceful and interesting small animals, and in the rivers, abundance 

 of fish ; all the banks and shores are covered with turtles, which are 

 a great staple for the tribes living as far up as the Guayapoco, which 

 is the original starting point of the Aruaca tribe. 



207. The Panacaes tribe lives inland, at the source of the rivers 

 flowing into the Orinoco ; on that quarter they border on the Guayanes, 

 and on many other tribes extending to the Maranon ; it would take 

 too long to enumerate them. 



Chapter XX 



Continuing the Description up to the River Maranon, with the 

 Tribes Living on Its Banks. 



208. From the Orinoco to the Rio de Vara is a distance of 6o 

 leagues, as indicated in this description of the country and the rivers ; 

 and from the Vara to the Rio Vicente Pinzon, just under 3° N., it 

 is 150 leagues. In this expanse there are many large rivers, not to 

 mention other smaller ones, the home of naked Indian tribes ; most 

 of the rivers are navigable, and are coveted by foreign enemies who 

 desire to settle there and establish towns, thanks to the promise of 

 wealth in a country of gold mines and alluvial deposits, abundance 

 of agricultural products, valuable timber, balsam, and other aromatic 

 extracts derived from its trees, quantities of game birds, and plenty 

 of fish in the rivers. 



209. From the Rio de Vicente Pinzon to the North Point of the 

 Maraiion, it is 40 leagues ; at 20 leagues comes the Rio Guayapoco, 

 original home of the Aruaca Indians ; it has a famous harbor, where 

 the Dutch habitually careen and up-end their ships, both on account 

 of the excellence and security of the harbor and because there is 

 nobody in that region to molest them. 



210. At the North Point of the Maraiion lives the Mariguiiies 

 tribe ; the proA-ince runs over 70 leagues up the banks of the Maraiion 

 and inland ; this tribe has a large population, with many settlements. 

 The houses in which they ordinarily live are tall, and though they go 

 naked, they are great farmers. The country runs to woods and 

 groves of valuable timber trees. Various kinds of bees produce quan- 

 tities of wax and honey. This province possesses great mountain 

 ranges, which promise much wealth in gold and silver mines, and 

 on their slopes there are plains and valleys good for cattle ranches 



