570 A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 



ble, in the ground. If this declivity be not very 

 great, and the river large and deep, it will easily be- 

 come na\ igable every where, with a free passage from 

 one arm into the other. And in this manner the 

 marshes are formed in a level country, as we have 

 particularly remarked in the coast of Tumbez : for 

 the sea-water on the flood running into these various 

 mouths, which somcliuies are 20 leagues dii^tant or 

 more, a vessel enters one arm by the favour of the 

 tide; but coming to a place where the soil rises, the 

 stream runs against her, being the water which the 

 same flood had impelled through another channel. 

 Thus the ebb causes the waters to separate at that 

 point; and each portion of water takes the same course 

 at going out as at its entrance; yet the place where 

 the separation is made is not left dry. But even 

 though the place where the waters of the river Ca- 

 queta are separated should not be level, or nearly 

 horizontal, but lie on a considerable declivity ; }et if 

 this fall be equal on both sides,, one part of the waters 

 may take its course to the Orcmcque, and the other 

 to the Negro, without any other consequence than 

 that the great ra¡)idiíy would render them impracti- 

 cable to navigation ; but this has nothing to do with 

 the division of the waters, it being no more than 

 forming an island either large or small. 



From the province of Quito there are three ways 

 to the river Maranon; but all extremely trouble- 

 some and fatiguing, from the nature of the climate, 

 and being full of rocks, that a great part of the di- 

 stance must be travelled on foot; for being so little 

 frequented, no care has been taken to mend them, 

 whence they are even more dangerous than the others 

 in South America, of which we have given a descrip- 

 tion. 



The first of these roads, which is the nearest to the 

 town of Quito, runs through Baza find Archidona ; 

 where you embark on the river Napo. I'he second 



is 



