13 



ORENSE. 



ORINOCO. 



14 



Coasaks extend from Iletzkaja-Kreposth to the river Tobol in the 

 north, at the distance of 3 miles from each other. From Iletzkaja- 

 Kreposth southward to Gurief on the Caspian, is the line of the Cossakg 

 of the Ural, defended in like manner by a long series of small forts. 



Orenburg, formerly the capital of the government, is situated in 

 1 46' N. lat, 52 31' E. long., in a vast plain near the conflux of the 

 Sakmara and the Ural : it is of an oval form, regularly built, and well 

 fortified. The population is stated to amount to 20,000. There are 

 nine Greek churches, one Lutheran church and school, a military 

 academy for 80 pupils, a great European bazaar with ISO shops in the 

 town, and a bazaar on the Asiatic side of the river with 492 shops in 

 the KirghU territory, a league from the town, which is the depot for 

 the merchandise of Central Asia and of Russia. The Kirghises bring 

 annually between 300,000 and 400,000 broad-tailed sheep, horses, 

 pkius, carpet* of divers colours ; the Bokharians bring gold in grains, 

 Persian gold and silver coin, lapis lazuli, precious stones, black lamb- 

 skin*. The military governor resides here. 



l"f'i, the present capital, a fortified town at the conflux of the Ufa 

 and the Belaia, has 6000 inhabitants, half of whom are Tartars. The 

 puMie institutions and buildings are a gymnasium, a poor-house, a 

 lunatic asylum, seven churches and two convents. It is the see of 

 the bishop of Orenburg, and the residence of tho Mohammedan Tartar 

 Mufti. 



Among the other towns are Wosresensk, population 3500 ; Alenze- 

 linsk. in the north of the government on a feeder of the Bielaia, 

 population 30,000; Hcrjinifc, population 3000; and Traitskaja, or 

 Troitek, a free-port in the Asiatic part of the government: popula- 

 tion, 8000. Troittt it a fortified town on the left bank of the Oui, a 

 feeder of the Tobol. The steep banks of the river are united by a 

 bridge which connects the town with the' Kirghiz steppe, and leads to 

 a fortified bazaar, in which the products of the steppes of Bokhara 

 and other countries of Central Asia are exposed for sale. 



( ilJKNSE. [GALICIA, Spanish.] 



A, or rilFAH. [HttorOTAMlA.] 

 "U. [SUFFOLK.] 



[EoRB-BT-LorR.] 





UKKJNY-KN THIEKACHE. [ABK1.] 



ulillirKI.A. [VALENCIA.] 



OHIN'o'CO, a hrgn river of South America, which has its origin, 

 according to the most recent information, not in the centre, but on 

 the southern declivity of the eastern part of the mountain system 

 called Parime. These mountains spread over a great part of the 

 eastern portion of the republic of Venezuela, and the north-east 

 dutrieU of the empire of Braail. In length they extend nearly 1200 

 miles, between 51 snd 68 80' W. long. Their width varies between 

 1 40 and 450 miks, between the parallels of 1 and 8 X. lat. According 

 to a rough calculation, this mountain system covers a surface of about 

 400,000 square miles. The mountains are separated from the shores 

 of the Atlantic by a low and flat country varying in width between 

 >0 and 70 miles. The southern portion, as far as is known, is a mass 

 of rock, of which the general level ha* an elevation of from 1500 to 

 2000 feet above the sea. Few of the hills and ridgrs rue more than 

 some hundred fret, and a very few summits attain more than 1000 

 feet above their base. The country along the water-courses is thickly 

 wooded, a* well as the greater part of the country between them ; 

 but many of the level tract* are savannahs without trees, or only 

 covered with low bashes, which however display a great luxuriance 

 of vegetation. West of 68* W. long., and near 4 N. lat, a continuous 

 rang* begins, which runs westward in 64 W. long, nearly under the 

 same parallel, and west of 64 W. long, inclines more to the south, so 

 that at its termination near 66 W. long, it reaches nenrly to 3 N. lat. 

 This range i* called Sierra Pacaraima, In it* eastern part it rises from 

 1500 to S600 fart above it* base, and from 3000 to 4000 feet above 

 the sea-level. Farther west it rises several thousand feet above the 

 sea, and terminate* with the Cerro Haraguaca and the Ccrro Duida, 

 whose summit* attain an elevation of about 10,000 feet Along the 

 southern base of the Sierra Paoaraima the Rio Parime runs eastward 

 and the Kio Tokoto westward, and by their junction near Go ' W. long, 

 the Rio Branco, an attluent of the Amaxonas, is formed. 



The source of the Orinoco has never been visited by Europeans, nor 

 has any information respecting it been obtained from the natives, who 

 are an aboriginal rase known a* the Guaicas, and who have hitherto 

 prevented all access to foreigners. It U supposed that this river rises 

 near 64* W. long., and between 3 and 4 N. lat. Humboldt advanced 

 up the stream as far as the mission of Esmeraldas, and he says that 

 some monks had penetrated several miles further to the confluence of 

 the river Chiguire, where the Orinoco is so narrow that the natives 

 have made a bridge over it of creepers at the foot of a cataract. 

 Schocnborgk confirms tens account. 



At this point the river runs in a general west 'rn direction, and 

 several mile* farther down it divides into two arms, of which that 

 which flows to the south-west is called Cassiquiari, and after a rapid 

 conns of nearly 100 miles joins the Ouainia, or Kio Negro, thus forming 

 a natural water-communication between the Orinoco and the Amazonas, 

 into which latter river the Guainia falls. [BRAZIL.] The Orinoco 

 i a wide river, running in a western direction along the 

 base of the Parime Mountains until it approaches 68 



W. long., when it- is joined by the Atabapo from the south and by the 

 Guaviare from the west. From the confluence of the last-mentioned 

 river its course lies to the north, along the western base of the Parimo 

 Mountains, and in this part it3 navigability is interrupted by the 

 Raudales of Maypures and Atures, between 5 and 5 40' N. lat. The 

 Raudales are a peculiar kind of cataract. The bed of the Orinoco at 

 Maypures and Atures, which is nearly 8500 feet wide, is divided into 

 numerous narrow channels by rocks and rocky islands, between which 

 the water runs with great rapidity, and forms a succession of small 

 cascades. The highest of these cascades does not exceed 9 feet, and 

 the river descends at Maypures in about 6 miles only about 30 feet. 

 But the velocity with which the confined body of water runs in the 

 narrow channels renders it impossible to ascend the raudale. The 

 U uiilale of Atures is only half a mile long, and of a similar description. 

 Below these raudales the river continues to flow between low but rocky 

 banks. Opposite the mouth of the river Meta, which joins it from the 

 west, is a powerful whirlpool round an isolated rock, called the Stone 

 of Patience, from the circumstance of its generally taking two days to 

 pass it at low water. 



Some distance farther down the whole bed of the river is narrowed 

 by rocks which advance into it from both sides, and the stream flows 

 rapidly through the Narrow of Baraguan, which is 1893 yards wide. 

 From the junction of the Apure the course of the Orinoco lies east- 

 ward to the point where it empties itself into the Atlantic Ocean. In 

 this part of its course the navigation for boats is rendered dangerous 

 by the floating rafts, which consist of forest-trees torn from their 

 natural seat by the inundations of the river, and covered with aquatic 

 plants ; but vessels of 300 tons can ascend as high as the mouth of the 

 Apure. Near the town of Angostura the river again runs between 

 rocks for a short distance, but though in one place it is not more than 

 710 yardu wide, this narrow (Angostura) may be passed without danger. 

 Below Angostura vessels of considerable burden ascend the river with 

 the trade-wind, which blows constantly from November to May ; but 

 the numerous sand-banks are dangerous when the water is low, 

 especially after the mouth of January. 



Several islands occur in the Orinoco below Angostura. They are 

 generally of moderate size, partly low and partly rocky. About 130 

 miles from its mouth the delta of the Orinoco begins. The river sends 

 off to the north a branch which soon divides into a great number of 

 other branches, all known by tho general name of Bocas Chicas (small 

 mouths). They are all narrow when compared witli the principal 

 branch of the river, called Boca de Navios, but most of them are deep 

 enuugU to admit vessels of considerable size. Of late these branches 

 have been much frequented by smugglers, but they can only be navi- 

 gated under the guidance of the Indians who inhabit the islands of 

 the delta, and who are well acquainted with the numerous channels 

 which the river hai formed in the soft alluvial soil of the delta. The 

 Bocas Chicas empty themselves partly into the Atlantic and partly 

 into the Gulf of i'aria, between the continent of South America and 

 the island of Trinidad. Nine of them are rather large rivers : their 

 names, enumerating them from east to west, are Cano de Lauran, 

 Cano do Nuina, Gmo Chico de Mariusas, Cauo Grande de Mariusos 

 (navigable), Cano de Macareo (navigable), Cauo de Cucuina (narrow, 

 but deep), Cano de Pedernales (navigable), Cano de Manamo Chico, and 

 Cauo de Manamo Grande, The throe last mentioned fall into the Uulf 

 of I'aria. The Boca de Navios, or principal branch of the Orinoco, 

 runs eastward to the ocean, and is divided for a distance of about 40 

 miles into two channels by a series of islands which lie nearly in the 

 middle of the stream. These channels are known by the Indian names 

 of Zacupana and Imataca, and their eastern extremity is not quite 30 

 i 'jiii Cape Barima, which is situated at the mouth of the river. 

 Both are navigable, but that on the south, called the Channel of 

 Imataca, though wider has less water; it is however common! , 

 by large vewels. Each of these two channels is more than 2 miles 

 wide, aud the whole width of the river, including the islands, con- 

 siderably exceeds 5 miles. From this point farther down the breadth 

 continues to increase, aud at the mouth, between I'unta Barima on 

 the south and the island of C&ngrejos on the north, it is more than 00 

 miles wide. The navigable channel, which lies in the middle, is crossed 

 by a sand-bar with 17 feet of water, and in breadth varying from 2J 

 miles to 3 miles or a little more. Within tho bar the water deepens 

 on the side of the island of Cangrejos to 4 and 5 fathoms, aud the 

 navigable chaunel is more than 12 miles wide. Though no arms branch 

 off from the Boca de Navios to the south, tho low country which 

 extends from the Puuta Uiriina to the mouth of tho Essequibo River, 

 and is watered by several small streams, is traversed by narrow natural 

 canals called ' etabbos,' which generally lie parallel to the shores of 

 the Atlantic, and connecting the small streams, constitute an internal 

 water-cummuuication for small boats between the Orinoco aud 

 ; >on rivers. 



The tributaries of the Orinoco are very numerous, and many of 

 them have both a long course and a great volume of water. Those 

 which join it on the left are navigable through nearly the Vftiole of 

 tl.eir course, and are rarely impeded by rapids; but the rivers which 

 fall into it on the right, originating on the elevated region of the 

 Parime Mountains, descend from them by numerous rapids aud cata- 

 racts, go as to be, at least for a great part of their course, entirely unfit 

 for navigation. We shall only mention a few of them. 



