BOOK ir. CHAP. VII. 



SECT. II. 



THE river Cobre, which wafhes the foot of the town on the 

 Eaft, takes its fource near Luidas, and about twenty-two miles 

 North-weil: from the town, rifmg in a cave, called River-head, and 

 fuppofed bj,jiiauxJo..havc a fubterraneous communication with 

 Pedro's river, which is diftant from it about lix. miles Weft. The 

 Gobre likewife buries great part of its waters, and does not forra 

 any confiderable ftream till it has run fome diftance from the cave. 

 It is afterwards joined by the Rio Magno, Rio d'Oro, and Rio Pe- 

 dro, with fome fmaller ftreams; fo that, on reaching the town, it 

 is from (ixty to eighty feet in breadth, and in feveral places very 

 deep, but in others generally fordable, unlefs fwelled with the 

 "heavy rains which fometimes fall in the mountains above. Its 

 bed, where it ranges near the town, is depreffed and lowly, the 

 water being in general not difcernible beyond the verge of its 

 banks. The current here is rapid, though almoft filent. It is of 

 n.nfpeakable fervice to this neighbourhood, not only in its conftant 

 fupply of water, for the ufe of the town, but in promoting clean- 

 linefs and health ; for every day throughout the year fome hundred 

 Negroes and Mulattoes of both fexes refort to it from the town, 

 to wafh their perfons and linen. 



It has been imagined, that the Spaniards gave it the name of the 

 Copper river, from its paffing through a vein of that metal. But 

 it is riibre'probable, tli.Vr they chrff^eliHl name of 



fome river in Old Spain, as they are known to have done in regard 

 to many otliers, and in particular the Rio Minho, in the parifh of 

 Clarendon. Belides, although its water appears to have a fine blueifh 

 tinge, efpecially where it runs between the two ranges of hills pro- 

 ceeding from'! Sixteen-mile-walk, which has confirmed many in ' 

 their opinion of its being tindlured with copper ; yet this appear- 

 ance is nothing more than a common deception, caufed by the ' 

 azure of the Iky reflefted from the furface of the water, and re- 

 markable chiefly where it is deepeft, the current mofl: gentle, and ' 

 conic^uently the furface extremely fmooth, and therefore in the 

 4 , fitteft ' 



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