LUXURIANCE O* TUF TIMBER. 459 



from the line that marks the partition of the waters. This 

 latter line, which separates the tributary streams of the 

 Lower and Upper Orinoco, intersects the meridian of 64 

 in latitude 4. After having separated the sources of the 

 Rio Branco and the Carony, it runs north-west, sending off 

 the waters of the Padamo, the Jao, and the Ventuari towards 

 the south, and the waters of the Arui, the Caura, and the 

 Cuchivero towards the north. 



The Orinoco may be ascended without danger from 

 Esmeralda as far as the cataracts occupied by the Ghiaica 

 Indians, who prevent all farther progress of the Spaniards. 

 This is a voyage of six days and a half. In the first two 

 days you arrive at the mouth of the Bio Padamo, or 

 Patamo, having passed, on the north, the little rivers of 

 Tamatama, Sodomoni, Ghiapo, Caurimoni, and Simirimoni ; 

 and on the south the Cuca, situate between the rock of 

 Ghiaraco, which is said to throw out flames, and the Cerro 

 Canclilla. Throughout this course the Orinoco continues 

 to be three or four hundred toises broad. The tributary 

 streams are most frequent on the right bank, because on 

 that side the river is bounded by the lofty cloud-capped 

 mountains of Duida and Maraguaca, while the left bank on 

 the contrary is low and contiguous to a plain, the general 

 slope of which inclines to the south-west. The northern 

 Cordilleras are covered with fine timber. The growth of 

 plants is so enormous in this hot and constantly humid 

 climate, that the trunks of the Bombax ceiba are sixteen 

 feet in diameter. From the mouth of the Rio Padamo, 

 which is of considerable breadth, the Indians arrive, in a 

 day and a half, at the Eio Mavaca. The latter takes its 

 rise in the lofty mountains of Unturan, and communicates 

 with a lake, on the banks of which the Portuguese* of the 

 Rio Negro gather the aromatic seeds of the Laurus pucheri, 

 known in trade by the names of the pichwrvm lean, and 



* The pichurim bean is the puckiri of La Condamine, which abounds 

 at the Rio Xingu, a tributary stream of the Amazon, and on the banks of 

 the Hyurubaxy, or Yurubesh, which runs into the Rio Negro. The 

 puchery, or pichurim, which is grated like nutmeg, differs from another 

 aromatic fruit (a laurel ?) known in trade at Grand Para by the names of 

 cucheri, cuchiri, or craro (clavus) do Maranhao, and winch* on account 

 of its odour, is compared with cloves. 



