OEIGIN OF THE EIVER'S NAME. 295 



to the mile. But notwitlistauding tliis almost absolute 

 level of the river-valley, so vast is the volume of water 

 that presses toward the sea, that the Amazons sweeps 

 down with a current that tears away its banks with their 

 load of forest, and mottles its floods with islets of grasses 

 and with trees torn from its shores. 



Although we apply the general term Amazons to the 

 whole river, the natives designate diflerent portions by 

 different names. From its mouth to the Rio Negro it is 

 termed Amazons ; the part between that river and Taba- 

 tinga, or the Peruvian frontier, is called Solimoens; while 

 from Tabatinga to the Andes it bears the name Maraiion. 

 All are familiar with the origin of the name Amazons — 

 how Orellana, having deserted Pizarro upon the Napo, 

 floated down that stream, and reported to have seen, 

 upon the banks of the great river, a tribe of female war- 

 riors, that naturally suggested the fabled Amazons of the 

 Afric Hesperia, or of the Thermodon of Pontus ; hence the 

 application of the name to the river upon which they were 

 encountered. The foundation for this story of a nation 

 of women-warriors is clearly shown by Wallace, in the 

 following observations upon the Indian tribes of the 

 Uaupes, one of the tributaries of the Rio Negro : " The 

 men, on the other hand, have the hair carefully parted 

 and combed on each side, and tied in a cue behind. In 

 the young men, it hangs in long locks down tlieir necks, 

 and, with the comb, which is invariably carried stuck in 

 the top of the head, gives to them a most feminine ap- 

 pearance; this is increased by the large necklaces and 

 bracelets of beads, and the careful extirpation of every 

 symptom of beard. Taking these circumstances into con- 

 sideration, I am strongly of opinion that the story of the 

 Amazons has arisen from these feminine-looking warriors 

 encountered by the early voyagers." 



We found navigating with our little craft more dan- 



