m SOUTH-AMERICA. fil^ 



the Amazons. Some writers call it Orellana, but previous to this denomination it 

 was already known by that of Maraiion from another Spanifh captain. Geographers, 

 who reprefent the Amazons and the Maraiion as different rivers, following, as did 

 Laet, the authority of Garcilafo and Herrera, were undoubtedly ignorant, not only 

 that the moft antient Spaniih authors* denominated the river we fpeak of Maraiion, 

 as early as 1513, but alfo that Orellana himfelf in his narrative fays, that he met with the 

 Amazons on defcending the Maraiion, an identification which puts difpute at reft ; in 

 faft this name of Maraiion has uninterruptedly been preferved throughout its courfe, 

 and from its very origin^ in Upper Peru, by the Spaniards, during more than two 

 centuries. Still, the Portuguefe, eftablifhed fmce the year 1616 at Para, an epifcopal 

 city at the moft eaftern mouth of this river, in this part know it by no other name 

 than that of the Amazons, giving it the title of Solimoes on afcending it higher up, 

 and transferring the denomination Maraiion, or as fpelt in their language Maranhao, 

 to a city and whole province, or captaincy, adjoining that of Para. I fhall ufe indif- 

 ferently the names Maraiion and Amazons in fpeaking of this river. 



In 1568, Pedro de Urfoa, difpatched by the viceroy of Peru in fearch of the famous 

 Gold Lake of Parima, and the town El Dorado, fuppofed to exifl in the vicinity of 

 the Amazons river, fell into this river from one flowing into it on the fouthern fide, 

 one of which I fhall fpeak in its place. The fate of Urfoa was flill more tragical 

 than that of his predeceffor Orellana. Urfoa perifhed by the hands of Aguire, a pri- 

 vate foldier, who rebelled and declared himfelf king. This man afterwards defcended 

 the river by a long route, which to this day is not clearly known, marking his courfa 

 by pillage and murder, and terminating his career by being flayed- alive in the ifland 

 of Trinidad. 



Voyages like thefe afforded no great information refpeding the courfe of the river ; 

 other governors, in after-time, repeated attempts for this purpofe, but with as little 

 fuccefs. The Portuguefe were more fortunate than the Spaniards. 



Pedro Texeira, in 1638, a century after Orellana, placed by the governor of Para 

 at the head of a numerous detachment of Portuguefe and Indians, afcended the Ama- 

 zons river to where it receives the Napo, and afterwards proceeded up that river itfelf 

 to the neighbourhood of Quito, whither he repaired by land, accompanied by fome of 

 the Portuguefe under his orders. He met with a favourable reception from the Spa- 

 niards, the two nations at that juncture being fubjed to one lord. The next year he 

 returned, by the fame channel, to Para, in company with Father Acuiia, and Father 

 Artieda, appointed to render account of the particulars of the voyage to the court of 

 Madrid. They eftimated their courfe from the hamlet of Napo, the fpot at which 

 they embarked, to Para, at 1356 Spanifh leagues f. The narrative of this voyage 

 was printed at Madrid in 1640. The French tranflation effefted in 1682 by M. de 

 Gomberville is in the hands of every* one. 



The very defedive chart of the courfe of this river, publifhed by Sanfon from this 

 purely hiftorical narrative, was afterwards, for want of new memoirs, copied by all 

 fucceeding geographers, none more correct appearing in France before the year 1 7 1 7. 



At this time, in the twelfth volume of Lettres edifiantes^ &c. was firfl publifhed a 

 copy of the chart engraved at Quito in 1707, but planned as early as 1690 by Father 

 Fritz, a German Jefuit miffionary on the banks of the Maraiion, the courfe of which 

 river he had traced throughout its whole length. From this chart was difcovered that 



* Pedro Martyr, Fernan de Encifo, Fernandez de Oviedo, Pedro Ciega, Auguftin Larate. 

 f At 15 to the degree, 6255 Britifh ftatute miles^ 



the 



