IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



2^3 



firmed relation of which with thofe of fome other language of the antlent world, throw 

 light on a queftion hitherto left purely to conjedure. 



I was expeded at Borja by the reverend Father Magnin from the canton Fribourg, 

 a Jefuit miffionary, from whom I received that attention and kindnefs naturally to be 

 expected from a friend and countryman. I had no occafion with him, nor afterwards 

 with the other miffionaries of his order, to avail myfelf of the recommendations I 

 brought from their friends at Quito, and flill lefs of the paifports and orders of the 

 court of Spain, which I carried with me. Befides other curiofities in natural hiftory, 

 this Father made me a prefent of a chart, drawn by him, of the territory of the Spa- 

 nifti miflions of the Maynas, together with a defcription of the manners and cuftoms of 

 the neighbouring nations. During my ftay at Cayenne I was aflifted by Mr. Artur, 

 phyfician to the King, and member of the Upper Council of that colony, in tranflating 

 this Spanifh work into French : it is highly worthy the curiofity of the public. 



I found the latitude of Borja 4° 28' S. 



From this place I took my departure on the 14th July with the fame Father, who 

 was fo obliging to accompany me as far as Laguna. On the fifteenth we paffed on the 

 north the mouth of the Morona, which flows from the volcano Sangay, the afhes 

 thrown from which, traverfmg the provinces Macas and Quito, are fometimes carried 

 beyond Guyaquil. Beyond this, on the fame fide, we diftinguiftied the three mouths 

 of the river Paftaca before mentioned. At this time its banks were fo much overflown 

 that no landing could be effected ; 1 was confequently unable to meafure the breadth 

 of its principal mouth, which I reckoned to be 400 toifes, nearly equalling the breadth 

 of the Maranon itfelf. A little beyond, the fame evening and the fucceeding morn, 

 I obferved the fun at its fetting and rifmg, and, as at Quito, I found its declenfion 

 8|^ towards the north. By two amplitudes thus obferved in fucceflion in the evening 

 and morning, the variation of the needle may be computed without knowing that of 

 the fun ; all that is required being to notice the difference of declenfion of the fun in 

 the interval of the two obfervations, provided this difference be fufficiently great to be 

 fhown by the compafs. 



On the 1 9th we arrived at Laguna, v/here Don Pedro Maldonado, governor of the 

 province of Efmeraldus, had been waiting for me fix weeks ; to this nobleman, as well 

 as to his two brothers and his entire family, I owe a public acknowledgement for the 

 diftinguiflied civilities our academic detachment experienced at their hands, during our 

 long ftay in the province of Quito. He, as well as myfelff- on his paflage to Europe, 

 felt difpofed to proceed down the river of Amazons, and had taken the fecond of the 

 three routs defcending the Paftaca ; after many dangers and great fatigue he had been 

 fortunate enough to arrive much before me, notwithftanding the period of his departure 

 from Quito was nearly the fame as that at which I left Cuenca ; he had made the re- 

 quiftte obfervations as he travelled along, with a compafs and portable gnomon, to 

 enable him to defcribe the courfe of the Paftaca, an undertaking, to which I not only 

 had prompted him, but likewife facilitated, by furnifhing him with means for its 

 execution. 



Laguna is a confiderable village, containing more than a thoufand Americans capable 

 of bearing arms, who are a medley of various nations. It is the chief eftablifliment 

 of all the miflions of the province of Maynas. The town is placed on dry and elevated 

 ground, which is rare to be feen in thefe countries, and- at the fame time on the mar- 

 gin of a great lake, five leagues above the mouth of the Guallaga, a river which, like 

 the Maraiion, has its origin in the mountains eaftward of Lima. By the Guallaga it 

 was that Pedro de Urfoa, of whom mention has already been made, defcended to the 



river 



