22? CONDAMINE's TRAVELS ' ' 



an emerfion of the firft fatellite of Jupiter, which would occur on the night between 

 the 3 1 ft and the iftof Auguft. From the period of commencing my journey, I had 

 no certain point of longitude afcertained wherewith to correft my computed diftances, 

 from weft to eaft ; however the travels of Orellana, Texeira, and Father Acuna which 

 had rendered famous the river Napo, and the pretenfions of Portugal to both fides of 

 the river of Amazons as far as the Napo, made it important to determine the exa6t 

 pofition of this point. In fpite of various obftacles, I happily fucceeded in completing 

 my obfervation, and thus reaped the firft fruit of the toil which the tranfport of a 

 telefcope eighteen feet long, over mountains and through woods, for the fpace of one 

 hundred and fifty leagues, muft neceifarily have occafioned. My fellow-traveller, 

 actuated with the fame zeal as myfelf, on this occafion, and on a variety of others at 

 which he rendered me aiTiftance, was of great fervice, his intelligence and activity 

 being equally exerted. I firft obferved the height of the fun at noon, in an iiland 

 oppofite to the great mouth of the Napo, which I found to be 3^ 24' S. I computed 

 the whole breadth of the Maraiion below the ifland, at nine hundred toifes, but was 

 only able to meafure one of its branches trigonometrically. The Napo appeared to me 

 fix hundred toifes broad above the iflands at its mouth, which divide it into feveral 

 arms. At length, the fame night, I obferved the emerfion of the firft fatellite of Ju- 

 piter, and immediately afterwards, to afcertain the time, I took the height of two ftars. 

 The intervals between the obfervations were computed by an excellent watch, and by 

 thefe means, the mounting and regulating of a pendulum, a matter which wasfcarcely 

 pofTible of execution, and which would have required fome time, was rendered 

 unnecefTary. The refult of the calculation I made, was, that the difference between 

 the two meridians of Paris and the mouth of the Napo, was four hours and three 

 quarters. This determination will be rendered more exa£t when the preciie inftant 

 of obfervation fhall be afcertained at fome place the longitude of which is known, and 

 at which the emerfion may have been vifible. 



After obferving the longitude, we continued our way ; and the next morning, the 

 ift Auguft, landed ten or twelve miles below the mouth of the Napo at Pevas, now 

 the laft of the miflionary eftablilhments belonging to Spain on the banks of the Ma- 

 raiion. Father Fritz had laid them down as extending two hundred leagues beyond, 

 but, in 1 7 10, the Portuguefe poifeffed themfelves of the major part of the lands thus 

 defcribed as pertaining to Spain. The favages of the neighbourhood of Napo" were 

 never completely fubdued by the Spaniards, for, at different periods, the governors 

 and raifiionaries fent to reduce them to fubjeftion, have been maffacred ; but fifteen or 

 twenty years back, the Jefuits of Quito formed eftablifhments here anew, fending other 

 miffionaries ; and thefe fettlements, at prefent, are in a highly flourifliing condition. 



The name of Pevas, given to the town at which v/e landed, is that of an American 

 nation, many individuals of which are inhabitants ; but here are collected Americans of 

 divers nations, each of which has a language peculiarly its own, as is common over the 

 whole continent. It fometimes happens, that a language is known to no more than 

 two or three families, the wretched veftige of a tribe deflroyed, and devoured by fome- 

 other : for, notwithftanding there are at prefent no man-eaters along the banks of the 

 Maranon, there yet exift inland, particularly towards the north, and along the Yapyra, 

 tribes of Americans, who eat their prifoners. The majority of the new inhabitants of 

 Pevas are favages, newly enticed from their woods, and yet unconverted to Chriftianity ; 

 the neceffary preliminary of debrutalizing them, a talk of no finall difficulty, not havings 

 yet been completed*. 



