IN SOUTH AMERICA. 241 



Parente detained us four days at the fort, and again another day at his country-houfe ; 

 and afterwards accompanied us fix or feven days as far as to the fortrefs Curupa, half 

 way to Para. The pofitive orders of His Portuguefe Majefly, favourable in extreme to 

 my fafety and comfort, were known at every ftation before I arrived, and infured the 

 moft obliging treatment, not to myfelf alone, but to all who accompanied me ; a treat- 

 ment continued through the whole of my journey to Para, for which I am under the 

 higheft obligations to a minifter who loves the fciences, who duly values their utility, 

 and whofe careful vigilance was ever on the alert to provide, during our long fojourn 

 at Quito, for all the wants of our numerous companions. 



In lefs than fixteen hours, we arrived oppofite the fortrefs of Topayos, at the entrance 

 of the river of fimilar name ; this again is a river of the firfl order ; it defcends from 

 the mines of Brazil, croffing unexplored countries inhabited by wild and warlike nations, 

 whom the miffionary Jefuits are employed in civilizing. 



The town of Topayos has rifen out of the ruins of Tuplnambara, formerly fituate in 

 a large iiland at the mouth of the river Madera ; and its inhabitants are nearly all that 

 remains of the brave Tupinambos, but two centuries back the lords of Brazil, and 

 through which their language yet prevails. For their hiflory and long peregrinations, 

 the narrative of Father Acuiia may be confulted. 



Among the Topayos thofe green (tones are more common than with anv other people, 

 known by the name of Amazonian, of unknown origin, and Which formerly were in 

 high requeft for their fuppofed efficacy in curing the flone, niphritic colic, and epilepfy, 

 and on which a treatife, under the title of Pierre Divine, or the Divine Stone, has been 

 publifhed. Thefe llones differ nothing in colour and in hardnefs to oriental jade ; and 

 as they refifl the file, it is inconceivable how the ancient Americans were enabled to 

 fafhion them as they did into the fhape of various animals. It was no doubt the difficulty 

 of folving this problem which gave origin to a fable fo improbable in itfelf as fcarcely to 

 merit refutation. It was ferioufly afferted, that this flone was nothing elfe than the mud 

 of the river, which, when recently taken from its bed, might be moulded into any form, 

 and which obtained its extreme hardnefs by expofure to the air. Yet were this marvel 

 granted, refpefting the fallacy of wl^ich credulity was not undeceived but by fuccefsful 

 experiment alone, flill would the lapidary be pofed to anfwer a queftion of fimilar 

 nature. This queftion is, by what means were wrought thofe rounded and polilhed 

 emeralds, pierced with two conical holes diametrically oppofite one to the other, which 

 are ftill to be found in Peru, on the banks of the river St. Jago, in the province of 

 Efmeraldas, forty leagues from Quito, and which are accompanied by divers other 

 monuments of the ingenuity of the ancient inhabitants. As for the green ftones, they 

 every year become more fcarce, as well owing to the unwillingnefs of the American 

 natives, by whom they are highly prized, to part with them, as to the great number of 

 them which have found their way to Europe. 



The 4th, we began to diflinguifh the mountains in the north ten or twelve leagues in 

 land. To us who, from leaving the Pongo, had navigated two months without feeing 

 one fmgle hill, this fpectacle was a novelty. What we faw were the anterior hills of a 

 long chain of mountains extending from weft to eaft, the loftieft ridges of which maun- 

 tains divide the fpring heads of the ftreams which irrigate the northern plain of the Ama- 

 zons, and thofe of Guyana. To thefe mountains it was, according to tradition in the 

 country, that the Amazons withdrew. Another tradition, no lefs general, but of the 

 truth of which lefs conteftible evidence is faid to be afforded, reputes thefe mountains 

 to abound in mines of various metals. This laft ftatement, however, though of a nature 



VOL. XIV. II to 



