ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 505^^ 



to appropriate to each of thefe one of the three names. Thus they call Orellana all that 

 fpace from the part where this officer failed down in his armed Ihip till it joins the Ma- 

 ranon. The name of Amazons begins at the influx of another river, at the mouth of 

 which Orellana met with a flout refiftance from the women or Amazons ; and this name 

 reaches to the fea: and laftly, the name of Maranon comprehends the river from its fource 

 a confiderable way beyond the Pongo downwards all along the part of the defcent of 

 this river through Peru, alleging that this was the part through which Pedro de Orfua 

 entered the river ; fupporting their opinion by a derivation, to which we cannot fub- 

 fcribe, namely, that he gave it this name on account of the diflurbances which hap- 

 pened among his men. The truth is, that the Maranon, the Amazons, and the Orellana, 

 are one individual river ; and that what is meant by each of thefe names, is the vaft 

 common channel into which thofe many rivers fall, which contribute to its greatnefs ; 

 and that to the original name of Maranon the two others have been added for the caufes 

 already mentioned. The Portuguefe have been the mofl flrenuous fupporters of this 

 opinion, calling it by no other name than that of the Amazons, and transferring that of 

 Maranon to one of the captaitifhips of Brazil, lying betwixt Grand Para and Siara j and 

 whofe capital is the city of San Luis del Maranon. 



II. — Account of thefirjl Difcoveries, and of the moji famous Expeditions on the Maranon^ 

 in order to obtain a more adequate Idea of this famous River. 



After this account of the courfe and names of this river, I fhall, proceed to the dif* 

 covery of it, and the moll remarkable voyages made thereon. Vincente Yanez Pinzon,, 

 one of thofe who had accompanied the Admiral Don Chriflopher Columbus in his firfl 

 voyage, was the perfon who difcovered the mouth through which this river, as I have 

 before taken notice, difcharges itfelf into the ocean. This adventurer, at his own ex-, 

 pence, in 1499, fitted out four fhips, difcoveries being the reigning tafle of that time. 

 With this view he fleered for the Canary Iflands ; and after pafTmg by thofe of Cape 

 de Verd, continued his courfe diredly well, till on the 26th of January, in the year 

 1500, he had fight of land; and called it Cabo de Confolacion, having jufl weathered 

 a mofl violent florm. This promontory is now called Cabo de San Auguflin. Here 

 he landed ; and, after taking a view of the country, coafled along it northward ; 

 fometimes he loft fight of it, when on a fudden he found himfelf in a frefh-water fea, 

 out of which he fupplied himfelf with what he wanted ; and being determined to 

 trace it to its fource, he failed upwards, and came to the mouth of the river Maranon, 

 where the iflands made a moft charming appearance. Here he ftaid fome time, carry- 

 ing on a friendly traffic with the Indians, who were courteous and humane to thefe 

 ftrangers. He continued advancing up the river, new countries appearing ftill as he 

 failed further. 



To this maritime difcovery fucceeded that by land in the year 1 540, under the con- 

 du6l of Gonzalo Pizarro, who was commiffioned for this enterprife by his brother the 

 Marquis Don Francifco Pizarro, on the report which Gonzalo Dias de Pineda had 

 made of the country of La Canela, in the year 1536 ; at the fame time making him 

 governor of Quito. Gonzalo Pizarro arrived at the country of Los Canelos ; and 

 following the courfe of a river, either the Napo or Coca, it is not certain which, 

 though more probably the firft, met with unfurmountable difficulties and hardfhips ; 

 and feeing himfelf deftitute of provifions of every kind, and that his people, by 

 feeding on the buds and rinds of trees, fnakes, and other creatures, wafted away one 

 after another, he determined to build a veflel, in order to feek provisions at the 



VOL. XIV. 3 T place 



