44 SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANAtS, LAKES, 



charges its waters into the sound opposite to Long Island. About 

 one Hundred and forty miles from its source, near the town of Wai- 

 pole, are very rapid falls, the force of which is caused by the water's 

 being encio-ed bv >wo rocks wuhm a spare of about thirty feet, and 

 falling into a brdad bason below. Over these rocks a bridge was 

 constructed in J?S4, with such an elevation as to be inaccessible to 

 the highest floods. From these falls to the mouth of the river the 

 distance is about one hundred and sixty miles. 



We have yet to describe three majestic floods, that may well vie 

 with any we have yet glanced at. These aje, the Oronooko^ or 

 Onnoko, the River oi Amazons ^ sometimes called the Ortllana, 

 but more properly the Maragnon ; and the Plate River, or Rio 

 de la Plata. They all run in the general direction of from west 

 to east. 



The ORONOOKO forms one boundary for Guiana. It is said to 

 be seven hundred and rilty-five leagues in length, from its source, in 

 Popayan, near the Pacific Ocean, to its discharge into the Atlantic, 

 in 9 north latitude, where its impetuosity is so great, that it steins 

 the most powerful tides, and preserves the freshness of its waters to 

 the distance of twelve leagues out at sea. The Oronooko in the 

 month of April begins to swell, and continues to rise during five 

 months; the sixth it remains at its greatest height; in October it 

 begins to subside, and falls gradually until the month of March > 

 during which month it remains at a fixed state of its utmost dimi- 

 nution. This regular rise and fall of its waters is unquestionably 

 produced by the rainy and the dry seasons, which alternately prevail 

 in this part of the world. 



Columbus, in his third voyage of discovery, which commenced on 

 the SOih of May, 14Q8, taking a more southern course than he had 

 pursued in his two iurmer voyages, discovered the island of Trinidad, 

 on the coast of Guiana, near the mouth of this great river, on the 

 first of August following. The swell occasioned by its waters pour- 

 jng into the ocean was so great as to expose the ships to extreme 

 danger, but altej long combating the currents and tremendous waves 

 with doubtful success, he conducted his squadron sate through a 

 'narrow strait, which separates that island from the continent ; jhis 



