ALTERNATION OP PLAINS AND MOUNTAINS. 337 



67 10'), the high mountains in the basin of the Rio Caura 

 only commence at 7 20' of latitude, on the south of the 

 mission of San Luis Guaraguaraico, where they occasion the 

 rapids of Mura. This chain stretches westward by the 

 sources of the Eio Cuchivero, the Cerros del Mato, the 

 Cerbatana and Maniapure, as far as Tepupano, a group of 

 strangely-formed granitic rocks surrounding the Encaramada. 

 The culminant points of this chain (lat. 7 10' 7 28') are, 

 according to the information I gathered from the Indians, 

 situated near the sources of Cafio de la Tortuga. In the 

 chain of the Encaramada there are some traces of gold. 

 This chain is also celebrated in the mythology of the 

 Tamanacs ; for the painted rocks it contains are associated 

 with ancient local traditions. The Orinoco changes its 

 direction at the confluence of the Apure, breaking a part oi 

 the chain of the Encaramada. The latter mountains and 

 scattered rocks in the plain of the Capuchino, and on the 

 north of Cabruta, may be considered either as the vestiges 

 of a destroyed spur, or (on the hypothesis of the igneous 

 origin of granite) as partial eruptions and upheavings. 

 I shall not here discuss the question, whether the most 

 northerly chain, that of Angostura and of the great fall 

 of Carony, be a continuation of the chain of Encaramada. 

 3rd. In navigating the Orinoco from north to south, we 

 observe, alternately, on the east, small plains and chains oi 

 mountains, of which we cannot distinguish the profiles, that 

 is, the sections perpendicular to their longitudinal axes. 

 From the mission of the Encaramada to the mouth of the 

 Kio Qama, I counted seven recurrences of this alternation 

 of savannahs and high mountains. First, on the south of 

 the isle Cucuruparu rises the chain of Chaviripe (lat. 7 10') ; 

 it stretches, inclining towards the south (lat. 6 20' 6 40'), 

 by the Cerros del Corozal, the Amoco, and the Murcielago, 

 as far as the Erevato, a tributary of the Caura. It there 

 forms the rapids of Paru, and is linked with the summits of 

 Matacuna. 4th. The chain of Chaviripe is succeeded by 

 that of the Baraguan (lat. 6 50' 7 5'), celebrated for the 

 strait of the Orinoco, to which it gives its name. The 

 Saraguaca, or mountain of Uruana, composed of detached 

 blocks of granite, may be regarded as a northern spur ot 

 the chain of the Baraguan, stretching south-west towards 



TOL. III. Z 



