Ch.V. south AMERICA. 363 



CHAP. V. 



Government of Maynas, and of the River Mara- 

 non, or that of the Amazons ; its Difcovery^ 

 Courfe^ and that of the Rivers running into it. 



HAVING treated of the governments of Po- 

 payan and Jaen de Bracamoros, which are the 

 northern limits of the province of Quito ^ as alfo of 

 Atacames, which is its weftern boundary 5 I now pro- 

 ceed to the government of Maynas, the eaftern limit 

 of its jurifdidion. This is particularly entitled to a 

 feparate and fuccind defcription, as the great river 

 Maranon flows through it. 



The government of Maynas lies contiguous to thofe 

 of Quixos and Jaen de Bracamoros, towards the eaft. 

 In its territories are the fources of thofe rivers, which, 

 after rapidly traverfing a vaft extent, form, by their 

 conflux, the famous river of the Amazons, known al- 

 fo by the name of Maranon. The fhores of this and 

 many rivers which pay it the tribute of their waters, 

 environ and pervade the government of Maynas. Its 

 limits, both towards the north and fouth, are little 

 known, being extended far among the countries of 

 infidel Indians ; fo that all the account which can be 

 expeded is from the milTionaries employed in the 

 eonverfion and fpiritual government of the wild na- 

 tions which inhabit it. Eaftward it joins the poflfef- 

 fions of the Portuguefe, from which it is feparated by 

 the famous line of demarcation, the boundary between 

 the Spaniih and Portuguefe poffefTions. 



Were I to confine myfelf in general to the extent 

 of the government of Maynas, my defcription would 

 be very imperfed, and want the nobleft obje6l of the 

 reader's curiofity, a defcription of the river of the 

 Amazons \ a fubjed no lefs entertaining than un- 

 known j and the more difficult of obtaining a thorough 



know- 



