Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 571 



is by Hambato and Papate^ at the foot of the moun- 

 tain of Tunguragua ; and from thence the road lies 

 through the country of Canelos, watered by the river 

 Bobonaza, which joining the Paftaza, both difcharge 

 themfelves into the Maranon. The third lies through 

 Cuen^a, Loja, Valladolid, and Jaen, from whence at 

 the village of Chuchunga, which is as it were its port, 

 this river becomes navigable; and here all embark 

 who are either going to Manas, or a longer voyage 

 on this river. Of the three, this alone is oradlicable 

 to beads; but the tedioufnefs of the diftance from 

 Quito renders it the leaft frequented : for the mif- 

 fionaries, who take thefe journies oftener than any 

 other fett of men, in order to avoid its circuit, and the 

 danger of the pals of ManzerichCj prefer the difficul- 

 ties and dangers to the others. 



In the long courfe of this river from Chuchunga, 

 are fome parts where the banks, contradcing them- 

 felves, form fcreights, which, from the rapidity of the 

 waters, are dangerous to pafs. In others, by a fud- 

 den turn of its dire6lion, the waters are violently car- 

 ried againft the rocks ; and in their repercuffion, form 

 dangerous whirlpools, the apparent fmoothnefs of 

 which is no lefs dangerous than the rapidity in the 

 itreights. Among thefe, one of the mod dangerous 

 is that betwixt Santiago de las Montanas and Borja, 

 called Pongo de Manzeriche ; the firft word of which 

 fignifies a door or entrance, and by the Indians is ap- 

 plied to all narrow places ; the fecond is the name of 

 the adjacent country. 



The Spaniards who have pafled this ftreight make 

 the breadth of it to be no more than twenty-five yards, 

 and its length three leagues ; and that, without any 

 other help than merely the current of the water, they 

 were carried through it in a quarter of an hour. If 

 this be true, they mud move at the rate of twelve 

 leagues an hour; a moft aftonifhing velocity! But 

 M. de la Condamine, who examined it with par- 



B b 2 ' ticular 



