372 A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 



ticular attention, and to whofe judgement the greateft 

 deference is due, is of opinion, that the breadth of 

 the Pongo, even in its narrowefl part, is twenty-five 

 toifes ; and the length of the Pongo about two leagues, 

 reckoning from the place where the fliores begin to 

 approach, as far as the city of Borga. And this 

 diitance he was carried in fifty-feven minutes. He 

 obferves alio, that the wind was contrary ; and con- 

 fequently his balza did noc go fo faft as the current 

 would ■ otherwife have carried her ; fo that, making 

 allowance for this obflrudtion^ the current may be 

 ftated at two leagues anc} a half or at three leagues 

 an hour. 



The breadth and depth of this river is anfwerable 

 to its vaO: length and in the pongos or ilreights, and 

 other parts where its breadth is contra6ted, its depth 

 is augmented proportionally. And hence many are 

 deceived by the appearance of other rivers which join 

 it, their breadth caufmg them to be taken for the reai 

 Maranon ; but the mind is foon convinced of its error, 

 by obferving the little increafe which the Maranon re- 

 ceives from the influx of them. This large river, by 

 continuing its courfe without any vifible change in its 

 breadth or rapidity, demonftrates that the others, 

 though before the objed of aftonifhment, are not com- 

 parable with it. In other parts it difplays its whole 

 grandeur-, dividing itfelf into feveral large branches, 

 including a mukitude of iQands : particularly in the 

 intermediate Ipace between the mouth of the Napo and 

 that of the Coari, which lies fomething to the well- 

 ward of the river Negro ; where, dividing itfelf into 

 many branches, k forms an infinite number of iflands, 

 Betv/ixt the million of Peba, which is at prefent the 

 laft of the Spanifh, and that of San Pablo the firft 

 ©f the Portuguefe, M. de la Condamine, and Don 

 Pedro Maldonado, having meafured the breadth of 

 &me of thefe branches, found them nearly equal to 

 nine hundred toifes^ that iSy,almofl a fea league.. At 



. . ihe 



