Ch.V. south AMERICA. 375 



breadth. Thefe are afterwards joined by the river 

 Tocantines the outlet of which is (till broader than 

 the former, and at a ftill greater difbance : the river 

 of Muju, on the eaftern fide of which (lands the city 

 of Grail Para, difcharges its waters into the fame 

 ftream ; and it afterwards receives the river Capi, 

 which wafhes the city of the fame name. 



The river of Dos Bocas, after joining that of Ta- 

 gipuru, runs eaftward, forming an arch as far as the 

 river of Tocantines, from which it continues N. K. 

 like the Maranon, leaving in the middle the ifland of 

 Joanes, which is nearly of a triangular figure, except 

 the fouth fide about one hundred and fifty leagues 

 in lengthy and forms the arch of a circle. This ifland 

 divides the Maranon into the two mouths, by which 

 that river difembogues itfelf into the fea. The prin- 

 cipal of thefe two mouths from Cape Maguari in 

 this ifland, and the North Cape, is about forty-five 

 leagues broad ; and that of the channel of Tagi- 

 puru, as likewife of the rivers which have joined it^ 

 from the fame Cape Maguari to Tigioca point, is 

 twelve leagues. 



This river, which exceeds any one mentioned either 

 in facred or profane hiftory, has three names and is 

 equally known by them all, each implying its fl:u- 

 pendous majefty, and importing its fuperiority to any 

 other in Europe, Africa, or Afia. And this feems 

 to have been intended by the Angularity of its having 

 three different names ; each of them enigmatically 

 comprehending thofe of the moft famous in the other ' 

 three parts of the world ; the Danube in Europe, the 

 Ganges in Afia, and the Nile in Africa. 



The names which exprefs the grandeur of this river, 

 are the Maranon, the Amazons, and Orellana. But 

 it is not known with certainty that either of them was 

 the original, before its difcovery by the Spaniards, 

 give^i it by the Indians ; though very probably it was 

 not without many j for as various nations inhabited 

 ' B b 4 its 



