38o A VOYAGE TO Book VI* 



through Peru ; alledging that this was the part through 

 which Pedro de Orfua entered the river ; fupporting 

 their opinion by a derivation, to which we cannot 

 fubfcribe^ namely, that he gave it this name on ac- 

 count of the difturbances which happened among his ^ 

 men. The truth is, that the Maranon, the Ama- 

 zons, and the Orellana, are one individual river; and 

 that what is meant by each of thefe names, is the 

 vaft common channel into which thofe many rivers 

 fall, which contribute to its greatnefs. And that to 

 the original name of Maranon the two others have 

 been added for the caufes already mentioned. The 

 Portuguefe have been the moil ftrenuous fupporters 

 of this opinion, calling it by no other name than that 

 of the Amazons, and transferring that of Maranon 

 to one of the captainlhips of Brazil, lying betwixt 

 Grand Para and Siara ; and whofe capital is the city 

 of San Luis del Maranon. 



II. Account of the firjl Difcoverles and of the 

 moji famous Expeditions on the Maranon^ in 

 €rder to obtain a more adequate Idea of this fa* 

 mous River. 



After this account of the courfe and names of 

 this river, I lhall proceed to the difcovery of it, and 

 the moft remarkable voyages made thereon. Vicente 

 Yanez Pinzon, one of thofe who had accompanied 

 the admiral Don Chriftopher Columbus in his firfl: 

 voyage, was the perfon who difcovered the mouth 

 through which this river, as I have before taken no- 

 tice, difcharges itfelf into the ocean. This adventurer, 

 at his own expence, in 1499, 6^^^^ ^"^^^ fhips, dif- 

 coveries being the reigning tafte of that time. With 

 this view He iieered for the Canary Iflands and after 

 paffing by thofe of Cape de Verd, continued his 

 courfe diredly ^ell, till on the 26th of January, in 



