36 



WANDERINGS IN 



First seeii better times, he penetrated thus far into these 



Journey. 



remote and gloomy wilds, and ended his days here. 



Lake According to the new map of South America, Lake 



Parima. 



Parima, or the White Sea, ought to be within three or 

 four days' walk from this place. On asking the Indians 

 whether there was such a place or not, and describing 

 that the water was fresh and good to drink, an old 

 Indian, wlio appeared to be about sixty, said that there 

 was such a place, and that he had been there. This 

 information would have been satisfactory in some degree, 

 had not the Indians carried the point a little too far. It 

 is very large, said another Indian, and ships come to it. 

 Now, these unfortunate ships were the very things which 

 were not wanted : had he but kept them out, it might 

 have done, but his introducing them was sadly against 

 the lake. Thus you must either suppose that the old 

 savage and his companion had a confused idea of the 

 thing, and that probably the Lake Parima they talked of 

 was the Amazons, not far from the city of Para, or that 

 it was their intention to deceive you. You ought to be 

 cautious in giving credit to their stories, otherwise you 

 will be apt to be led astray. 



Many a ridiculous thing concerning the interior of 

 Guiana has been propagated and received as true, merely 

 because six or seven Indians, questioned separately, have 

 agreed in their narrative. 



Ask those who live high up in the Demerara, and they 



