360 STATISTTCAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



pitcher of wine, and so they drank each of them three of 

 those cups at a time, one to the other ; and in this sort they 

 get drunk at their feasts and meetings. 



" The seat of this town of Toparimaca was very pleasant, 

 standing on a little hill, in an excellent prospect, with goodly 

 gardens, a mile compass round about it, and two very fair and 

 large ponds of excellent fish adjoining. This town is called 

 Arowocai ; the people are of the nation called Nepoios, and 

 are followers of Carapana. In that place I saw very aged 

 people, that we might perceive all their sinews and veins 

 without any flesh, and but even as a case covered only with 

 skin. The lord of this place gave me an old man for pilot, 

 who was of great experience and travel, and knew their river 

 most perfectly both by day and night. 



" The next day we hasted thence, and having an easterly 

 wind to help us, we spared our arms from rowing; for, after 

 we entered Orinoko, the river lieth for the most part east and 

 west, even from the sea unto Quito in Peru. This river is na- 

 vigable with ships little less than one thousand miles, and, 

 from the place where we entered, it may be sailed up in small 

 pinnaces to many of the best parts of Nuevo Reyno de Gra- 

 nado, and of Popayan. And from no place may the cities of 

 these parts of the Indies be so easily taken and invaded as 

 hence. All that day we sailed up a branch of that river, hav- 



