5 



that their existence was not known to d'Anville, 

 who, in his large, fine map of South America, 

 marks the inconsiderable cascades of Marimara 

 and San Borja, by the names of the rapids of Ca- 

 richana and Tabaje. The great Cataracts di- 

 vide the Christian establishments of Spanish 

 Guyana into two unequal parts. Those situ- 

 ate between the Randal of Atures and the mouth 

 of the river are called the missions of the lower 

 Oroonoko ; the missions of the upper Oroonoko 

 comprehend the villages between the Randal of 

 Maypures, and the mountains of Duida*. The 

 course of the lower Oroonoko, if we estimate t he 

 sinuosities with Mr. de la Condamine at one 

 third of the distance in a direct line, is two hun- 

 dred and sixty nautical leagues ; the course of 

 the upper Oroonoko, supposing it's sources to be 

 three degrees east of Duida, includes one hun- 

 dred and sixty-seven leagues. 



Beyond the Great Cataracts an unknown 

 land begins. The country is partly mountain- 

 ous, and partly flat^ receiving at once the con- 

 fluents of the Amazon and the Oroonoko. From 

 the facility of it's communications with the Rio 

 Negro and the Gran Para, it appears to belong 

 still more to Brazil than to the Spanish colonies. 



* Missioncs del Alto y del Baxo Orinoco. The missions of 

 the Cassiquiare are not included in this statement, though 

 this river forms a branch of the upper Oroojioko, 



