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and that the part of the river, which we meet 

 with from the Oroonoko as far as the mission 

 of San Fernando, ought to bear this name. The 

 Rio Guaviare, which is much wider than the 

 Atabapo, has white waters, and in the aspect of 

 it's banks, it's fishing-birds, it's fish, and the 

 great crocodiles which live in it, resembles the 

 Oroonoko much more than that part of the 

 latter river which comes from the Esmeralda. 

 When a river springs from the junction of two 

 other rivers, nearly alike in size, it is difficult to 

 judge which of the two confluent streams must 

 be regarded as it's source. The Indians of San 

 Fernando still maintain an opinion diametrically 

 opposite to that of the geographers. They 

 affirm, that the Oroonoko rises from two rivers, 

 the Guaviare and the Rio Paragua. They give 

 this latter name to the Upper Oroonoko, from 

 San Fernando and Santa Barbara to beyond 

 the Esmeralda. According to this hypothesis 

 they say, that the Cassiquiare is not an arm of 

 the Oroonoko, but of the Rio Paragua. In look- 

 ing on the map I have traced, it may be per- 

 ceived, that these denominations are entirely 

 arbitrary. It is of little import, that the name 

 of Oroonoko is refused to the Rio Paragua, pro- 

 vided we trace the course of these rivers such as 

 it is in nature, and do not separate by a chain of 

 mountains, as was done previously to my tra- 

 vels, rivers that communicate together, and 



