261 



But to ascend the Oroonoko, and go from An- 

 gostura to the Rio Negro, the difference of time 

 employed would be but a few days, since the 

 traveller must then go up the little rivers, by the 

 Pimichin, while by the old way he descends the 

 Cassiquiare. It may be conceived, that the ra- 

 pidity of this voyage from the mouth of the 

 Oroonoko to San Carlos depends on several 

 variable circumstances, on the force of the breeze 

 that blows from Angostura to Carichana, the 

 state of the cataracts of Atures and Maypures, 

 and the greater or less fulness of the beds of the 

 rivers. The breeze is pretty fresh during the 

 months of November and December, and the 

 force of the current of the Oroonoko is not con- 



days day» 



gostura, by going down gostura, by going up 



the little rivers Temi the Cassiquiare 37 



and Atabapo 28 

 To ascend the Oroonoko, takes 1st, by the Pimichin, and 

 going up the little rivers from Angostura to Carichana, fifteen 

 days ; from Carichana to San Fernando, thirteen days $ 

 from S. Fernando to S. Carlos, seven days ; in all thirty-five 

 days j 2dly, by going down the Cassiquiare from Angostura 

 to San Fernando, twenty -eight days ; from S. Fernando to 

 the bifurcation, nine days ; from the bifurcation to San Car- 

 los, five days ; in all forty-two days. The swellings of the 

 Oroonoko and the Cassiquiare, with the force of the cur- 

 rents, change all the results of these estimations. The mis- 

 sionaries believe the navigation from S. Carlos to Angostura, 

 by the Cassiquiare, to be five hundred leagues. I have 

 noticed above, that it is only three hundred and ten leagues. 



