311 



the missions of the Andaquies # on the real ori- 

 gin of the Rio Negro have been so much the 

 more fruitless, because the Indian name of the 

 river was unknown. I heard it called Guainia 

 at Javita, Maroa, and San Carlos. The learned 

 historian of Brazil, Mr. Southey, whom I 

 have found very accurate on all the points 

 where I could compare his geographical state- 

 ments with those which I collected in my tra- 

 vels, says expressly, that the Rio Negro, in the 

 lower part of it's course, is called Guiari, or 

 Curana, by the natives; in the upper part, 

 Ueneya\. It is the word Gueneya, instead of 

 Guainia ; for the Indians of those countries say 

 indifferently Guaranacua or Ouaranacua*, Gua- 

 rapo or Uarapo. Of this last Hondius§, and 

 all the ancient geographers, have made, by a 

 mistake pleasant enough, their Europajluvius. 



This is the place in which to speak of the 

 sources of the Rio Negro, which have so long 

 been an object of contention among geographers. 

 The interest we feel in this question is not that 

 alone, which is attached to the origin of all great 

 rivers, but is connected with a crowd of other 



* At the eastern declivity of the Andes of Pasto and of 

 Sebondoy. 



+ Southey s History of Brazil, vol. i, p. 598. 

 % A river that falls into the Rio Negro opposite Carvoeyro. 

 § In his map for Raleigh's voyage. The G uarapo flows into 

 the Lower Oroonoko, below Guayana Vieja- 



