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the Guainia is fifty toises more elevated than 

 that of Javita, it follows, that the bed of the 

 river, in the upper part of it's course, is at least 

 two hundred toises above the level of the ocean, 

 a height equally little with that, which the ba- 

 rometer indicates for the banks of the Amazon 

 near Tomependa, in the province of Jaen de 

 Bracamoros. Now, if we reflect on the steep 

 descent of this immense river from Tomependa 

 as far as. the meridian of 75°, and if we recollect 

 the distance from the missions of the RioCaguan 

 to the Cordillera, we cannot doubt, that the bed 

 of the Caqueta, below the mouths of the Caguan 

 and the Payoya, must be much lower than the 

 bed of the Upper Guainia, toward which it would 

 have to send a part of it's waters. Besides, the 

 waters of the Caqueta are quite white, while 

 those of the Guainia are black or coffee-coloured. 

 There is no example of a white river becoming- 

 black in it's course. The Upper Guainia, 

 therefore, cannot be a branch of the Caqueta. 

 I doubt even if we can justify the supposition, 

 that the Guainia, as principal and independant 

 recipient, obtains the smallest quantity of water 

 toward the south by a lateral branch *. 



* Two letters of the guardian Fray Jose Joacquini Barru- 

 tieta (of the 15th of November 1761, and the 23d of July 

 1763,) in the arehives of the convent of Saint Francis, were 

 communicated to me at Popayan ; in which this monk, an 

 enthusiast for the greatness and importance of the Caoue 



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