577 



I recommend, because I am ignorant whether 

 the mission of Santa Rosa, established more to 

 the west on the banks of the Urariapara, under 

 the government of don Manuel Centurion, at 

 the time of the foundation of the Ciudad de 

 Guirior, still exists *. The surest manner of 

 arriving at the sources of the Oroonoko would 

 be by following the course of the Paragua to the 

 west from the destacamento, or military post, of 

 Guirior, situate in the missions of the Catalan 

 Capuchins, or proceeding toward the west, from 

 the Portugueze fort of San Joaquirn, in the 

 valley of the Rio Uruariquera. The observations 

 of the longitude, which I made at Esmeralda, 

 may facilitate this research, as I have shown in 



* The name of Santa Rosa is found on the most recent 

 maps of the dep6t at Rio Janeiro, which are very minute 

 on the northern part of the Rio Branco. The Urariapara 

 falls into the Rio Urariquera (the Curaricara of Surviile's 

 map), which receives the little Rio Parima, and which, with 

 the Tacutu, forms, near the fort of San Joaquirn, the Rio 

 Branco. As the Urariquera flows from east to west, it is 

 in going up this river that you approach nearest to Esmeral- 

 da and the source of the Oroonoko. On the north of the 

 Urariquera, the Cordillera of Pacaraimo, which was crossed 

 by Don Antonio Santos, also stretches itself in the direction 

 of the latitude. It forms the point of division between the 

 waters of the Rio Branco, and those of the Essequibo and 

 the Carony, (See above, p. 480.) An assemblage of huts, 

 pompously called Ciudad de Guirior, stands on the Rio Para- 

 gua (a tributary steam of the Carony), where it receives the 

 Paraguamusi. 



VOL. V. 2 P 



