798 



and (conjointly with the Mahu, the Tacutu, the 

 Uraricuera or Rio Parima properly so called) to 

 the Rio Branco ; 3dly, that the Laguna Parime 

 of La Cruz is an imaginary swelling of the Rio 

 Parime (confounded with the Oroonoko) below 

 the junction of the Mahu with the Xurumu. 

 The distance from the mouth of the Mahu to 

 that of the Tacutu is scarcely 0° 40' ; La Cruz* 

 enlarges it to 7° of latitude. He calls the upper 

 part of the Rio Branco (that which receives the 

 Mahu) Oroonoko, or Puruma. There can be 

 no doubt of it's being the Xurumu, one of the 

 tributary streams of the Tacutu, which is well 

 known to the inhabitants of the neighbouring 

 fort of San Joaquim. All the names*}- that 



* The mouth of the Tacutu, which is in nearly 3° of north 

 latitude, is (according to La Cruz) in 3° south. D'Anville 

 had guessed better than his successors. He makes it's situ- 

 ation in 1° 10' north. 



f The Sierra Mey (Mehi?) and the A hires Indians have 

 been placed near the lake Parima and the imaginary sources 

 of the Oroonoko (Caulin, p. 81). The Caratitimani, one of 

 the tributary streams of the eastern bank of the Rio Branco, 

 receives in fact the Cano Aturu, and Santos found Atu- 

 rajoes on the Mahu (Mao) . The last river has perhaps given 

 it's name to the Sierra Mei, of which the Indians of Esmeral- 

 da know nothing. (See above, p. 581.) Raleigh gives the 

 name of Wacarima to the chain of mountains on the north of 

 lake Parima, or lake Rupunuwini. We have just seen, that 

 the Cordillera of Pacaraymo extends in fact to the north of 

 the Rupunuwini^ the Rio Xurumu, and the Rio Parima, tribu- 

 tary streams of the Uraricuera. The Majanaos (Maanaos?), 



