838 



quoted, that it was supposed in 1740, Dorado 

 might be reached from Dutch Guyana by going 

 up the Rio Essequebo. Don Manuel Centu- 

 rion, the governor of Santo Thome del Angos- 

 tura, displayed an extreme ardor for reaching 

 the imaginary lake of Manoa. Arimuicaipi, an 

 Indian of the nation of the Ipurucotoes, went 

 down the Rio Carony, and, by false narrations, 

 inflamed the imagination of the Spanish colo- 

 nists. He showed them in the southern sky the 

 clouds of Magellan, the whitish light of which 

 he said was the reflexion of the argentiferous 

 rocks situate in the middle of the Laguna Pari- 

 ma. This was describing in a very poetical 

 manner the splendour of the micaceous and 

 talcky slates of his country ! Another Indian 

 chief, known among the Caribbees of Essequebo 

 by the name of captain Jurado, vainly attempt- 

 ed to undeceive the governor Centurion. Fruit- 

 less attempts were made by the Caura and the 

 Rio Paragua ; and several hundred persons 

 perished miserably in these rash enterprises, 

 from which however geography has derived some 

 advantages. Nicolas Rodriguez and Antonio 

 Santos (1775—1780) were employed by the 

 Spanish governor. Santos, proceeding by the 

 Carony, the Paragua, the Paraguamusi, the Ano- 

 capra, and the mountains of Pacaraymo and 

 Quimiropaca, reached the Uraricuera and the 

 Rio Branco. I found some valuable inforrna- 



