237 



navigation to the south of the Great Cataracts # 5 

 of the Oroonoko is scarcely any thing, and the 

 utility of inland communications either with 

 Para, the mouth of the Amazon, or the Spanish 

 Provinces of Jean and Maynas, is founded only 

 on vague hopes. These communications are, in 

 respect to Venezuela, what those of Boston and 

 New York are in respect to the inhabitants of 

 the United States with the coast of the Pacific 

 ocean, across the rocky mountains. In substi- 

 tuting a canal of 6000 toises, for the portage of 

 Guapore a line of inland navigation would 

 be opened from Buenos-Ayres to Angostura. 

 Two other canals of easier construction, might 

 join, the one might unite Atabapo to the Rio 

 Negro X by the Pimichin, rendering it unneces- 

 sary for the boats to go round by the Cassi- 

 quiare ; and the other would do away with the 

 dangers of the rapids of Maypures But I re- 

 peat, that all the commercial views that are 

 directed to the south of the Great Cataracts, 

 belong to a state of civilization as yet very dis- 

 tant, and in which the four great tributary 

 streams of the Oroonoko (the Carony,the Caura, 

 the Padamo, and the Ventuari), || will become 



* Atures and Maypures. 

 f Vol. iv, p. 305. 

 + Vol. v, p. 166. 

 § Vol. v, p. 260. 



|| Vol.v, p. 512. 606. See also, Vol. v, p. 216, on the 

 importance of the Guaviare j Vol. v, p. 479, on the isthmus 



