503 



theRupunuri or Rupunuwini, a tributary of the 

 Rio Essequibo. This country is one of the most 

 unknown parts of South America, and is cover- 

 ed with thick forests and savannahs ; it is inha- 

 bited by independent Indians, and crossed by 

 rivers of dangerous navigation, on account of 

 the frequency of the bars and cataracts. 



The system of the mountains of Parime, sepa- 

 rate the plains of the Lower Oroonoko from 

 those of the Rio Negro, and the Amazon; it 

 occupies a territory of trapezoide form, com- 

 prehended between the parallels of 3° and 8°. 

 and the meridians of 61° and 701°. I indicate 

 here only the elements of the loftiest groupe, 

 for we shall soon see that towards the south- 

 east, the mountainous country, in lowering, 

 draws near the equator, and the French and 

 Portugueze Guyanas. The Sierra Parime ex- 

 tends most in the direction N. 85° W. and the 

 partial chains in which it divides towards the 

 west, generally follow the same direction. It 

 is less a Cordillera or a continued chain in the 

 sense given to those denominations when ap- 

 plied to the Andes and Caucasus, than an ir- 

 regular grouping of mountains separated from 

 each other by plains and savannahs. I visited 

 the northern, western, and southern part of the 



San Joacquim, the Rio Branco, one of the tributary streams 

 of the Rio Negro, 



