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from the banks of the Inirida, and appear from 

 the analogy of their languages, to belong to the 

 same branch of the nations of the Upper Oroo- 

 noko as the Maypures, the Cabres, the Avani, 

 and perhaps the Pareni. The mission, near the 

 raudal of Maypures, was very considerable in 

 the time of the Jesuits ; as it reckoned six 

 hundred inhabitants, among whom were several 

 families of whites. Under the government of 

 the Fathers of the Observance, the population 

 was reduced to less than sixty. It must be 

 observed, that in this part of South America 

 cultivation has been diminishing for half a cen- 

 tury, while beyond the forests, in the provinces 

 near the sea, we find villages that contain from 

 two to three thousand Indians. The inhabi- 

 tants of Maypures are a mild temperate people, 

 and distinguished by great cleanliness. The 

 savages of the Oroonoko for the most part have 

 not that inordinate fondness for strong liquors, 

 which prevails in North America. It is true, 

 that the Otomacks, the Jaruroes, the Achaguas, 

 and the Caribs, are often intoxicated by the 

 immoderate use of chiza, and many other fer- 

 mented liquors, which they know how to pre- 

 pare with cassava, maize, and the saccharine 

 fruits of the palm-trees ; but travellers have 

 as usual generalized what belongs only to the 

 manners of some tribes. We were frequently 

 unable to prevail upon the Guahiboes or the 



