338 



streams of the Caqueta, as far as 0° 28* north 

 latitude*. In this navigation, they saw no 

 branch of the Caqueta issuing toward the north. 

 The Amu, and the Yabilla, of which they care- 

 fully examined the sources, are small rivers that 

 fall into the Rio de los Enganos, and with this 

 river into the Caqueta. If therefore the bifurca- 

 tion take place, it can be found only in the very 

 short distance that lies between the confluence 

 of the Payoya and the second cataract, above 

 the mouth of Deceitful River ; but, I repeat, 

 the course of fhis river, and of the Cunare, the 

 Apoporis, and the Uaupes, would hinder this 

 pretended branch of the Caqueta from reaching 

 the Upper Guainia. Every thing appears to in- 

 dicate the existence of a ridge, a rising of coun- 

 ter-slopes between the tributary streams of the 

 Caqueta, and those of the Uaupes and the Rio 

 Negro, Still more : we found, by the height of 

 the mercury in the barometer, the absolute ele- 

 vation of the ground on the banks of the Pimi- 

 chin to be one hundred and thirty toises. Sup- 

 posing that the hilly ground near the sources of 



• These positions, founded on direct observations, are 

 taken from the great manuscript map of Mr. Requeua, one 

 of the commissioners of the boundaries. Is it of the Rio Pa- 

 yoya M. de la Condamine has made his Rio Jaoya, which, 

 according to him, unites the Caqueta to the Putumayo? The 

 missionaries of the Upper Caqueta do not know this name of 

 Jaoya. 



