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were told at San Carlos, and in the neighbouring 

 villages, that the sources of the Oroonoko, which 

 we found east of the Esmeralda; and in the 

 missions of the Carone and at Angostura, that 

 the sources of the Rio Branco are the native 

 spots of the green stones. These indications con- 

 firm the report of an old soldier of the garrison 

 of Cayenne, mentioned by M. de la Condamine, 

 that these mineral substances were obtained 

 from the country of women, west of the rapids of 

 the Oyapoc. The Indians who inhabit the fort 

 of Topayos on the Amazon, five degrees east of 

 the mouth of the Rio Negro, possessed formerly 

 a great number of these stones. Had they 

 received them from the north, that is from the 

 country pointed out by the Indians of the Rio 

 Negro, which extends from the mountains of 

 Cayenne toward the sources of the Essequebo, 

 the Carony, the Oroonoko, the Parime, and the 

 Rio Trombetas * ? or did they come from the 

 south by the Rio Topayos, which descends from 

 the vast table-land of the Campos Parecis? 

 Superstition attaches great importance to these 

 mineral substances ; they are worn suspended 

 from the neck as amulets, because, according 

 to popular belief, they preserve the wearer from 

 nervous complaints, fevers, and the sting of 



* Between 57° and 67° of longitude, and 0° and 5° of 

 north latitude. 



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