494 



was a branch of the Caqueta coining from the 

 south-east, and that the Rio Negro issued im- 

 mediately from it. It was in the second edi- 

 tion* only of his South America, thatD'Anville, 

 without renouncing that intercommunication of 

 the Caqueta, by means of the Iniricha (Inirida), 

 with the Oroonoko and the Rio Negro, makes 

 the Oroonoko take it's rise at the east, near the 

 sources of the Rio Branco, and marks the Rio 

 Cassiquiare as bearing the waters of the Upper 

 Oroonoko to the Rio Negro. It is probable, 

 that this indefatigable and learned writer had 

 obtained information on the manner of the bifur- 

 cation from his frequent communications with 



but we must not be ashamed to admit, that we are not yet 

 sufficiently informed of the manner, in which this communi- 

 cation takes place." I was surprised to see in a very rare 

 map, which I found at Rome (Provincia QuUensis Sac. Jesu 

 in America, auctore Carolo Brentano et Nicolao de la Torre ; 

 Romce, 1745), that seven years after the discovery of father 

 Roman, the jesuits of Quito were ignorant of the existence of 

 the Cassiquiare. The Rio Negro is figured in this map as a 

 branch of the Oroonoko. 



* Probably of 1760. (Barbie du Bocage, Not. des Ou- 

 vrageti de D'Anville, p. 98.) It is to be regretted, that 

 D'Anville, in making important corrections on the plates of 

 his maps, had not the habit of marking the dates of these 

 changes. Those geographers who are ignorant of this cir- 

 cumstance may be led into error respecting the date of disco- 

 veries, which were posterior to the year indicated on the 

 mop where they are traced. 



