556 



tributary streams of the Lower and Upper 

 Oroonoko, cuts the meridian of 64° in 4° of lati- 

 tude. After having separated the sources of the 

 Rio Branco and the Caroni^ it runs to the north- 

 west, sending off the waters of the Padamo, the 

 Jao, and the Ventuari, toward the south, and 

 the waters of the Arui, the Caura, and the Cu- 

 chivero 3 toward the north. 



The Oroonoko may be ascended without dan- 

 ger from Esmeralda as far as the cataracts oc- 

 cupied by the Guaica Indians, who prevent all 

 ulterior progress of the Spaniards. This is a 

 voyage of six days and half*. In the first two 

 you arrive at the mouth of the Rio Padamo, after 

 having passed, on the north, the little rivers of 

 Tamatama, Sodomoni, Guapo, Caurimoni, and 

 Simirimoni ; and on the south, the Cuca, situate 

 between the rock of Guaraco, which is said to 

 throw out flames, and the Cerro Canclilla. In 

 this passage the Oroonoko continues to be three 

 or four hundred toises broad. The tributary 

 streams are most frequent on the right bank,, 



* From Esmeralda to the mouth of the Rio Padamo, two 

 days ; from Padamo to the confluence of the Mavaca, one 

 day and a half 5 from the Mavaca to the Rio Manaviche, one 

 day j from the Manaviche to the Rio Gehette, or theRaudal 

 of the Guahariboes, one day j in all six days and a half. [The 

 different portions of the voyage added together make but 

 Jive days and a half, and with this the account in the text 

 agrees. Ed.] 



