558 



mouth of this river, which is of considerable 

 breadth, the Indians arrive, in a day and half, at 

 the Rio Mavaca, which rises in the lofty moun- 

 tains of Unturan*, which we have already 

 mentioned. The portage between the sources 

 of this tributary stream and those of the Idapa 

 or Siapa, has given rise to the fable of the com- 

 munication of the Idapa with the Upper Oroo- 

 noko. The Rio Mavaca communicates with a 

 lake, to the banks of which the Portugueze -f of 

 the Rio Negro repair, without the knowledge of 

 the Spaniards of Esmeralda, to gather the aro- 

 matic seeds of the laurus pucheri, known in 

 trade by the names of the pichurim bean, and 

 toda specie. Between the confluence of the Pa- 

 damo and that of the Mavaca, the Oroonoko 

 receives on the north the Ocamo, into which the 



* See above, chap. 23, p. 376, and 419. 



+ They enter the Spanish territory by the communication 

 between the Cababury, and the Pacimoni. The pichurim 

 bean is the puchiri of M. de la Condamirie, which abounds at 

 the Rio Xingu, a tributary stream of the Amazon, and on 

 the banks of the Hyurubaxy, or Jurubesh of father Fritz^ 

 which runs into the Rio Negro. Voyage a VJmazone, p. 146 ; 

 and Corog, Bras., vol. ii, p. 278, 322, 351 . The puchery, or 

 pichurim, which is grated like nutmeg, differs from another 

 aromatic fruit (a laurel ?) known in trade at Grand Para by 

 the names of cucheri, cuchiri, or cravo (clavus) do Mar an- 

 hao, and which, on account of it's smell, is compared with 

 cloves. 



