576 



surest course would be, to go beyond the Ge- 

 hette, after having crossed the country between 

 Esmeralda and the Raudal of the Guahariboes^ 

 of which I have given above a particular de- 

 scription. By this means the principal trunk of 

 the river would not be confounded with an 

 upper tributary stream, and the traveller would 

 continue to go up the Oroonoko, along one bank 

 or the other, where the bed was obstructed by 

 rocks. If however, instead of going toward the 

 east, he would seek the sources directing his 

 course toward the west, by the Rio Carony, the 

 Essequibo, or the Rio Branco, the object of the 

 expedition could not be considered as attained, 

 unless he descended that river, which he sup- 

 posed to be identified with the Oroonoko, as far 

 as the mouth of the Gehette and the mission of 

 Esmeralda. The Portugueze fort of San Joaquim, 

 on the left bank of the Rio Branco, near the 

 confluence of the Tacutu, would be another 

 point of departure favourably situate ; and which 



above, p. 219.) As the words Paragua and Parima signify 

 water, great water, sea, lake, we must not be surprised,, if 

 streams entirely independant of each other bear these names. 

 The Spaniards give the name of Paragua to that tributary 

 stream of the Rio Carony, which receives the Paruspa, by 

 which the Caribbees proceeded formerly into the valley of 

 Caura. The Portugueze give the name of the Rio Parima 

 sometimes to the whole of the Rio Branco (Rio de Aguas 

 blancas) itself, sometimes to a small tributary stream of this 

 river. 



