55 



amu, Cumamu, and Palmar, situate in a hilly 

 country, which extends toward Tupuquen, Santa 

 Maria, and the Villa de Upata. Going up the 

 Rio Aquire, and directing your course across 

 the pastures toward the south, you reach the 

 mission of Belem de Tumeremo, and thence the 

 confluence of the Curumu with the Rio Cuyuni, 

 where the Spanish post or destacamento de Cuy- 

 uni* was formerly established. I enter into 

 this topographic detail, because the Rio Cuyuni, 

 or Cuduvini, runs parallel to the Oroonoko from 

 west to east, through an extent of 2*5° or 3° of 

 longitude -f, and furnishes an excellent natural 

 boundary between the territory of Caraccas and 

 that of English Guyana. 



The two great branches of the Oroonoko, the 

 Zacupana and the Imataca, remain separate for 

 fourteen leagues ; on going up farther, the waters 

 of the river are found united £ in a single chan- 

 nel extremely broad. This channel is near eight 

 leagues long ; at it's western extremity a second 

 bifurcation appears ; and as the summit of the 



* On the east of the mountains of Kinoroto. 



f Including the Rio Juruam,, one of the principal branches 

 of the Cuyuni. The Dutch military post is five leagues west 

 of the union of the Cuyuni with the Essequebo, where the 

 former of these rivers receives the Mazuruni. 



t At this point of Union are found two villages of Guam- 

 ons. They also bear the names of Imataca and Zacupana. 

 See vol. iii, p. 279. 



3 c 2 



