790 



lish settlers, in 1811), descend the Noeapra, the 

 Paraguamusi, and the Paragua, which fall into 

 the Rio Carony : on the north-east, the Rupu- 

 nuwini, a tributary stream of the Rio Esseque- 

 bo. Toward the south, the Tacutu and the Ura- 

 riquera form together the famous Rio Parima, 

 or Rio Branco*. 



This isthmus, between the branches of the Rio 

 Essequebo and the Rio Rranco (that is, between 

 the Rupunuwini on one side, and the Pirara, 

 the Mahu, and the Ururicuera or Rio Parima on 

 the other), may be considered as the classical 

 soil of the Dorado of Parima. The rivers at the 

 foot of the mountains of Pacaraimo are subject 

 to frequent overflowings. Above Santa Rosa, 

 the right bank of the Urariapara, a tributary 

 stream of the Uraricuera *f-, is called el Valle de 



• 



* It would be equally well founded to assume, that the 

 Rio Branco rises from the union of the Mahu (Mao) and the 

 Rio Parima properly so called - f for the Tacutu receives the 

 waters of the Mahu, and the Urariquera those of the Rio 

 Parima. When several branches of almost equal magnitude 

 unite, the natives, as well as geographers, vary in the deno- 

 mination of the new river, which rises from this junction. 



f Curaricara, in the journals of don Antonio Santos and 

 don Nicolas Rodriguez, of which I am in possession. These 

 travellers, crossing the Cordillera of Quimiropaca, and pass- 

 ing by Santa Rosa, went from the Nocaprai, a tributary 

 stream of the Paraguamusi, to the Urariapara ; and thence 

 descended toward the Portugueze fortress of San Joaquim, 

 situate at the confluence of the Uraricuera and the Tacutu. 



