806 



Tamanacs dwell south-east of Encaramada, it is 

 natural, that the conquistadores heard the actual 

 name of the river only on drawing near the Rio 

 Meta*. On this last tributary stream Diego de 

 Ordaz received from the natives the first idea of 



* Gili, vol. iii, p. 381. The following are the most ancient 

 names of the Oroonoko, known to the natives near it's mouth, 

 and which historians give us altered by the double fault of 

 pronunciation and orthography ; Yuyapari, Yjupari, Huria- 

 paria, Uriapari, Viapari Rio de Paria. The Tamanac word 

 Orinucu was disfigured by the Dutch pilots into Worinoque. 

 The Otomacs say Joga-apurura (great river) ; the Cabres 

 and Guaypunabis, Paragua, Bazagua, Parava, three words 

 signifying great water, river, sea. That part of the Oroo- 

 noko between the Apure and the Guaviare is often denoted 

 by the name of Baraguan. A famous strait, which we have 

 described above, bears also this name, which is no doubt a 

 corruption of the word Paragua. Great rivers in every zone 

 are called by the dwellers on their banks the river, without 

 any particular denomination. If other names be added, they 

 change in every province. Thus the small Rio Turiva, near 

 the Encaramada, has five names in the different parts of it's 

 course. The Upper Oroonoko, or Paragua, is called by the 

 Maquiritares (near Esmeralda) Maraguaca, on account of 

 the lofty mountains of this name near Duida. (See above, vol. 

 iii, p. 276 3 vol. iv, p. 502 ; and the present vol. p. 219, 478. 

 Gili, vol. i, p. 22 and 364. Caulin, p. 75.) In most of the 

 names of the rivers of America we recognise the root water. 

 Thus yacu in the Peruvian, and veni in the Maypure, signify 

 water and river. In Lule I find fo, water ; foyavalto, a 

 river ; foysi, a lake ; as in Persian, ab is water ; abi fiat, 

 river Euphrates ; abdan, a lake. The root water is preserved 

 in the derivatives. 



