DISCOVERIES OF THE ENGLISI-fc QSB 
possible, however, to form the least conjecture 
where this source of wealth is situated. He apo- 
logizes for his " miserable ignorance of the mathe- 
" matics," which made him unable to give any in- 
dications of latitude or longitude ; but he does not 
give the least idea how high it is situated up the 
river, nor of its relative position to any one place 
situated on its banks. 
The writer, however, now begins something like 
a regular journal of his voyage. On the 4th De- 
cember (the year nowhere mentioned), he began 
to ascend the river. On the 7th, he arrived at 
Setico. He kept the middle of the river, as most 
secure from annoyance ; but the sea-horses and cro- 
codiles, " ill pleased, or unacquainted with any co- 
" partners in these watery regions," gave him con- 
siderable disturbance. On the 23d, he appears to 
be above Barraconda. January 14th, he begins to 
extract gold from the sand ; by washing he ob- 
tains SO grains out of 1 0 pounds weight ; by mer- 
cury 47 grains out of five pounds. January 27th, 
he ascended a craggy rock, and began to dig with 
a pick-axe at a piece of ore, which appeared to 
afford great promise of wealth. Here he was as- 
saulted by an incredible number of baboons, who 
would " listen to no oratory but guns," and who, 
he verily believes, but for the use of that species 
of eloquence, would have torn them to pieces. 
Its copious application drove off the assailants, and 
