(198) 
for It, and hence the Copy or this Book became fofcarce 
that Mr. Gomber V'tlle lays, there was not above Two 
in Europe, when he tranflated it into French, the Intro- 
dudion to our Engli!h Verfion informfs us, what Propo- 
pofals were made by the Count de Pagan to Cardinal 
Mazarine^ in 165-5'. for Conquering and Planting this 
great River, but he, being involv'd in Domeftick Trou- 
bles, was not at leifure to undertake it nor has it been 
attennpted fmce, by any Europeans, By the Account 
, which Father D'Acugna gives of this River, it takes its 
Rife Eight Leagues trom Quito^ within Twenty Minutes 
of the Equinodliai Line, runs from Eall to VVtft, coaft- 
ing along the South Side of the Equinodial Line, and 
is not diftant from it, above Five Degrees, in the great- 
eft of its Windings the narroweft part of it is a Quar- 
ter of a League broad, in fome Places it is One, in others 
Two, Three, and Four Leagues wide ; and after a Courfe 
of above 1200 Leagues, difcharges it felf irjto the Sea, 
by a Mouth 84 Leagues broad, and is fo deep, that a 
Ship of the largeft Size may go up almoft to its Source. 
Not to defcend to particulars, he tells us in general, that 
the Country is Rich and Fertile, abounding in Corn, 
Wood, and Cattle, not without Mines of Gold the In- 
habitants numerous, handfom and ingenious, but diffe- 
rent in their Language and Government. He has like- 
wife taken Care to mark the Diftances of Places all along 
the River, and what is peculiarly remarkable in each, 
either of the Inhabitants or Produfts of the Earth. In a 
Word, he has (hewn himfelf perfectly qualified for the 
Bufinefs he was fcnt upon, which required no lefs Since- 
rity than Accuracy and Judgment, and has given us a 
very entertaining Defcription of the nobleft River in the 
World, and the richeft Trad of Land in all America 
The Two other Voyages in this Book, were judg'd pro- 
per to accompany this, as defcribing Two other Large 
Parts 
