336 AMERICAN RIVERS. 
the rivet of the Amazons like another Nile. 
or eight mouths, and these at such a distance ^ ■ 
otlier, that the intermediate space l>stween t ’ l3 
the last is not less than a hundred leagues, 
damme, in tlie narrative of his voyage, coii&f”, 
of the Negro being one of the coramunicatie i 
tlie Oroonoko and the river of the Amazons, and 
liis assertion by the foUowing anecdote, ^relate^ ^gji; h|j( 
•ip iv 
who published' a map of these rivers. 
a flying camp of Portuguese, posted on the v 
river Negro, having embarked on it, proceeds 
found themselves near the Spanish missions or 
and, meeting with die superior of these miss'® ^ 
dXiVl) ALA* L-LAW ‘ttPCit '/irt 
with him to the flying camp they had ♦ 
— ; ^ — I,., Una Here then is a cotninw jipi' J 
;se 
distal'®^’ j)ij' 
going one step by land. Here then is a cotnm^^^jipiy 
■vi'ater between the Spanish and Portuguese P®’ * it 
South America, placed at so vast a 
demonstrates the magnitude and extent ot u ^ 
rivers. ^ 
The Oroonoko, although it fails in ®®® 
several other rivers of the new world, far 
largest rivers of our hemisphere. It rolls to wa' ^g|,ii 
such a vast body of water, and rushes ii't®. ^vl''^ f, 
impetuous force, that when it meets die t;d‘^;^[iisi‘>" 
that coast rises to an uncommon height, s^'l, 
casions a swell and agitation of the waters no * 
than formidable. When Columbus, in his j p 
southern course than 
having taken a more 
in die former ones, reached the island 
swell occasioned by the waters of this river p®“ 
fKof Vt t U cVtITVC 
ocean was so great, that his ships were exp®'’'^, ,gj t*’?, t 
UL-Cali W tl3 atj iaaul. aalo tas-al, ^ 
danger. After having, however, long com® ^^^,55, 
rents and tremendous waves with dubious 
his squadron safely through a narrow strait n j,p 
diat island from the continent. This stra' jgsvLjll 
“ Bocca del Drago," the Dragon’s Moudi. ^ 
eluding that such a vast body of water must 1 
country of immense extent, and that he m'RS . (,ii ^ 
it had long been the obje®'-_^j,5i 
at that continent ^ — _ , ^ 
to discover, he stood to the west, along ^ 
known by the names of 
provinces, 
fiaana. 
now 
I 
