BEANCHES OE THE OEINOCO. 
17 
taca and tte Cuyuni ; it is a prolongation of tte Cordilleras 
of Pariina, -wliicli, bounding the horizon south of Angostura, 
forms the celebrated cataracts of the Eio Caroni, and ap- 
proaches the Orinoco like a projecting cape near the little 
Wrt of Tieja Guyana. The populous missions of the Ca- 
ribbee and Guiana Indians, governed by the Catalonian Capu- 
lie near the sources ot the Imataca and the Aquire. 
easternmost of these missions are those of Miamu, Ca- 
^amu, and Palmar, situate in a hilly country, -which extends 
^'vards Tupuquen, Santa Maria, and the ViUa de Upata. 
Ooing up the llio Aquire, and directing your course across 
pastures towards the south, you reach the mission ot 
Pelem de Tumeremo, and thence the confluence of the Cu- 
I’umu with the Eio Cuyuni, -where the Spanish post or desta- 
^^mento de Cuyuni was formerly established. I enter into 
fl'is topographical detail, because the Eio Cuyuni, or Cudu- 
^*ni, runs parallel to the Orinoco from west to east, through 
extent of 2-5° or 3° of longitude,* and furnishes an excel- 
lent natural boundary between the territoiy of Caracas and 
^nglisk Guiana. 
llie two great branches of the Orinoco, the Zacupana and 
rhe Imataca, remain separate for fourteen leagues : on going 
'^,P farther, the waters of the river are found unitedt in a 
single channel extremely broad. This channel is near eight 
leagues long ; at its western extremity a second bifurcation 
^Ppears ; and as the summit of the delta is in the northern 
ranch of the bifurcated river, this part of the Orinoco is 
™Snly important for the military defence of the country. 
^11 the channelsj that terminate in the locus cJdcas, rise from 
ip same point of the trunk of the Orinoco. The branch 
f tano Manamo) that separates from it near the village of 
^au Eafael has no ramification till after a course of three or 
lour leagues ; and by placing a small fort above the island 
Cn ^”°l“'l'i'g tte Eio Juruam, one of the principal branches of the 
' yuni. The Dutch military post is five leagues west of the union of 
^uni with the Essequibo, where the former river receives the Muzuruni. 
j union are found two villages of Guaraons. They 
o ear the names of Imataca and Zacupana. 
r Manamo grandOt C. da Manamo chico, C. Pedemales^ 
last C. Macuona, C. grande de Mannsas, &c. The 
17, branches form by their union the sinuous channel called the 
vuelta del Torno. 
