ALTEHNATIOIT OE PLAINS AND MOUNTAINS. 337 
67° 10'), the high mountains in the basin of the Elo Caura 
only commence at 7° 20' of liititude, on the south of the 
mission of San Luis Guaraguaraico, where they occasion the 
rapids of Mura. This chain stretches westward by tlie 
sources of the Eio Cuchivcro, the Cerros del Mato, the 
Cerbatana and Maniapure, as far as Tepupano, a group of 
strangely-formed granitie rocks surrounning the Encaramada. 
The culminant points of this chain (lat. 7° 10' — 7° 28') are, 
according to the information I gathered from the Indians, 
situated near the sources of Cano de la Tortuga. In the 
chain of the Encaramada there are some traces of gold. 
This chain is also celebrated in the mythology of the 
Tamanacs ; for the painted rocks it contains are associated 
with ancient local traditions. The Orinoco changes its 
direction at the confluence of the Apure, breaking a part ot 
the chain of the Encaramada. The latter mountains and 
scattered rocks in the plain of the Capuehino, and on the 
north of Cabruta, may be considered either as the vestiges 
of a destroyed spur, or (on the hypothesis of the igneous 
origin of granite) as partial eruptions and upheavings. 
I shall not here discuss the question, whether the most 
northerly chain, that of Angostura and of the great fall 
of Carony, be a continuation of the chain of Encaramada. 
3rd. In navigating the Orinoco from north to south, we 
observe, alternately, on the east, small plains and chains ot 
mountains, of which we cannot distinguish the profiles, that 
is, the sections perpendicular to their longitudinal axes. 
Erom the mission of the Encaramada to the mouth of the 
Eio Qama, I counted seven recurrences of this alternation 
of savannahs and high mountains. Eirst, on the south of 
the isle Cucuruparu rises the chain of Chaviripe (lat. 7° 10') ; 
it stretches, inclining towards the south (lat. 6° 20' — 6 ° 40'), 
by the Cerros del Corozal, the Amoco, and the Murcielago, 
as far as the Erevato, a tributary of the Caura. It there 
forms the rapids of Earn, and is linked with the summits of 
Matacuna. 4th. The chain of Chaviripe is succeeded by 
that of theBaraguan (lat. 6° 50' — 7° 5'), celebrated for the 
strait of the Orinoco, to which it gives its name. The 
Saraguaca, or mountain of TJruana, composed of detached 
blocks of granite, may be regarded as a northern spur of 
the chain of the Baraguan, stretching south-west towards 
VOL. III. z 
