$9 
fanuas which are not mountains. With- 
out proper definitions of thefe terms, the 
geography of this extentive traét of coun- 
try becomes in a great meafure unintel- 
ligible: and care muft be taken not to 
eonfound the Moztanua with the Sierras, 
or the latter with the Cordilleras. 
In South America, Vaile denotes the 
flat low land bordering on the Great South 
Sea, and confifting, for the moft part, of 
a fandy foil. Thefe Valles compofe a 
narrow tract of country, which extends 
from Choco, or the feventh or eighth de- 
gree of northern, to the twenty-fixth or 
twenty-eighth degree of fouthern, lati- 
tude.. The breadth varies from eight to 
twenty miles. Atthe extremity of thefe 
plains the Andes gradually rife to a 
height, which is not furpafied or equalled 
by any other mountain. ridge in the Old or 
New World. A part of this traé& is in- 
habited, and it is only this inhabited part 
that bears the name of Sierra; fo that 
the denomination Valles comprehends all 
the low country,which,from the eighth de- 
gree of north latitudeto the twenty-eighth 
degree of fouth latitude, is fituated be- 
tween the South Sca and the Szerras. The 
Sierras themfelves are a part of the 
Andes, being fituated on the weftern de- 
clivity of that ridge. Ata very confide- 
rable height above the level of the fea, 
they form a diftinct country, which is 
divided and interfected by many moun- 
tains, and deep valleys. The inhabitants 
of thefe extrszordinary exalted regions, 
who have never been out of their native 
country, are apt to entertain a miftaken 
notion, that the other habitable parts of 
the globe are fituated equally high above 
the level of the fea, whofe great perpendi. 
cular difance below them feems to them 
altogether incredible and impoffible. On 
the contrary, perfons, who have never 
afcended to thefe exaited regions, can 
hardly perfuade themlelves of the exif- 
tence of fuch a mafs of earth, towering 
above the ordinary furface of the globe, 
and extending many hundred miles in 
length and breadth. Thus, for inftance; on 
this Sierra we find, atanelevation of 1462 
toif2s above the level of the fea, the city of 
Quite, and many other places at a nearly 
equal height. But,above this habitable 
tract, a more clevated chain of mountains, 
called the Cordilleras, rife to the height of 
more than 6600 varas, and confequently 
2100 varas above the Sierras, the ele- 
vation of which is equal to that of the 
Alps. 
The reader will now be able to dif- 
tinguifh three diftingt gradations of ¢l¢- 
E 
a 
Interefting Defcription of the Montanna Real. 
[Dec. 1, 
vation, viz. the Valles, or low country, on 
the fea-coaft ; the Sierra, the high, but 
fiill inhabited, country: and, laftly, the 
Cordilleras, or fummits of the Andes. 
Thence the Cordilleras gradually decline 
towards the eaft; and, at their feet, com- 
mences another low traét of country, 
which extends as far as the coalt of Bra- 
zil, and is‘called Montanna Real, or Mons 
tanna de los Andes. There are, indeed, 
in this immente tract, fome mountains of 
confiderable height: but the greateft part 
of it is low, flat, and covered with almoft 
impenetrable forefts, which, in South 
America, are called Montannas ; whence 
the whole country has received the ambi- 
guous name of Montanna Real. 
In former times, the cupidity of the 
Europeans, inflamed by the falfe reports 
of artful adventurers, led them to ex. 
plore this country, in the vain hope of 
finding immente riches and treafures. 
Many pompous tales were told about the 
kingdom of Dorado, and city of Manoa’; 
of the extenfive ftate of Paytili, and of 
Exim, abounding with gold and filver. 
The brother of the laft Inca, Atahualpa, 
was faid to have fled, with 40,000 follow- 
ers, to the Montanna Real, and to have 
there founded the kingdom of Dorado. 
But, from the lateft difcoveries, we 
learn, that the vaunted kingdoms of 
Dorado, with its pretended capital, Ma- 
noa, confifts merely of a few {cattered 
huts, on the banks of the river Manoa, 
the inhabitants of which are far from en- 
joying the wealth and profperity attri- 
buted to them. On the whole, it muft be 
owned, that we are ftill but very imper- 
fe€tly acquainted with this éxtenfive coun- 
try. Eventhe Roman Catholic miffiona- 
ries, notwithftanding their zeal and exer~ 
tions, have not penetrated far beyond the 
berders, chiefly following the courfe of 
the great River Amazon, to which they 
always returned, after venturing into thefe 
wilderneffes, For the neweft and moft 
fatisfa€tory accounts of this part of South 
America, we are indebted to the religious 
zeal of Father Narciso GiRvaL DE 
Barce_o, a Francifcan Friar, who failed 
about 400 Jeguas, from north to fouth, 
up the Ucayali, and explored a traét of 
country above 700 miles in circumference. 
This indefatigable miffionary has vifited 
twenty-five tribes of the native Indians, 
moft of them hitherto entirely usknown 
to the Europeans, Of thefe tribes, the 
Panos, Cambos, Chipeos and Piros have, 
through his endeavours, been already 
converted to the Chriftian religion; but 
the Amahuacas, Omaguas, Sentis, pan 
US, 
