of Mayabamba and Chacha-poyas, continues its course to the city of Jaen, in the latitude of five degrees, twenty-one minutes. Thence, by a second circuit, it flows towards the east in a continued direction, till at length it falls into the ocean, where its mouth is of such an enormous breadth, that it reaches from the equinoctial to beyond the first degree of north latitude. Its distance from the lake of Lauricocha to Jaen, including its windings, is about two hundred leagues; and that city being thirty degrees to the west of its mouth, gives a further extent of six hundred leagues, which may, including the several circuits and windings, be moderately computed at one thousand. Thus, the whole course of this transcendant river, from Lauricocha to its influx into the ocean, is at least twelve hundred leagues.

THE APURIMAC.

THIS river has its source in the wild heaths of Condoroma, in the province of Tinta, in sixteen degrees of south latitude. It flows impetuously to the east towards the Cordillera of Vilcanota, to the distance of three leagues, when, suddenly shifting its course to the west, it divides that Cordillera from the province of Chumbibilcas. It now enters the provinces of Aimaraes and Cotabambas, and directs its rapid course to the north-west, leaving to the east the province of Cusco. In passing through that of Abancay, it declines to the north-east, by which direction it forms, from its primitive source, an arc that receives so many torrents on either side, as to prevent it from being longer fordable. Determining its career to the north, two leagues below the bridge of Apurimac, it forces its passage through the lofty territory of the Andes, running between mountains of incredible elevation, by which it is supplied with abundant waters. In thirteen degrees, ten minutes, the river of Cocharcas, or Pampas, which descends from the heights of Huancavelica, flows into it to the west. The Apurimac continues its course, collecting the waters poured down from the mountains of Guanca; and is joined to the east, in twelve degrees, fifteen minutes, by the river Quillambamba, or Vilcamayo. In twelve degrees, six minutes, it is joined to the west by the river of Jauxa, named by the Indians Mantaro; when, taking a bend to the the north-east, in eleven degrees, eighteen minutes, the Perene incorporates itself

with its mass of waters. This latter river originating with in two leagues of Tarma, divides that city, and receives various streams from the Cordillera of Bombon, and from Pasco.

From the confluence of the Perene to that of the Pachitea, forty capacious rivers empty themselves into the Apurimac. Of the two which are of particular note, the one that flows into it on the eastern side, in ten degrees forty-five minutes, is the Paucartambo; and the other, which disembogues three leagues below, with such an impetuosity as to propel it against the mountains, and to cause it to change its direction to the north-west, is the Beni. The former of these rivers is the celebrated Amarumayu, by which the Ynca Yupanqui entered, in undertaking the conquest of the tribes of Moxas Indians—an enterprise which was afterwards meditated by Alvarez Maldonado. It originates on the heights of Cusco, and enters with a quantity of water greater by the one half than that which the Apurimac contained before its confluence. After this junction, the latter acquires the name of Apo-paru, or Gran-Paro; and continuing its impetuous course in the same direction as before, is augmented, in eight degrees, twenty-six minutes, by the waters of the Pachitea. It now becomes the formidable rival of the river of the Amazons, and receives the name of UCAYALI, by which it is henceforward distinguished. Taking a declination, in its progress, from the north to the north-east, at the western bank, at which it receives the Pachitea, the following rivers pay it tribute: the Aguaitia; the Manoa, or Cuxhiabatay; the Sarayacu; and the Tapichy Cano Pocati, which communicates with the river of the Amazons in front of the town of San Regis, in five degrees. A bay which occupies an extent of territory for three leagues, having been formed, it divides into three branches; and finally falls in with the river of the Amazons, in four degrees, forty-five minutes, causing it to change its impetuous course.

THE OROONOKO.

THIS celebrated river lies in the jurisdiction of Popayan, and falls into the sea by sixteen mouths. It communicates with the river of the Amazons by the Negro, one of the formidable branches (the eastern) of the river Caqueta. Its western branch, named Yupura, disembogues itself into

the river of the Amazons like another Nile, through seven or eight mouths, and these at such a distance from each other, that the intermediate space between the first and the last is not less than a hundred leagues. M. de la Condamine, in the narrative of his voyage, confirms the opinion of the Negro being one of the communications between the Oroonoko and the river of the Amazons, and corroborates his assertion by the following anecdote, related by a jesuit who published a map of these rivers. In the year 1744, a flying camp of Portuguese, posted on the bank of the river Negro, having embarked on it, proceeded until they found themselves near the Spanish missions of Oroonoko, and, meeting with the superior of these missions, returned with him to the flying camp they had quitted, without going one step by land. Here then is a communication by water between the Spanish and Portuguese possessions in South America, placed at so vast a distance, which demonstrates the magnitude and extent of these mighty rivers.

The Oroonoko, although it fails in comparison with several other rivers of the new world, far surpasses the largest rivers of our hemisphere. It rolls toward the ocean such a vast body of water, and rushes into it with such impetuous force, that when it meets the tide, which on that coast rises to an uncommon height, their collision occasions a swell and agitation of the waves no less surprising than formidable. When Columbus in his third voyage, having taken a more southern course than he had pursued in the former ones, reached the island of Trinidad, the swell occasioned by the waters of this river pouring into the ocean was so great, that his ships were exposed to extreme danger. After having however, long combated the currents and tremendous waves with dubious success, he led his squadron safely through a narrow strait which separates that island from the continent. This strait he called "Bocca del Drago," the Dragon's Mouth. Justly concluding that such a vast body of water must flow through a country of immense extent, and that he was now arrived at that continent it had long been the object of his wishes to discover, he stood to the west, along the coast of those provinces, now known by the names of Paria and Co

mana.

RIO DE LA PLATA.

THIS vast river, like those already described, rises among the stupendous mountains on the western side of South America. During its course, which is said to exceed eight hundred leagues, it receives upwards of fifty rivers, and at length discharges itself into the Atlantic ocean by a very extensive mouth, its northern coast being in thirtyfive degrees, and its southern in thirty-six degrees, twenty minutes, of south latitude. It was discovered, in 1515, by Don Diaz de Solis, a very skilful Spanish navigator, who had been sent to open a communication with the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, lying to the west. Having entered a river which he called Rio Janeiro, and which has since given a name to the Brazilian capital, he proceeded thence to a spacious bay, which he supposed to be the entrance of a strait communicating with the Indian ocean. On advancing further, however, he found it to be the mouth of this river; and, being anxious to prosecute his discovery, was cut off, with several of his crew, by the natives. Being thus disheartened, the survivors returned to Europe, without having made any further attempt to explore the territory.

P. Cataneo, a Modenese jesuit, who landed at BuenosAyres in 1749, expresses his astonishment at viewing this vast body of water. "When," he observes, "I resided

in Europe, and read in books of history or geography "that the mouth of the Rio de la Plata was a hundred and "fifty miles in breadth, I considered it as an exaggeration, "because in this hemisphere we have not any example of "such vast rivers. When I approached its mouth, I haď "the most vehement desire to ascertain the truth with my "own eyes; and I have found the matter to be exactly as "it was represented. This 1 deduce particularly from one

circumstance. When we took our departure from "Monte-Video, a fort situated more than a hundred miles "from the mouth of the river, and where its breadth is "considerably diminished, we sailed an entire day before "we discovered the land on the opposite bank of the river; "and when we were in the middle of the channel, we "could not discern land on either side, and saw nothing

"but the sky and water, as if we had been in some great (( ocean. Indeed, we should have taken it to be the sea, "if the freshness of its water, which was turbid like that of "the Po, had not satisfied us that it was a river. Moreover, "at Buenos Ayres, another hundred miles up the river, and " where it is still much narrower, it is not only impossible to discern the opposite coast, which is indeed, very low "and flat, but one cannot perceive the houses, or the tops "of the steeples, in the Portuguese settlement at Colonia, "on the other side of the river."

It has been asserted that most of the rivers of Peru and Chili have scarcely any motion by night, while on the appearance of the morning sun, they resume their former rapidity. This would appear to proceed from the mountain snows, which, being melted by the powerful heats, increase the stream, and continue to drive on the current, while the sun is engaged in dissolving them. Thus are formed these wonderful masses of water!

In concluding this account of the rivers of South America, the prodigious multitudes and variety of the fishes with which they abound, ought not to be passed over unnoticed.

In the river of the Amazons, agreeable to the testimony of the Jesuit Acugna, they are so abundant, that, without any art they may be readily taken with the hands. "In "the Oroonoko," observes another Jesuit, Gumilla, beside an infinite variety of other fishes, turtles abound in such "numbers as words cannot be found to express. I doubt "not but that such as read my account will accuse me of 66 exaggeration: but I can affirm, that it would be as diffi"cult to count them, as to count the sands on the banks "of that river. Their multitude may be estimated by the "surprising consumption of them; for all the nations con"tiguous to the river, and even many dwelling at a dis"tance, flock thither at the breeding season, and not only "find sustenance during that time, but carry off great num"bers both of the turtles, their eggs, &c."

THE MISSISSIPPI.

PROCEEDING to North America, this vast river claims the principal attention. It runs chiefly from North to South, receiving in its course many large rivers, scarcely inferior to the Rhine or the Danube, navigable almost from their