EARLY GEOGRAPHICAL DOUBTS.
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hundred and fifty m i l e s * before reaching A n g o s t u r a , b u t w e should g o with the s t r e a m ; and this consideration lessened o u r discouragement. I n d e s c e n d i n g great rivers, the r o w e r s take the middle o f the current, w h e r e there are few m o s q u i t o s ; b u t in ascending, they are obliged, in order t o avail t h e m selves o f the dead waters and counter-currents, t o sail near the shore, where the p r o x i m i t y o f the forests, and t h e remains o f organic substances accumulated o n t h e beach, harbour t h e tipulary insects. T h e p o i n t o f t h e celebrated bifurcation o f the O r i n o c o has a very i m p o s i n g aspect. L o f t y granitic mountains rise o n t h e northern b a n k ; and amidst them are discovered at a distance the M a r a g u a c a and t h e Duida. T h e r e arc n o mountains o n the left bank o f t h e O r i n o c o , w e s t or east o f the bifurcation, till opposite the m o u t h o f the Tamatama, O n that spot stands t h e r o c k O u a r a c o , w h i c h is said t o t h r o w o u t flames from t i m e t o time in the rainy season. W h e n the O r i n o c o is n o l o n g e r b o u n d e d by mountains t o w a r d s t h e south, and w h e n it reaches the o p e n i n g o f a valley, o r rather a depression o f the ground, which terminates at the Rio N e g r o , it divides itself into t w o branches. T h e principal branch ( t h e Rio Paragua o f the Indians) c o n t i n u e s its course west-north-west, turning round the g r o u p o f the mountains o f P a r i m e ; the other branch forming the communication with the A m a z o n runs into plains, the general slope o f which is southward, b u t o f w h i c h the partial planes incline, in the Cassiquiare, to south-west, and in t h e basin o f the Rio N e g r o , south-east. A p h e n o m e n o n so strange in appearance, which I verified on t h e s p o t , merits particular attention; the m o r e especially as it may t h r o w s o m e light on analogous facts, which are s u p p o s e d to have been observed in the interior of Africa. T h e existence o f a c o m m u n i c a t i o n o f the O r i n o c o with t h e A m a z o n by the Rio N e g r o , and a bifurcation o f the C a q u e t a , was believed by Sanson, and rejected by Father Fritz and b y B l a e u w : it was marked in t h e first m a p s o f D e l ' I s l e , b u t abandoned by that celebrated g e o g r a p h e r towards the end o f bis days. T h o s e w h o had mistaken the m o d e o f this c o m munication hastened to deny the c o m m u n i c a t i o n itself. It is in fact well worthy o f remark that, at the time when t h e * Of nine hundred and fifty toises each, or two hundred and fifty nautical leagues.