The source of the river Parana has afforded as much matter of controversy as the native city of Homer. The Spaniards who first went to subdue Paraguay, after travelling for the space of full five hundred leagues, either on the stream itself, or on its banks, are said never to have been able to arrive at its source. The Brazilian Indians think the Parana originates in an immense lake arising from the Peruvian mountains, perhaps that called Lauricocha, near the Guanuco, about the 11th degree of latitude. Others, with more appearance of probability, derive the river Amazon from the lake above-mentioned, though the Indians insist upon it that the Amazon and the Parana both proceed from the same source. But who would pay any attention to what the Indians say? Many rivers flowing from the Peruvian mountains vary their course every now and then, and are mingled one with another: now who, amid such a labyrinth of streams, could so exactly distinguish the Parana from the rest as to leave no room for doubt? It has been ascertained that this river, in its various turnings and windings, travels more than eight hundred leagues before it disgorges itself into the sea, by a huge mouth. In this long journey it receives the waters of many rivers and innumerable brooks. Who can enumerate this crowd of confluent streams? I will mention the principal ones which occur to my memory, following its course from lands situate between north and south. On the western shore the Parana receives the waters of the Ỹgayrỹ, the Ỹmuncina, the Monicỹ, the Amambaỹ, the Ygatimỹ, navigable to middle-sized vessels, the Ỹgureỹ, the Yguairỹ, the Acaraỹ, a noble river, as large as, perhaps larger than the Danube at Vienna. For on the shore itself I measured it to be full six fathoms deep, and that not during the time of inundation. It flows in a very wide channel, but so quietly that you can hardly hear it. It is joined on the way by thirty rivers of various sizes, and would certainly be navigable to large ships, were it not impeded by rocks, which might perhaps be removed could the Spaniards be brought to perceive the advantages of its navigation. For the herb of Paraguay, which abounds in the woods near its banks, might be transported along this river to the Parana, and thence to the city of Buenos-Ayres, with a great saving both of time and expense. But they are blind to these advantages. The Mondaỹ, which springs from the Tarumensian woods, near the town of St. Joachim, and afterwards other moderate-sized rivers, such as the Ỹhu, the Tarumaỹ, the Yuguirỹ, the Guirahemguaỹ, the Cambay, &c. augment it to such a degree that it becomes navigable to larger kinds of skiffs and boats—the Caapivarỹ, the Aguapeỹ, which has a narrow but very deep channel, and is dangerous to swimmers by reason of its water monsters, (the Yaguaro, a kind of water tiger, often devours horses and mules as they are swimming in this river)—the Atingỹ. All these, which I have mentioned, are of