"The Paraguay," says he, "collected into one channel, for some time flows to the north, but presently separates into three branches, one of which the Indians call Paraguay-mir̂i, that is little Paraguay, and the other two Paraguay-guazù, or great Paraguay. These three branches of the river are swelled by the usual floods, and, overflowing their banks, inundate the plain country for the space of two hundred leagues. European strangers have mistaken this frequent inundation, this collection of waters, which generally lasts for some time, for a permanent lake. In the midst of this imaginary lake they placed an island called De los Orejones, to which they give thirty leagues of length and ten of breadth, such being the degree of space occupied by the Parana when it overflows. This was called the Island of Paradise by the Spaniards who first conquered Paraguay, for there they rested for a short time after their mighty labours. Neither the Portugueze, who inhabit Cuyaba and Matto Grosso, neighbouring places, nor the more recent Spaniards, nor the native Indians, were acquainted with any such lake." These are the arguments made use of by Sanchez, who was better acquainted with the controverted territories than any other person, and consequently, in my opinion, most worthy of credit, to prove the non-existence of the lake Xarayes and its island. Europeans travelling in unknown America are frequently deceived; they mistake an assemblage of waters caused by many months' rain for a river, or a constant lake, whereas it only proceeds from an immense flood created by continual showers, or by the melting of the snow on the Peruvian mountains.