Rivers;
Lakei.
and the various appearances,, and qualities of the waters,, ham not been
iliuftrated.
Next in confeqnence would feem to be the Rio Colorado^ , on the eaft
©f the Bravo, whofe comparative eourfe may be about y q & B: miles.
Towards the weft: is- a-large river which flows into the Yemiflion Sea,
or gulf -of California, alfo. called by B ’Anvilfe ito lo r d d o ^ with the addition
d e lo s M a r ty r e s - lhit the main ftream feems rather to be the Rio.
G r a n d e d é lo s A p o jle lo s , barbarous appellations impofed. by the jefuits:
who had' fettlements in California. The eourfe of this river may,be-
computed at 600 B. miles. Among the rivers, of the ifthmus may be
mentioned thofe o f Palmas-, of Panueo,- Tabafco, Sumafmta, St.' Juan,
all flowing into the g u lf o f Mexico. Thofe which join the Pacific fe'ern
mere rivulets ; till, in the vfeMptyof México-, -'the; ntóütrttóains^ rapen
tend to. the eaft, and the ftreararsef Yopefc, and Zacartula, jeirvlfeeiPa-
cific Ocean, That of Guadalaxara rifes to-the W. of Mexico1; and
being cónfidered as paling through the lake of Chapala will thus- join
the Pacific after a comparative cQUEfc a^tjjo- B. i^ifcs.*
The chief lakefn Spanifti Norlfe America;. f®, .fiui zs yet explored, is
that of Nicaragua;, which.is-about 170B.
and about half that: breadth/ This grand la&e is ftt»at^ mi the: ^0-
vince of the fame name towards* the" fcathf ififci&JI*»* iteép»
a great oudet, the river of St. Jban;tothe gulf of Mbxicoi vVmlé
a fmaller ftream is by fome fuppofed to flow intbthe Pteifïc.f' efhthe-
hands of an enterprifing people'this lake would fupply thefong w-ilEed
for paflage, from the Atlantic into the Pacific, and im the moft diksft
eourfe that, could be defired. Nature has already fopplied half ||he
means ; and it is probable that a complete paflage might haps been
opened, at half the expence wafted in fruitlefs expeditions to efifeower
fiich a paflage by the north weft, -or the north eaft. This peculation
muft depend on circumftances; bat if a paflage were once opened the
* D’AnviUe calls it. the Barania.
-j- This laft feems doubtful, or perhaps only exilts during the inundations- Mr. Edwards,
Bid. W. Ind. T. 18. quotes Dr. Dancer’s. Hiftory of'the Expedition .from Jamaica-to-.For t Jinan.
on the lake of Nicaragua, 17 So.-.
6, I M lli force
force of the ocean would ■probably enlarge i t ; and a tribute at this -new
fdhhdHvquld, be af do'iifideraile«ftfps'be 'effete venue. fy ffc o n g file .more
dprihern lakes that'Of Me<xiep"’ is* n ot ■ oni!^ celebrated-; but'of eonfiderable
exterrty being, i^OFdjmg.to the befo-mstps,* more,-than! jehirty m il e l-in
length N. to S. if the ©ait called Chak®i be included. Towards the
W. in this part, where the ifthmus begins to enlarge,: there are feveral
lakes, the principal being that of Chapala, which is about Tixty Bt
miles in-length by twenty in breadth. The north weftern parts have
Been little explored, but probably contain fome lakes- of eonfiderable-
extent. In Weft Florida are. the lagoons-of Ponchatrain and Maurepas
■ and in Eaft Florida the lakes o f Mayaco arfoM&tee’rgef wfo h’ dthtef^of
faalilsleafrote'.
The whole of the Spanifh territories in North America, may be regarded’
as mountainous. TH& grand chain of the Andes feems to terminate,
as already mentioned-, on the weft of the gulf of Darien ini
Southi America, hut by others is fuppofed to extend to the -.lake of
Mcar-agua. Even t-his extenfion- would totally differ Id its dke^ioh
frohif the Andean ’ as • &endihgt'N.. W .; theh S i W. then ■ again-1
N. W.fo- that* the’ main range feems here lbft, through the
Caribbean fea in. the iftes ‘ of Mpftjuitos and oln&sToVvffds Jaihaica ;
rthile“the mOUiitains. in the1 fo'hfhbf The ifthmu&ya's far ^ aikithe* l1ake of
Nicaragua, muft be regarded as only a branch, declining much in-
height, till it finally expire at that lake. In this point of view the
ranges?tpafling from N. to S. muft, be regarded as fpurs of the main
chain; but as on the one hand orology is confounded by minute and
various appellations given to portions of the fame range,; fo- it may be,
equally perplexed by too extenfiv-e appellations ; which,, as in- the. cafe
of the Taurus of the ancients, can only impart confided, .and erroneous
ideas. The Mexican mountains feem to confift o f gneifs, granite, &c.
wh-ilel the grand chain, of the Andes has a moft peculiar charadier,
being compofed- o f argillaceous fchiftus. It has already been- ohferved
feat the ridge of Canatagua pafles N. and S. between the provinces o f
Veragua and Panama.. It is followed in the former province, by the
L a k e s .
Mountains,
range