ABSTRACT
At a short distance, as they were leaving the mouth of this
river, the brigantine that had brought Vargas, in conse quence of the rottenness of its timbers, began to break up, and became useless. This obliged them to distribute the crew and cargo amongst the canoes and boats, which, being overloaded, were in great danger, the more particu larly as they were in so large a river. The river was swelled by the waters of the Motilones, Bracamoros, and Cocama, whose sources, according to some, are the rivers Aporima (Apurimac), Mancai (Abancay?), Nauca, Vilcas, Parios, and Jauja, and many more. Others say that this great river rises behind Chinchacocha, to the east of the Province of Guanuco, passing by the towns of Paucartambo and Guacabamba, and uniting with rivers which come from Tarama (Tarma?) and also with many others from the mountains of that district, as well as with those that were seen and passed by the governor Gomes Arias, in what is called Rupanapa (Rumipampa ?). However this may be, the river of Coc&ma,1 which they were navigating, is formed by all these. It is one of the most celebrated rivers in the world that has been discovered by man up to the present time in this region, and navigated by our Conquistadores; for when it enters the sea, it is without doubt the largest that is known, and leaves the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges, and the Plata far behind, as well as other rivers, celebrated in ancient and modern times.
