ABSTRACT
Previous to the voyage of the Maranones down this river, its first navigator was Captain Prancisco de Orellana, who came from the river Canela (which, as we have said, rises in the provinces at the back of Quito). Orellana having met, during his voyage, with women of fair stature, who defended themselves from him and his soldiers, and opposed his advance, he gave them the name of Amazons, because they were like similar women of Scythia, who lived on the banks of the great river Tanais, whence they first moved to another river called Thermodon, and conquered by their arms the greater portion of Asia. These Amazons had the great Penthesilea for their queen and commander, and they are mentioned by Zachary Lilio, who says that they burnt the right breast off, that it might not hinder them in the management of arms, for the chase, or in war. Orellana had some reason for calling the women he met with Amazons, on account of their having fought against the Spaniards; yet in many provinces of these Indies, women have done the same : nor do we see why this river should be called the Amazons
only on account of this occurrence. The most prevalent custom is to call it Maranon, as before stated. Its magni tude is such as to entitle it to the name of the gulf of sweet water, for, independent of its great size at its mouth, it, at times, when it rises, covers a hundred leagues of land with so much water that canoes and piraguas sail over the in undated land.
