AMAZONIA, a large country in south America, so called from the Amazons, or female warriors, by whom it was said to be inhabited. Amazonia is about 1400 miles long, and 900 broad ; extending from the equator to about 20° S. Lat. and bounded on the north by Terra Firma, and Guiana ; on the east by the Atlantic ocean and Brasil ; on the south by Paraguay ; and on the west by Peru. This country was first discovered about the year 1541, by Francisco Ovellana. This adventurer ac companied Gonzalo Pizarro, governor of Quito, in his famous expedition to discover and subdue the countries cast of the Andes. After encountering incredible hard ships, they arrived at last on the banks of the Coca, or Napo, one of the rivers whose waters pour into the river of the Amazons. Here with infinite labour they con structed a bark, which they hoped might be useful in carrying provisions, and in transporting them across the river. This vessel was manned with fifty soldiers, un der the command of Ovellana. By the rapidity of the stream, they were soon carried far a-head of their coun trymen ; and Ovellana being now Leyond the reach of his commander, formed the bold, though treacherous design of deserting him, and of making new conquests and discoveries. With this view, he suffered the ves sel to be carried down the stream ; and after a voyage of seven months, attended with many perilous adven tures, he at last reached the ocean in safety. From thence he proceeded to Spain, and filled all Europe with the account of his extraordinary adventures. The world was at that time prepared to receive the most wonderful accounts, and Ovellana gave them an ample specimen of the marvellous. He pretended to have dis covered nations so rich, that the roofs of their houses were covered with gold, and a republic of women with all the warlike qualities of the ancient Amazons. From
this extravagant fable, the country was called by Europeans Amazonia, and the Maragnon was trans formed into the river of the Amazons. This river by its inundations during the rainy season, converts a great part or country which is generally flat, into lakes and morasses. Amaronia abounds with all the tropical pro ductions; and though the air is cooler than in many places lying under the Sallie latitude, owing to the heavy rains and the cloudiness of the atrnosphere, yet the climate appears to be unhealthy. 'Plus country, ex cept where it borders on the river, is almost entirely unknown to Europeans. The Spaniards made several attempts to plant it, but always without success ; they at last deserted it entirely, chiefly because they did not find what they most valued, mines of gold and silver. The nations on both sides of the river are numerous and barbarous ; they arc governed by chiefs or eaziques, whose regalia arc a crown of leathers, a wooden sword, and a chain of tigers' teeth or claws, which hang round the waist. The Portuguese have a few inconsiderable settlements near the mouth of the river ; but with the exception of these, the natives are in the sole posses sion of the country. NI. de la Condamine explored Amazonia, so lar at least as it touches on the river in the year 1743, having sailed from Cuenca to Para, a navigation much longer than that of Ovellana. The same voyage was undertaken in 1769, by Madame Godin des Odinais, from motives of conjugal affection. The narrative of the dangers to which she was ex posed, and of the disasters which befel her, is one of the most singular and affecting stories in any lan guage. See Letter de M. Godin, a M. de la Conda mine. (g)