AMAZONS, originally called the Alaragnon, a river of South America, which takes its name front a race of savages without beards, who inhabit its banks, and who were at first regarded as women by the Europeans. It is one of the largest in the world, and is distinguished by the length of its course ; the number of its tributary streams ; and the mass of waters which it rolls to the sea.
From the latest accounts, it appears, that the primary stream is the Apurimac, which has its origin near the town of Arequipa, in Peru, on the western side of the lake Titicaca, and in Lat. 30' South. According to Ulloa, however, the Maragnon issues front the lake Latn icocha, not far from the city of Gnanuco, in tat. 11" South, and about 90 miles front Lima. From the lake Lauricocha, it runs towards the south ; and bending eastwards through the country ol Jauja, it passes on the north of the city of Jaen. It then proceeds in its long course towards the east, and falls into the Atlantic, after a progress, which, including its different windings, is got less than 3300 miles. But as in a very early part of its course, it is joined by the Apurimac, a river of much greater size ; this last is unquestionably to be considered as the original and proper Maragnon. In its progress towards the Atlantic, the river of the Amazons, besides many smaller streams, receives Irons the north, the Napo, the Izaparana, the Upura, and the united waters of the Negro, and the Parinia ; and from the south, the Yavari, the Yutay, the Tefi, the Puruz, and the great Madeira, formed by the junction of the Marniori and the Ytenas. Many of these rivers have a course of 500
or 600 miles : and Sonic of them are not inferior in point of size to the Danube, or the Nile. The Maragnon opens into the Atlantic almost under the equator ; it is 150 miles in breadth at its mouth ; and at the distance of 1500 miles from the sea, it is nearly 40 fathoms deep. M. he la Condamine, who sailed down this river in the year 1745, found that its descent, in a straight course of 1860 miles, was shout 1020 English feet, or q inches in a mile. The tides are perceptible at the distance of 600 miles from its mouth ; but only at an elevation of 90 feet. Pinkerton's Grog. vol. iii. p. 505. et seq. Pbdosoph. Transact. vol. lxxi. pp. 39-109. Relation abreg. d'un Voyage dans l' intrricur dc f?inicrique Jileredion. par AI. du la Condamine. Paris, 1745, Svo. ; and 1778, Svo. Lcttre de Mad. Godin, a M. dr In Condo mule. (h)