America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld / Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Besides Several Other Considerable Additions, a Brief Survey of What Hath Been Discover'd of the Unknown South-land and the Arctick Region.

by John Ogilby

Sect. X.
Maragnan.

Situation.

Maragnan, forty five Leagues in circumference, lies in two Degrees of Southern Latitude, and a considerable distance from the Bay, which appears between the Rivers Aperegha and Comajamu.

The Eastern Entrance into this Bay hath before the Promontory Arbres Secs, the Isle St. Anna, by the Brasilians call’d Upaonmiri.

Opposite to Maragnan, about half way from the said Inlet, fall three Rivers into the Sea, the most Easterly call’d Mounin, hath a Mouth a Mile wide, and discharges its Water into the Sea; the middlemost Taboucourou, is five hundred Leagues long, and ends with two Mouths, half a League distant one from the other; the most Westerly, call’d Miary, is about six Leagues broad, so falling into the Sea.

The Stream Maracou falls into the Pinare, and thus united they joyn both with the Miary, which runs exceeding swift into the Sea.

Between the Capes Arbres Secs and De la Tortue, the Coast lies full of sandy Banks, some of which extend a League into the Ocean.

On the other side of the Promontory Tapoytapere near Maragnan, towards the River of Amazones, lie so many Isles along the Sea-shore, that no Ship is able to approach the same, because the Spaces between the Isles are overgrown with Trees call’d Apparituriers, whose Boughs shooting down and rooting in the Sea, produce other Trees, which grow so close together, that they seem one entire Tree with many Branches. Besides this Inconvenience there is abundance of drift Sand when the Wind sits from the Shore, which oftentimes swallows the Ships which lie upon the same.

Beyond Maragnan lie two Roads, the first between the Promontory Arbres and the Isle St. Anna, but dangerous; the other, discover’d some years since, reaches to the Fort of Maragnan, and is as dangerous as the first.

This Island hath twenty seven Villages, by the Natives call’d Oc or Tave, each Village consisting of four Houses made of great Stakes, and cover’d with Palm-tree Leaves against the Rain, each House being thirty Foot broad, and from two hundred to five hundred Paces long, according to the greater or lesser number of Inhabitants. The first Village, opposite to St. Anna, is call’d Timbohu; the second, well known for two eminent Fishing-places, is Itapara; but the two biggest are Juniparan and Eussaouap, each having about five or six hundred Inhabitants.