Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-30
RORATMA.
a Wonderful Mountain on the BOrde,
OF British Guiana.
-Nineteeath Century.
From the London Spectator.

From the London Spectator.
Will no one explore Roraima, and
bring us back the tidings which it has
been waiting these thousands of years tC
give us? One of the greatest marvels
and mysteries Of the earth lies on the
outskirts of one of our own colonies
only not within British territory, be-
cause the frontier line has been bent in
at the spot on purpose. it would seem,
to shut it out-and we leave the mystery
unsolved, the marvel uncared for. The
description of it, with an illustrative
sketch, in Mr.. Darlington Browns
"Canoe and Camp Life in British
Guiana" Zone of the most fascinating
books of travel the present writer has
read for a long time), is thing to dream
of by the hour. A great table of pink
and white, and red sandstone, inter
bedded with red shale," rises from a
height of 800 feet above the level of
the sea, 1000 feet sheer into the sap
phire tropical sky. A forest crowns it;
the highest waterfall in the world-only
one, it would seem, out of several
tumbles from its summit, 1000 feet at
one leap, 5000 more on slope of As de-
grees, down to the bottom of the valley,
broad enough to be seen thirty miles
away. As far as [ can make out, only
two parties of civilized explorers have
touched the base Of the table-Sir Robert
Schomburge, many years ago; Mr.. Brown
and q companion, in 1S79-each at diff
ferent spots. Even the length of the
mass has not been determined; Mr..
Brown says eight or twelve miles And
he cannot help specializing whether the
remains OF former creation may not be
found at the top. At any rate, there is
the forest on the summit. OF what trees
is it composed? They cannot well be the
same as those at the base. Ats distance
of 800 feet above the sea level-speak-
ing at least from personal knowledge of
one island-the mango tree in the West
Indies, which produces fruit in abund
ance below, ceases to bear. The change
III vegetation must be far more decided
where the difference is between 5000 and
1000 feet. Thus for millenniums this
island of sandstone upon the South
American continent must have had its
own distinct fora. What may be its
fauna? Very few birds probably ascend
to height of 1900 feet in the air, the
vulture tribe excepted. Nearly the
whole OF its animated inhabitants are
likely to be as distinct as its plants. Is
it peopled with human beings? Who
can tell? Why not? The climate must
be temperate, delicious. There is an
abundance Of water, very probably is
suing from some lake on the summit.
Have we there a group of unknown
brothers cut off from all the rest of their
kind?
The summit, Mr.. Brown says, is mac
cessible, except by means of balloons.
Well, that is d question to be settled on
the spot between an engineer and first
rate "Alpine." what is the satisfac-
ton of standing on the ice-bridge of the
Matterhorn, or crossing the lava wastes
of the Vatna JokuI, compared to what
would be the sensation of reaching that
mysterious aerial forest, add gazing plumb
down over the sea of tropical verdure be-
meath, within horizon. the limits of
which are absolutely beyond guessing)?
But put it that & balloon is required,
surely it would be worth while for one
of our scientific. societies to organize q
balloon expedition for the purpose. No
one can tell what problems in natural
science might not be elucidated by the
exploration. We have here an area of
limited extent, within which the secular
variation of species by natural selection,
if any, must have gone on undisturbed,
with only limited number Of conceiv-
able exceptions, since, at least, the very
beginning OF the present age in the
worlds life. Can there be a fairer field
for the testing of those theories which
are occupying mems minds so much in
our days? And if there be human crea-
lures on Roraima, what new data must
their language, their condition, contrib
ute for the study of philologists, an
thropologists, sociologists.
One more wonder remains to be told.
Mr.. Brown speaks Of two other mountains
in the same district which are the same
description as Roraima-tables of sand
stone, rising up straight in the blue-one
larger than ROraima itself. But he has
not seen them, nor do they appear on
his map 1t is only because of their ex
istence, and because, for aught that ap-
pears, they may be equally inaccessible
with Roraima, that one does not venture
TO call Roraima the greatest marvel and
mystery Of the earth. Ii there be thus in
existence three living fragments of an
age before our own, instead of one, that
is only the greater reason why we should
lose no time in wrestling its secrets from
the one which lies, SO to speak, at our
door. But If, on exploration, Roraima
proves to be that which one dreams it
may, a question may arise whether it
would not be worthy Of modern civiliza-
ton to secure its preservation, or the
preservation Of all the three mountains
IN question. by international treaty, in
their primeyal condition IF only the
vegetation Of the tertiary age subsists on
those weird SUBMITS, its trees have a
right MOTTO have their trunks defaced
with civilized posters" nor their feet
>strewn with the remains of civilized pic
bottled-beer bottles and sardine
tins j. M. l..
THERE were three deaths under one
umbrella at Newbern, n. c., on the last
Sunday evening in April. At the close
of the services at the colored Bethel
church thunderstorm passed over the
town, and two young girls took refuge
under colored brother umbrella, which
had a steel handle. There was vivid