The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-18
Waterfall or Roralma in soutI, America.

Darlington Brown, during his memora
bic survey of Guiana, reached the foot OF
Rogalma, and ascendcd its sloping portion
to height of 8, 90 feet above tho level OF
tho sea. Between the highest point he
reached and the foot Of the great perpen
dicular portion which lowered above IS q
band OF thick forest. Looking up at tho
great wall of rock 1000 feet in height, he
could see that foi est covered it's top, and
that In places on its sides where small trees
or Shrubs could gam u hold, there they
chlng. The gigantic clif itself, is COM
posed Of beds Of white, pink and red sand.
stone, intcrbcdded with layers OF red silale,
INC Whole resting on great bed Of rcd
diorite. The length Of Roralna is about
eight or ten miles; Kukeuam il perhaps
larger, and the area Of Illcbeapcur is Ger
talnly more extensive. 1t is impossible to
view this wonderful group of mountains
without realizing that far back in the
youth Of the world they formed par: of un
archipelago IN tropical seas. That they are
we'll wooded and watercd is made certain
by visible trees and the enormous waterfall
Which pours ut least from ROrulmu A
grand view Of tina caturaCt was Obtained by
harrington Brown, from the mouth of q
cave, iuhabited by guacharo birds, and stu
ated ii 8S2 feet above the level of the sea.
Through the clear atmosphere was distinct
ly visible at distance OF thirty miles, the
white thread OF the waller. fall. Tho In
dians said 1t was the head of branch OF
the Cotinga River, but it is more p1obu-
bly, the head of the Caroni, branch of
the Orinoko. This tropical Staubbach is
probably the highest fall in tho world and
is ut the same timo OF considerable bulk.
The cliff of Roralma is O. 600 feet in height,
over the upper half of which it fell like a
plumb-line aud then descended with a
slight slope outward. The remaining 3, 600
feet to the valley below slopes at OH angle
Of forty-tivo degrees and, being trce-cover-
cd, the rest of the fall ls hidden by foliage.
Tho invisible attraction Of the curious s,l-
wanna range of island mountains to natur-
alists arises from the lnacccssibility. This
should not De understood as the mere de-
sire to excel Others in feat of climbing,
but as the hope that some relics of man.
malian life OF the so-called 'smiocenc"
period may have survived on these isolated
attitudes, Cit OF from all communication
with the living. moving world. If any OF
the ''miocene" mammals lived upon them
when the sea washed their bases, the de-
scendants of those ANIMALS may exist there
still, as the lemurs exist in Madagascar anu
a whole family of marsupals, such US tic
kangaroo, in'Australia. Perhaps balloon
may ono day solve the mystery which lends
charm 10 these island mountains, and
tho happy naturalist who lands, as ono will,
OF course, and in time-On the summit OF
Roralina may find himself among the de-
scendants Of the races long since blotted
from the lower world in which tho evi.
denco Of their existence is recorded in the
great stone books alOne. Amid the forest
dtpths, on Which rests large cloud, he
may find not the gigantic saurlans of the
youthful world, grim monsters of the fish.
lizard form, but the great progenitors of
existing mammalia. Leaving the tapir,
one Of the most ancient Of eXlant creatures,
at the bottom of tho Roralula cascade, he
may find at its top its gigantic congencrs-
huge hcrbivorouS animals fifteen and eight
cen feet in length; the dinothcIiu,n, n
tapir-like creature larger than the elephant,
antique analCgucs of tho maslodon, ances-
tors of the horse, the hog, and tho great
cats, which In the known parts of the
continent are represented by the jagual,
the puma, and the occlot. The prospect
of the dluo,herium alone, would be sutli-
cicnt 10 compensate an enthusiastic
uutuIallSt lCl lnc laDOT OI years. IL Is the
largest OF the terrestrial nlalnmala which
have inhabited our globe aud dcscrvcdIy
stands at the head of thick skinned animals,
as the megathcrium or gigantic sloth at that
of the tardlgrades. Probably tic dinotherl-
um would be found, if found at oil, pur-
sulnga life like that Of The hippopotanius. Its
great head and lusks arc htled Tor grubbng
up aquatic plants, ant like those of the
wulrus, for helping the animal out of the
water. But the dlnotherium is but one OF
the startling forms which might be looked
for on Roralnla, If its cliffs be really as dif-
hcult as painted. Lizards in the semi
ophidan stage might be- encountered and
olher animals which, as the little boy said,
who had been taken into IL lecture OF Prof.
Ovens chad not quite made up their
minds what they were going to be-