The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-13
TABLE LANDS OF VENEZUELA
Civiiizsd Men Hsvs Never Visited the
Brosd Pisteaus Of the Interior.

Brosd Pistesus of the Interior.
From the New York Sun.
Perhaps one result of the Venezuela
boundary commissions work will be
the solving of one of the most remark
able geological enigmas in the world
and the exploration OF what is regard
ed as a unique natural wonderland.
This remarkable region is a number of
elevated and isolated areas of land,
situated on what the British call Brit
ish Guiana's southwestern boundary,
which IL IN the disputed territory. II is
on the British side of the Schomburgk
line. A British Guiana newspaper de-
scribes this region, as fast as IL is
known, and expresses the hope that
the final settlement of the boundary
controversy will leave IL well within
British bounds. Should there be an
other result. however, the newspaper
says. the region should be made an in
ternational park, something on the
plan of the Yellowstone park reserva-
ton.
The region is called by the Indians
"Roraima," but the several isolated
areas are known by distinctive names.
Each consists of what might be called
an isolated mountain. but is really a
table land, comprising an area Of 100 or
more square miles, elevated several
thousand feet above the surrounding
country. The rocky sides of the noun
tains are as perpendicular as the Hud-T
son river palisades and entirely bare of
vegetation, and have defied all at
tempts to scale them. The level sum-
mits are covered with trees and other
vegetation, and down the rocky sides
fall large number of cascades of con-
siderable size, indicating the certain
existence of rivers and streams on the
mysterious SUBMITS, and probably of
lakes that feed the rivers The sum-
mits have been observed with tele-
scopes and are known to be as full of
plant life as the tropical plains below.
but beyond this nothing is known.
Because so little is known of the con-
dition Of these table lands occasion is
given for all manner of speculation as
to what exists there. That the vege-
tation is quite different from that on
the plains below the telescope shows,
and that 1t should be so is quite nat
ural, as the table lands are 1000 or
more feet higher than the plains. While
the climate of the plains is tropical,
that of the table lands must be tenn
perate, not only because of their eleva-
ton. but also because of the free play
the winds have about them.
OF the geology of the region this ex-
PLANTATION is given: This part of South
America rose slowly from the sea.
through successive and remote ages.
The Roraima mountains were formed
precisely as was the rest of the land |
and are not the result of volcanic ac- |
ton. Hence, they must have been
above the ocean long before the sur
rounding plains appeared. They stood |
1000 feet above the sea level when the |
neighboring mountain tops were but |
islands in the ocean. In the course of |
a period, difficult to appreciate, the adj |
1acent valleys and plains appeared |
above the water and became covered |
with vegetation and animal life. But |
the isolated plateaus of Roraima had |
a tremendous start OF the plains be- |
low. Here comes the alleged ground |
for the speculation that perhaps on |
these mysterious SUBMITS there exist |
nora and fauna unlike any found else |
where, forms of life that long since dis
appeared from other parts of the
world, but remained the same on these
SUBMITS because unaffected by the in /
nuences of communication with the
outer world. All sorts of wild guesses
have been hazarded regarding the ex-
istence of strange reptiles and animals
among the streams and forests of Ro-
rama.
The cascades falling from the sum-
mits are among the highest in the
world. One is 1000 feet high and is
broad enough to be visible 30 miles
1"oJ. IL AdilS SHttT, without a break.
The mountains from which these cas-
cades fall form the dividing watersheds
OF the Amazon, the Orinoco and the
Essequfbo, the three great rivers of |
South America, and the waters of the |
flow some to one and some TO |
another of these rivers. 1t is argued
that to supply these waterfalls there
must be considerable body of water
on the mountain plateaus, and it is
natural to conclude that where there
are large bodies OF water there are fish
ana reptiles. The resulting conclusion
that because these fish and reptiles
must have been isloated on the noun
tain tops for ages they are likely to
be different from any known species is
as quite natural. The noun
ain plateaus form practically little
by themselves like islands.
but more isloated, because the ocean
If AIR that surrounds them does not af-
ord the facilities for communication
With other islands as do the waters Of
he ocean itself
One of these plateaus. known as Ku-
Ienham, which is better situated for
observation than any of the others. is
'stimated to have an area of 200 square
niles or more. The smallest which
,ears the name common to the group.
eoraima, is estimated to contain so TO
40 square miles
Inc story or this mysterious region
$ not new at least in British Guiana.
I is many years since any scientific
nen were In the region. but chance
ravelers and gold prospectors happen
mere at odd times, and when they re- .
urn TO Demerara they add their little
tore OF information and mystification
the rest. Schomburgk pointed out
he great importance Of the region 20
treat Britain, as IL is the dividing wa
ershed, but the writer in the British
iuiana newspaper does not say wheth-
r the exploring botanist had much 20
ay about the wonders and mysteries
z q