The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-09
A WONDERLAND.
Facts and Guesses About thu
Rorairua Mountains.
A Mysterious Country Near the Schon
burgk Line IN Observation-Disclosures
as to the Flora and Fauna
of the Region.

Perhaps one result of the Venezuels
boundary commissions work VIII b,
the solving of the most remarkable
geographical enigmas in the world anC
the exploration of what is regarded q,
unique natural wonderland. This re
markable region is number of elevated
and isolated areas of land, situated OF
what the British call British Guianai
southwestern boundary, which is in ths
disputed territory. 1t is on the British
side of the Schomburgk line. A British
Guiana newspaper describes this region
as far as it is known, and expresses tn,
hope that the final settlement of tbs
boundary controversy will leave it wei
within British bounds. Should there bs
another result, however, the newspa
per says, the region should be made al
international park, something on the
plan of the Yellowstone park reseIva
ton.
The region is called by the Indians
"Roraima," but the several iSolate<
areas are known by distinctive names
Each consists of what might be callet
an isolated mountain, but is really {
table-land, comprising an area of 10i
or more square miles, elevated severa
thousand feet above the surrounding
country. The rocky sides of the noun
tains are as perpendicular as the Hudson
river palisades and entirely bare of vege
tation, and have defied ell attempts u
scSle them. The level SUBMITS are Gov
cred with trees and other vegetation
aud down the rocky sides fall largs
number of cascades of considerable size
indicating the certain existence of river
and streams on the mysterious submits
and probably of lakes that feed tint
rivers. The submits have been OBJ
served with telescopes, and are know
to be as full of plant life as the tropica
plains below, but beyond this nothing
is known.
Because so little is known of the con
dition of these table-lands occasion i
given for all manner of speculation a
to what exists there. That the vegeta
ton is quite different from that on ths
plains below the telescope shows; ant
that it should be so is quite natural, a.
the table-lands are 1900 or more fee
higher than the plains. While the CHI
mate of the plains is tropical. that Of thu
table-lands must be temperate, not only
because of their elevation, but because
of the free play the winds have sbou
them.
Of the geology of the region this ex
PLANTATION is given: This part of Soul
America rose slowly from the SEQ
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 action
Hence they must have been above the
ocean before the surrounding plain
appeared. They stood 1000 feet allow
the level of the sea when the neighbor
ing tops were but islands in the ocean
In the course of a period difficult to ap
perciate the adjacent valleys and plain
appeared above the water and becam,
covered with vegetation and ANNA
life. But the isolated plateaus o.
Eoraima had a tremendous start of thu
plains below. Here comes the alleged
ground for the speculation that perhaps
on these mysterious SUBMITS there e2
lists fora and fauna unlike any fount
elsewhere, forms of life that long sinc'
disappeared from other parts of thu
world, but remained the same on thes,
SUBMITS, because unaffected by the In.
fiuences of communication with tht
outer world. All sorts of wild guessei
have been hazzarded regarding the ex
istence of strange reptiles and animali
among the streams and forests O!
Roraima-
The cascades falling from the summit'
are among the highest in the world
One is 1000 feet high and il
broad enough to be visible 80 miles
away 1t falls sheer, without a break
The mountains from which these cas-
cades fall form the dividing watershed.
Of the Amazon, the Orinoco and tbs
Essequibo, the three great rivers OF
South America. and the waters of the
cascades flow some to one and some t.
another of these rivers. 1t is argued
that to supply these waterfalls there
must be a considerable body of water
on the mountain plateaus, and it IL
Natural to conclude that where there arc
large bodies of water there arc fish ant
reptiles. The resulting conclusion that
because these fish and reptiles mus
have been isolated on the mountain top'
for ages, they are likely to be diferen
from any known species, is regarded a.
quite natural. The mountain platesul
form practically little countries b.
themselves. like islands, but more iso
lated. because the ocean of ai- that sur
rounds them does not afford the facili
ties for communication with othe1
islands as do the waters of the ocean il
self.
| One of the platesrs, known as Kuken
| ham, which is better situated for OBJ
| eervation than any Of the others, is es
| tir1ated TO have an area of 200 squar
miles or m.re The smallest, which
| bears the name common to the group
| Rorains, is estimated TO contain so Il
| l40 square miles.
The story of the mysterious region q
not new, at least TO British GuisRa- l
is many years since any scientific NE,
were in the region, but chance traveller
and gold prospectors happen there q
| odd times, and when they return {
Denera<a they add their li.tle store o
information and nystifcation TO tn