The First Ascent of Roraima. 43 
very shallow relatively to its extent, its edge being 
formed by the a6lual rugged edge of the cliff. The 
surface of this basin seems to be divided up, in a man- 
ner which if it were artificial would be very irregular, 
but which as the work of nature is singularly regular, 
into a vast number of much smaller, yet still very shallow 
basins, these small depressions forming the amphitheatre- 
like level spaces, of which I have already spoken, the 
separating walls between them being represented by the 
curiously terraced ridges of rock, which, it appeared, are 
really irregularly semilunar, or even in some cases ring- 
like, in arrangement. 
Moreover it is to be remarked that of these ridges 
each is of by no means one height throughout its 
extent ; each of them, like a miniature mountain chain, 
rises, at curiously regular intervals, to form rugged 
pinnacles or pyramids, up the sides of which the rude 
step-like terracing, just as elsewhere along the ridge, 
generally runs, as though to offer a means of access 
to the traveller even up to the highest points. 
The greatest depth of the general basin occupying 
the whole top of Roraima we had no means of as- 
certaining; nor can I estimate the depth of the smaller 
basins in other parts than those seen by us. Elsewhere 
they may possibly be of considerable depth, forming 
large receptacles or ponds of water. But where we were 
I should say that the actual greatest depth of none of 
them was more than from ten to twenty feet, and that 
they varied in diameter, roughly speaking, from one hun- 
dred to five hundred yards. The height of the highest 
pinnacle we measured, this one being the highest we 
saw, was about eighty feet. 
F 2 
