The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-17
1uriferous Discoveries in South
eastern Africa by Carl Mauch.
The Gold Land Ophir Of
the Bible.
Ruins, Monuments and Archaeological
Wonders Of SOlOmon'S Time.
Circular of DIR. Peter
mann, of GOtha.

Late intelligence received from Africa announces
very important discoveries the southeastern
coast by the interchangeable German traveller, Carl
Hauch. In letters just received bv DR.. Petermann,
OF Gotha. from this gentleman briet accounts OF his
preliminary explorations west Of Scala Bay lead to
the conviction that ne has stumbled upon an aurifer
ous region In the accessible portion OF the great
Southern Continent, and that he has also, In all
PROBABILITY, solved an old geographical problem as
10 tne Whereabouts OF the famous land OF Ophr, so
celebrated In scripture as that which furnished
solomon the g0ld and precious stones used In the
construction OF the temple at Jerusalem. The ruins
found clearly belong to age OF great antiquity,
and are said to be Enthusiastically Pn9nician. From
Especial circular OF DR.. retermann. received by Mr.
r. Il. Knorr, OF Washington, we give the following
translauon:-
For many centuries most eminent authorities
nave inquired without arriving at satisfactory re-
snits INTO the true locality o. tue land Ophlr or the
tained through Phenlcian ships immense masses
o. gold. Ivory and precious stones for MS great
ecructuteS In Jerusalem. Some have placed II In
Eastern Africa or southern Arabia; others thought
n 70 Ie "a the East Indies or III sumatra still otners
Sven IN inc west indies or Peru. IL Is certain that
tney must nave been very rich mines from which
when IN the fourteenth century the Portuguese
came to S0Iala they found there rich gold mines,
worked from tine lmmemorial, and near them
dltions were buiit ny Queen saba. Lopez the his
torlan records that the natives PRIDE Themselves on
70 the op6r cruises q solomon "'''-' ''''N
The literature Of the Greeks and Romans contains
nOtnlng IN regard to this primeva international IN
tercourse; from Arabic writers (Mabud, Edrisi, &c)
however. we know that, alter the decline Of the
throughout the Middle Ages by the Arabs who, fire.
4uentiy. from the Persian Gulf came as far south
The Portuguese dominion In sofala long since be-
came came put a shadow or their previous power; their
late attempts 70 gam ground IN the Interior have
ON the extreme borders OF European settlements,
In the Cape colonies and the 1ransvaal republic
there had been for many years reports OF extensive
ruins OF temples, oDeiisks. pyramids, &C., existing
and especially the mlssonarle, OF the Berlin society
have, for long time, exercised themselves in lifting
to visit these ruins. Although not entirely sue
cessfu thus lar they have at least, made 1t possible
Tor tue meril0rlous German traveller. Carl Maucn,
TO undertake last fall an excursion to these prime.
val structures
Letters ana charts from this lndelatigable and ex.
cellent explorer, dated Zmbaya, september ID,
1871, whicn came TO my hand by the kind OF
the missionaries, Rev. Grutzner and Rev. Merenskl,
prove that Mauch. In fact, has found extensive
structures and ruins OF very great antiquity.
Zlmpaya is one OF these places Oh primeval ruins.
According to Mauch's ASTRONOMICAL observations 1t
lies IN latitude 20 IA south and longitude 81 As east
OF Greenwich, directly. west OF Solala harbor, aud
agrees fully with the statement OF the Portuguese
writer. Don Santos, that the Portuguese have dis
covered, 200 nautical miles west .5l Solaa in the
gold country (tracio 10 aur'o) extensive monuments.
Mauch also found. IN the vicinity OF Zlmbaya aliu-
Wal goia, which he expects to wash and gather
which thirty feet high fifteen feet thick and 49,
Of e Wtno"t eScspoH Being Of hewn aS GRANT,
put together without mortar, testlnes to q high
antiquity; anu the drawings OF ne ornaments sent
In by Mauch prove that they DO not originate from
the Portuguese nor from the Arabs. but very likely
from Phnnicians, the Solomonlc Ophr cruisers:
about forty years. the ruins are sacred TO them.
and they oil believe that whites nave once lived IN
this region. Such would appear to be true from the
ruins Of houses and the iron vessels found there,
which cannot have been the works OF the blacks
n nh hos hQnn q N Ind
hurriedIy but one OF these places There are at dis
lance Of three days. journey northwest of Zimbays,
ives ives an cbeIsE S Maacn expects 70 be able to
explore the entire region thoroughly. He describes
sea, well watered, fertile aud tnickly inhabited by
an Industrious and peaceable tribe OF the MaKaaka
cul1vatne rice and corn and possessing herds Of
1t is to be hoped that Nauch, in hts further re.
and the origin Of these remarkable primeval ruins
Whether or not they may nnaly prove TO be the
wSa has oeen found thus far establishes the proD
ability Of their connection with the Solomonic
ser ~ n rca xe n Wv, W
the means OF the NAVIGATION OF that age. and the
time OF three years said to be used tor the voyage
both W avs would also correspond. 1t Is 1ndisputa.
Bile that the Ph9nicans made southern cruises, and
that Africa has, as far back as history goes. the
bears evidence that Solomon's ships, In order to
obtain gold precious stones and IVORY had only to
follow the coast southwark. The diamond fields OF
Africa place present al others In the shade; ana
a. regards ivory, Africa has always furnished the
market with more than the other continents
In Snort to the quartz gold fields, The auvial gold
discovered by Button and Mauch and the stead
iy-increasinr yield OF the diamond fields, there
seems now to be added, 1 southern Africa, also the
Ophlr land of Solomon An archaeological expedi-
ton directly to sofaia narbor ana hence about one
hundred and sixty miles west, into the interior,
would soon throw light on this question: In the
meantime we may expect, with eacn mail, new re-
ports from Mauch.
The practical English have advanced their Cape
colonies north. and very quietly annexed the dia
mond territory claimed by the Orange River and
Transvaal republics. Viudt seQ,leas.
A. PETERMANN.