Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-07

Archaeology in Afnca.

Archaeology IN Africa
Attention is called 10 the fact that the pen
etration Of Africa from the southeast by tho
Delagoa Bay and Zambesi railway routes
and their resultant connections would not
only develops rich territory, commercially
speaking, but might lead TO important and
interesting archaeological discoveries. Save
in Northern Africa, including of course
Egypt, and especially the ruins along the
banks of theNile. archaeology is q field that
has been much neglected by explorers of
the Dark Continent. These as rule,
have had AS much as they could do in pro-
tecting themselves from tho hostile
natives, securing geographical data,
aud in informing themselves regarding
the natural products of the country ira
yersed. As we have heretofore noted, the
gold mines the English are striving to
reach by both the Delagoa and the Cape
Colony railroads aud their connections
and extensions have been, it is claimed,
identified with the ancient Ophir Of the
Bible. Sofala, at the southern border Of
which is situated Delagoa Bay, WAS at one
time celebrated for its exports of gold
dust. and TO the Identification referred to
such men hold as GBorIUs, PTTERnAHN,
BKKE, HALvY, and others. Indeed, these
scholars and investigators advance the
theory that Zanzibar and all of Mozam-
bique. which properly includes Sofala,
were embraced in 0phir. as those countries
contain number Of mines Of both gold
and silver, which afford indications that
they were extensively worked ages ago.
The Zambesi route, approximately speak
ing, parallels the DelagOa Bay route, the
intervening territory being part of that
claimed by Portugal, and cutting of Eng
lands southern from some of her more
northern African possessions. Recently
the diamOnd-mines south Of tho Zambesi,
which were first discovered in the latter
part of the sixteenth century by the Por-
tuguese traveller and soldier FRANCISCO DE
BABRETo, we're redIscOvered, and the modern
travellers found that the ruins there Tailed
in many essentials with the description re-
ported by an old writer to have been given
of them by BARREro. The principal differ
ence was that whereas BARREIo's account
stated that lime was used to cement the
stones, the modern travellers found that
the buildings were after the Cyclopean
style-that is. consisted Of huge blocks Of
nnhewn and uncemented stone. BARRETo
died on the banks of the Zambesi in 1874
while attempting 10 reach gold-mine from
which q nugget of extraordinary value
had shortly before been taken, and whence
it is stated the Queen of Sheba de-
rived her riches. The Portuguese belt,
L.
been but partially explored, and GER
tainly no effort has been made to hnd
ont what. in the shape Of ruins lies buried
beneath the accumulated dust of ages, is
hidden in the dense jungles or has been
covered up by some convulsiOn of nature.
it is hardly probable that tho Zambesi
diamond-mine ruins could be an isolated
case of such building. On the contrary.
when we give proper weight 10 history and
tradition We reach the conclusion that
they may prove clue TO still richer finds
In the wake of the locomotive will follow
the archeologist and the ethnologist, who
will doubtless unearth evidences Of
ancient and even prehistoric civilization,
manners, and customs that the. geogrspher !
never dreamed existed and which would
convey no suggestion 10 him. In this
view, therefore, of the Delagoa Bay trou-
ble-in every view of it, in fact-the SYM
patty of the civilized world should be
with England as between that Power and !
Portugal. Under Portuguese sway the |
great belt extending from the Atlantic
Ocean TO the Indian Ocean would never be /
developed commercially to any extent, |
would not give up its archaeological secrets |
at all, and would continue 10 be the para
disc Of Mohammedan slave TRADERS and "a
centre of native superstition and brutality. /
Though they have been planted on both |
coasts OF the Continent for over two CEN
turies. the Portuguese have done little or no |
thing in the way of opening up the interior. |
Under English sway, harsh as English |
methods Of colonization sometimes are, the |
country would be made TO pay tribute to |
civilization, Christianity would get a per- |
manent foothold there, and there is no |
telling what light might be thrown upon 1
history, sacred as well as profane. Even if |
the theory We have mentioned regarding |
Ophir is not the right one-there are three /
or four other theories touching its loca- /
tion-there seems no question that there il |
Etill veil covering archaeological and /
historical treasures in Africa the lifting of |
which would delight all scholars.