Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-23
SOLOM0N'S MINES.
EUROPEANS STUMBLE UPON RUINS
or AN AFRICAN CIVILIZATION.
,yo0eard,s story Not n Myth--A popuis-
,lon which Dug tho Gold for the
splendors Of Ancient Jerusalem.
txow York world.l

tSow York world.l
All those who have read Rider Hag-
cards graphic description OF King
Solomon's mines will DO interested TO
know that the mines in question, far
from being merely a product Of that
writer's fertile Imagination. are reality,
md that within few weeks they have
been traced and discovered by the
Mashonaland expedition of the English
Southeast African Company.
Zinbabye, nm ancient city in Mashona-
land. was visited many years ago by the
German traveller Manch, but no did not
appear 10 have any knowledge Of the
existence Of gold mines, nor did he offer
sny hypothesis as TO the ancient people
who had inhabited the city. The next
occasion Of its being visited by Europe
ans was few weeks ago. when some
members Of the British South
Africa Company's pioneer force STUN
bed upon the ruins. which lie
NJ tho base Of striking and
rrecipitous cliff OF "kopie." An
oufer wall about four feet high runs ap-
parcntly around the entire "kopje," but
owing 70 a dense jungle this wall could
not be traced further than half mile.
Next came indications OF second and
inner wall which, for the same reason,
was unable 10 be traced for any distance.
Then. amid perfect labyrinth OF
remains OF smaller circular build
iurs. stands a high wall Of circular
shapo. from 80 10 80 feet high,
forming a complete enclosure OF
an area eighty yards in diameter This
wall is ten feet thick at the base and Ia
rcrs 10 about seven feet at the top, Is
iuilt Of small granite blocks about twice
the size % an ordinary brick, beautifully
hcun and dressed, laid in perfectly even
courses, and IS put together without the
use of any mortar or cement whatever.
This enclosure is entered 10y mere gap
i'm the wall. bat which at one time was a
vol-built entrance, as 1t is clearly shown
bv the rOunded-Oil courses.
An ANCIENT TOWER.
Inside the building itself and close 70
the entrance and outer wall stands a
cone.ahapcd tower thirty-tye feet high
oud eighteen feet in diameter at the base,
built of the same granite blocks, aud
consisting Of solid masonry. On the
f,uthcas. front OF the wall ans twenty
feet from It's base runs a double 2lgzag
scroll. one third of tho distance around,
comuosod of the same sized granite
bloctsplaced in diagonal positions. On
Che " kopie and hillside itself there are
numerous traces Of remains OF a similar
character. circular buildings wedged in
among boulders Of rocks. walled ter
rnccs. at least nine in number, and built
ON the very summit Is an enormous mass
OF granite blocksto be used apparently
as fort, and which, owing to the com
p,ete absence OF any disintegratlng
forces in this climate. Is in almost per
feet state of preservation.
The tendency 10 construct circular
buildings would seem 30 indicate an alb
s.nce Of intercourse with tho ancient
Egyptians, whose architecture WAS OF an
entirely different nature. cement beng
u..d between the courses and the houses
bsipp built square. Trees centuries old
lav1 grown in such proiusion as to
e,r.ouslyimpele systematic investigation
II the inscription with view 10 de-
termiuiug the race TO which tho lnhabl-
tants Of the city belonged. One thing Is
certain. that large and semi-ciyilzed
population must once have dwelled IN
these lands, and under conditions when
make slave-labor procurable to an I'M
limited extent The natives are densely
ignorant and hold no traditions rs to
the origin or purpose OF these strange
ruins. but there IS IA tradition among the
Portuguese which represents the RUNS
10 have been the capital city OF the land
ruled by the Queen of Sheba, ana their
ancient records are said 10 make ire
oucnt mention Of a people living IN that
mart of Southeast Africa and established
There long before their own arrival, and
whom they represents working Tor go'd
iu tine far interior. But whatever the
ORIGIN of the ruins. the bare possibility
tbat the couical tower may prove to be
the mmulus of tho Queen whom King
Solomon honorel is enough to fire the
imagination Of al the antiquaries OF the
EARTH
WE'RE THEY INDIANS?
The Hinloo who conquered Java
could readily have assembled the Zambe-
fla. sa micnt the Molays who conquered
Madagascar and who remain to this day
among tine lolltst and most adventu-
rous of all maritime peoples. 80 might,
and much moro probably, the Arabs,
who founded the Sabean hlngdom, who
would naturally be drawn, as their de-
scenieuts still are, 10y al irresistible at
traction to the great and immensely
wealthy continent just opposite their
doors Aud so. above all, might the
Fhuniciaus. Ii is known that the
agents of King Solomon belonged to
that race, aud the gold and ivory
which they brought to Jerusalem
must have come from one OF two
places-Aificn or India. We know, too,
that they were experienced metallurgists,
that they hunted the world FOR profitable
miues. Then, m opposition TO thus
theory. II would not nave been likely
that any foreign nation erecting these
structures would have changed in every
detail It's traditional mode OF archltec-
nre. There are no PhWLician, Cartha-
rcuian, Roman, or Moorish ruins OF
buildings in which the use of mortar Is
absent. nor is there any similarity IN the
general form Of the houses and walls OF
Iiuhabye with that Of any OF the ancient
ruins elsewhere on the continent OF
Africa Besides. the Egyptians never
vero known 10 use granlte-blocks en-
t.rely of small size, their walls bong
built OF huge blocks.
Then. whose were the hands that
raised these stony piles? What vanish
"a race and for what forgotten purpose
built these crumbling towers? Such
massive editices assuredly betoken the ex'
isience az one time Of a civilized people
in the interior Of Africa. The negroes
from whom descended the savage tribes
that inhablt Msshonaland to-day could