The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-07
KING SOLOMON'S MINES.
EUROPEANS FIND RUINS or AN
AFRICAN CIVILIZATION.

Rider Haggard's Story Not a Myth-An
Enslaved Population Which Dug the
Gold for the spIendors of Ancient Jeru-
salem.
Allthose who have read Rider Haggard's
graphic description Of King Solomon's
mines will be interested TO know that the
mines in question, far from being merely
a product of that writer's fertile magma
ton. are a reality, and that they have been
traced and discovered by the Mashonaland
expedition of the English Southeast Afrl-
can company.
Zinbabye, an ancient city in Mashona-
land, was visited many years ago by the
German traveller Mauch, but he did not
appear to have any knowledge Of the ex-
istence of gold mines, nor did he offer any
hypothesis as TO the ancient people who
had inhabited the city. The next occasion
of it's being visited by Europeans was when
some members Of the British South Africa
conpany's pioneer force stumbled upon
the ruins, which lie ut the base Of strik-
ing and precipitous granite cliff of 'kopje."
An outer wall about four feet high runs
apparently around the entire "kopje," but
owing to a dense jungle this wall could
not be traced further than half a mile.
Next come indications of a second and in
ner wall which, for the same reason, was
unable to be traced for any distance.
Then amid perfect labyrinth of re-
mains of smaller circular buildings stands
high wall of circular shape, from 30 feet
to 35 feet high, forming a complete in
. rfz in
This wall is 10 feet thick at the base and
tapers to about feet at the top, is built of
small granite blocks about twice the size
of an ordinary brick, beautifully hewn and
dressed, laid in perfectly even courses, and
is put together without the use OF any
mortar or cement whatever. This in
closure is entered 10y mere gap IN the
wall, but which, at one time, was well
built entrance, as it is clearly shown by
the rounded of courses
AN ANCIENT TOWER.
Inside the building itself and close to the
entrance and outer wall stands a cone
shaped tower 35 feet high and IS feet in
diameter at the base, built of the same
granite blocks, and consisting Of solid ma
sonry. On the southeast front of the wall
and 20 feet from its base runs double
Zigzag scroll, one-third Of the distance
around, composed of the same sized granite
blocks placed in diagonal positions.
The tendency to construct circular build
ings would seem to indicate an absence of
intercourse with the ancient Egyptians,
whose architecture was of an entirely dIt-
ferent nature, cement being used between
the courses and the houses being built
square. Trees. centuries old, have grown
in such profusion as 10 seriously impede
systematic investigation of the inscriptions
with a view to determining the race to
which the inhabitants Of the city belonged.
One thing is certain that large and semi
civilized population must once have dwelt
in these lands, and under conditions which
make slave labor procurable to an unlim-
tied extent.
The natives are densely ignorant and
hold no traditions as TO the origin or pur-
pose of these strange ruins, but there Is a
tradition among the Portuguese which rep
resents the ruins to have been the capital
city of the land ruled by the queen Of
/ Sheba, and their ancient records are SAID
to make frequent mention Of people hv-
/ ing in that part of southeast Africa and es-
! tablished there long before their own ar
| rival, and whom they represent rs working
| for gold in the far interior.
WHAT HISTORY SAYS.
Whose were the hands that raised these
stony piles? What vanished race and for
what forgotten purpose built THESE crum-
bling towerss Such massive edi1ices as
suredly betolen the existence at one time OF
/ a civilized people in the interior of Africa.
/ The negroes from whom descended the
savage tribes that inhabit MashOnaland
/ today could not have been the people.
/ That their day was long ago is proved by
/ the state of the ruins, into which big trees
| have burrowed and forced their way.
The historian Josephus in his work says
that the queen who was attracted to Jeru-
salem by the naguifcence Of King Solo
mons court was aqueen Of Ethiopia named
Nicaule or Nicauls. This statement is
strengthened by aa Ethiopian legend,
which says that queen OF that country
named Mokeda went to Jerusalem, where
she became a worshiper OF the true God,
and that King Solomon was the father of
her son named Memlek, whose surname
was Ebn- -Hakim, which signifies ''son OF
the wise"
Later on history tells rs the queen en-
tered Jerusalem followed by 4 gorgeous
kullS OI lGLulleIS tALu Ol NailtlS ApssN-Sh
with perfumes nuggets Of gold and pre-
cious stones and rich ivory. New Africa
produced all these treasures in great pro-
fusion, and when after King Solomon de-
parted from the religious ways of his fore
fathers aud followed the worship of idols
he became so reduced in circumstances by
his reckless extravaganza that he had "a
borrow money, il was from Africa that his
revenues came.
Driven 10 desperation, the Jewish king
had recourse TO the means which Is taken
by sovereigns at the present time TO raise
money-he borrowed and failed TO pay his
creditors. The mines operated by the peo-
pie of the queen of Sheba were taxed to
their utmost TO supply her lover king with
money. and She Corresponded with him
through the means of n bird named "hud
hud," who carried their messages. The
scientific name Of this bird has never been
known, but it might have been carrlel
pigeon, or perhaps numbers OF these birds
were kept for that purpose, but the legend
distinctly states that Gully one bird wa
Used.-London Cor. New York World.
A Sanitary CUspidore.
That diphtheria. catarrh and even tUber
culosis, as well Is many other diseases ar