New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-08
"SOLOMON'S MINES"
RUINS TRAVESTIED UNDER THAT NAME.

Record OF Excavation and Exploration In lsDl
a Chapter the Orientation and Mensurltion OF
the Temples by r. NJ. w. Swan. PIP. Xi 376
Longmans Green IL Co.
According to preconccivcl notions, South AT
fca would be the last place on earth TO look
for extensive remains OF prehistoric civilization.
The people who believe in the spontaneous gen.
Grafton Of FOLKLORE, ard OF the ideas and IN
venions which elevate humanity, have all along
pointed to Africa the home Of primitivism, OF
the natural man, and of the very beginning Of
things in sociology, religion and the like. Their
theories were strengthened rather than weakened
by the earlier discoveries Of the ruins in Ma
shonaland who went of prematurey into mysteries
respecting Solomon's Mines, because the search
for and the periodical discovery of the Land OF
Ophir had become Joke as we'll worn as that
of the sailors who tell how they have seen the
wheels of Pharaoh's chariot hauled up from the
bottom of the Red Sea the dukes Of an anchor
But when real investigations were undertaken IL
was found that far as mines were con-
cerned, the earlier narratives were well wl'hin
the bounds of truth, and that the error consisted
in hanging the facts TO an hypothesis that could
not he proven, and had no value. even II IL
could be shown to be true. For at best the
connection of Solomon with the long course Oh
Phoenician commerce was but momentary ana
trifing affair an incident almost modern COM
pared with the preceding ages during when
Phoenicians had carried on the trade OF the
Mediterranean and the Arabian Seas Whle the
old Egyptian legend concerning the Lana OF
Punt which rose to the dignity of history on
the monuments of King Saukhkara' WHO
EMPLOYED a seaman. Hannu-most likely rhoe-
nician. il his name is any critcrlon-to open up
trade with the people on the African and Asiauc
coasts below the mouth of the Red sea, COMES
near the chronological necessity OF the case
vet the Egyptian account OF Punt Is so vague
that nothing can be made OF III. Inc ohis
ron. N he remembered is that SaukhlSara reigned
about $500 B. c. Brugsch), so that long ana
adventurous voyages were familiar to the Esyp
fans as 70 their commercial allies nearly 500
wars before the forefathers of the Hebrews had
mad. their escape from Ur OF the Chaldeans AS
this southern commerce was kept up oy INC
Fovntians throughout the entire remaining perloo
Of their national existence. there Is 10 reasoh
why they, or at least the seamen they en
r,oved should have failed TO explore the eh'ire
East African coast. .
The nrobem as presented in the interesting
record of Mr. Bent's explorations is simple enough
throughout the region included between -"
seventeenth and twenty-thlrd paraileis Oh sou'i
latitude and the twentyelghth ana thHS
o.;a;ans of cast longitude there are frequently
ha
was taken by some unknown people at some
,,n,.rown time in the past but also the ruins
NJ fortresses so massive and we'll bulit tha' 'neS
have withstood the tempesfs and the troplcai
rrowths Of centuries 1t is Impossible 70 sup
nose that these works. the mines ana INC
for+reSses should have been the work OF ulpes
such as inhabit the country at the present oaS'
though there is telling how great the fnnu
once NAV have been which the original soiu-
hunting fortress-buldng race may nave eNer'eu
on the sa3aces by whom they were surrounded
Tho conditions are of a kind also TO precluoe
any dispute like the one which has arlsfn among
ethrolocists, archGeolOgists and comparative
nhilolo0ists over the origin of the Aryans, for
it is physical impossibility that the prehistoric
race which inhabited Mashonaland could have
come from the South, the East the West
The invasion must have been from the
North. and. considering the fact that human
vibrations are subject to the universal law Oh
motion along the line of least resistance IL Is
most likely to have been by sea
This probability that the movement was pS
sea suggests line Of investigation WHICH MI.
Swan the photographer and general scientist OF
Mr. Bcnt's expedition, regrets that ne hau h0'
the time to pursue. 1t is obvious that IL the coast
Of Africa alongside the highlands where 'he
yuins are found had been III prehistoric times
what it is now, a wide stretch OF feVer-Dfeeuihs
uuvum. the prehistoric invaders would have
lad as much difficulty TO reach the Old region
&C has been experienced in modern times Prac-
,;caIIv il has taken 400 years for Europeans
10 establish themselves in a country WHO"
coastwjse has been familiar ever since the hrst
,-ovanes of the Portuguese The Portuguese, as
Mr. Bent shows though they heard much OF the
strange ruins in the interior, were never aDic III
the times of their supremacy to reach Them. " hiV
particulars they had. mostly fabulous, were oe-
rived from the Arabs who had been from 'lhe
immemorial the traders Of Africa. TO ascend the
slupgish rivers in the lowlands to points con-
,.orient for trade was all that the Portuguese
cou,d accomplish nor is it likely that the pre-
historic naviqators would have done more. But
II is plain that their task was far hshter one
The Imagination must 90 back TO time Wheh 'iie
denosts from the rivers had not begun 10 en-
croach on the sea- or had encroached but htto.
In the valley of the Pungwe River this alluvial
deposit forms fiat, deadly stretch OF eixy-hVe
miles Approximately may be sure that "fen
.h, nrehistoric aold workers found their way to
Newfoundland the coast line was at tins point
si,tv-6ye miles nearer the granite mounds when
ara now crowned by their strange forts. Il am
sorrvn writes Mr. Swan, that in the rush 10
the coast | did not have time TO collect data 10
enable me TO form any idea of the quahll'y Oh
mud deposits from the waters OF the ruhg"e Ill
a 0iven time. but its waters hold in suspension
a great quantity of fine clay derived from the de-
composition of the granite in it's basin. and this is
aenosted where the river enters the sea" Inc
norts from which the prehistoric miners shipped
their treasure must have been at points now lar
inland. An estimate such as Mr.. Swan suggests
would furnish the basis for calculating not only
the antiquity OF the ruins, but for exploring the
lowlands in search OF towns, the centres OF com
MERGE which the gold country in the rear rendered
profitable Gold-digging was not childs play
with those prehistoric inhabitants OF Mashohi-