The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-27
SOLOMON'S MINES
Not Rider Hazards but
Those ofthe Great King.
Cecil Rhodes Believes the Lost
covered In the Zambesi.

| SHIPS IN EZlOn-GeDer, winch Is beside
Eloth, on the shores of the Red Sea,
in the land of Edom.
And Hiram sent in the navy his SER
wants, shipmen that had knowledge of
the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
And they came to Ophir and fetched
| thence gold, 420 talents, and brought
it to King Solomon.
And it is said further that this navy
| of Hiram came once in three years
with gold and silver, apes and ivory
and peacocks.
And ever since then men have
dreamed of the lost mines of Ophir.
Gold and silver, ivory and apes and
peacocks can be found in India and in
Africa. So most students have set
tied on one of these two lands as con-
tanning the lost treasure houses of the
earth. Others maintain that the land
of Ophir was in Arabia. But Africa
| is the favorite place now, and so hard
headed and unvisionary man as Ce-
Gil Rhodes believes not only that the
mines are on that continent, but he
has reason to feel assured that their
location has been established almost
exactly, at least exactly enough to
make it possible to find them. In a
communication which he has just
made to the shareholders of the Char
tered Company he asserts that the
ancient mines are situated on the
tbp,. Of ba TO hos
er and that their rediscovery is under
way of being made a fact.
Now there has Just come news from
the interior Of Africa about strange
discoveries that at least point to COM
ing revelations of vast interest. The
report comes from an exploring party
under DR.. Carl Peters, and is to the
effect that in Macombies country
which is in South Zambesi-that part
of British South Africa known under
the general title of Rhodesia-he has
discovered a huge mountain, on which
there stand mighty and ancient ruins
of character identical with those dis
covered in Zimbabye. All the indica-
tons, according to the short report
are that they belonged to a settlement
of miners and aSSayerS, there having
been found enough evidences of their
to the profession of these forgotten in
habitants of inner Africa. Now it has
been fairly well established, as far as
theory aided by careful study and
knowledge could do it, that the inhab-
itantS of Zimbabye were miners who
worked for Solomon, and as these
newly found ruins are Identical with
Them in character, they furnish addi-
tional testimony in support Of the be-
lief that the world is on the track of
King SOlOmOn'S famous mines at last.
In his report DR.. Peters refers to the
old tradition that half days jour-
ney from the river Mansoro is a fort
named Massapa, and that near this is
the great mountain of Fura, very rich
in gold, and there are people who say
that this name of 'Fura' is corrup-
ton of the name Ophir." 1t is this
mountain in which are Cyclopean
ruins, according to the story. 1t was
to find these ruins that Dr. Peters
made his journey from the Zambesi;
he concluded that the Muira is the
ManSOrO of the old maps, and he in
vestigated that territory.
He found ruins there, of which he
says The ruin is about two miles
distant from Inja-ka-Fura. l went to
this ruin in the afternoon with Herr
Grammar, and we assembled it, I'M
doubtedly the first whites who have
done so for centuries, as Mr.. Puzey had
only looked at it from the bottom.
We stood in a courtyard before
an ancient Cyclopean wall, partly fall
len to pieces, partly rising up to II
feet to Is feet in height. With a feel
ing of awe l stood in the midst of
these remains of ancient, very ancient,
human activity. We discovered to-
ward the center of the top another
ground wall along the edge of the top
which led me to believe a second wall
formerly ran around the platform it
self. Why the old conquerors chose
this spot for their fort is easy to see.
The Muira touches the bottom Of the
hill, so water was handy. A second
river we have discovered at the back
of the ruin. | am certain we shall find
still more of these CyclOpean build
ings''
With this first authentic news from
DR.. Peters expedition the tongues of
the British officials who have in their |
charge the affairs of Africa have been |
loosened sufficiently for them to ack-
nowledge that the explorers trip is |
not in the interests of Germany, as
his previous expeditions have been, |
but in the interests of British Africa |
pure and simple. And the big men in |
South Africa have admitted even more |
they admit now that DR.. Peters and |
his British colleagues, among whom
are men of the British army, have |
been directly charged with 1.-The explo-
ration and exploitation of the aurifer
Gus territories on the southern afflu
ents of the Zambesi.'
'.Of course" said one of the officials
recently I'VE couldn't afford to in
vite ridicule by announcing in so
many words that what We were after
was the rediscovery and acquisition OF
the lost mines of Ophir. But that is
what we have sent this expedition for,
and we have every reason TO believe
that it has a fair chance to find them.
For many years hard-headed and pro-
sale but enterprising capitalists have
hal1aiIacr Rihlicai