The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-02

| Solomon received in three years BOB talents
Equivalent to ........,.......$ 21,471, $40
The first voyage TO Ophir
| yielded .-..........-.......S lS'o4os"
The 900 targets of beaten gold''
would be worth today.........s 1,2Ss.6Oo
The 300 shields would be
| worth ...... ......................S sot, W
A sensation has Just been caused in
| London by the publication of Dr.. Carl
Peters account of his discovery in South
Africa of the precise location Of the IA
nous mines of Ophir. the golden treasury
Of wealth upon which Rider Haggard
based his remarkable story of king Sol
onions Mines" the golconda which has
for centuries inspired fables of dazzling
wealth, says the New York World.
Strangest of all, the German savant
found King Solomons mines guarded by
the descendants Of King Solomon's min
ers-degenerate descendants, it is true,
but, in spite of their barbaris complexion
and customs, unmistably exalted above
rival tribes by the blood of those who
sailed fromEzion -geber in search of gold
| and precious stones for the King of Is
rael
| 1t remains to be seen whether Ophir,
where it lies undisturbed in the heart of
the wilderness, is not ready at the stroke
of the modern implements to pour forth
again the yellow stream that flooded with
glory the Temple of Jerusalem.
King Macombe, who reigns over the de-
| scendants of Solomon's treasure hunters,
| has a hatred Of white men. and. having
| 1000 rifles at his command, is powerful
enough to command seclusion for his ma
ton. That he made an exception in IA
vor Of DR.. Peters is due to the German
| travellers diplomatic skill
Missangwe is the name of his head
quarters. 1t is the capital of the most
formidable independent kingdom in South
Africa, although it is situated only fifteen
miles south of the Zambesi, in a strip
distinguished on the map with the color
of Portugal
DR.. Peters and his little caravan were
menaced with humiliation under the
spears and rifles of King Macombe's war
riors. 1t was without precedent that his
majesty should allow a force of white
men to penetrate his kingdom.
But the explorer was prepared to risk
his life for the sake of finding the land
of Ophir. He believed he had found it,
In tn face of the king andofhis warriors
and his women he saw the faces of an
Client Palestine darkened and modified by
centuries of amalgamation with the ro-
bust children of the African soil
Here was an emergency worthy of the
exercise of his best adroitness. his best
courage, his best self-command Before
him were the children of King Solomons
miners, grown dusky with the ages
Within reach were King Solomons mines.
To retire at such a crisis was impossible
By appealing to the, curiosity of the
savage monarch the explorer gained a
parley. This was his opportunity TO open
his bales and produce his gifts.
But king with 1000 rifles is not to be
propitiated with the gew-gaws of the
trader. The moment thrilled with peril.
In the ranks Of Macombe's warriors
hands were frightened on spears and guns
were half raised. while the eyebaus of
the savages rolled toward the king,
watching for the signal of doom.
Desperately, fighting for time, the ex-
plorer threw up his arm with a com
handing gesture. Just then his eve lit
upon the gold seal Of a champagne bottle
protruding from one of his packages. He
whipped out the bottle and presented it
to Macombe, explaining by gestures and
broken speech that it contained 4 bever-
age for gods and kings.
As the monarch hesitated, DR., Peters
cut wire and string and the cork .pped.
Foam gushed from the neck ard the
white man fastened to fill drinking
vessel with the wine Macombe accepted
the cup and drank Within five minutes
another bottle had been preached and
DR.. Peters and the king were sitting over
it, hobnobbing like old comrades.
Thereafter the resourceful explorer en-
joyed the freedom of Ophir The native
name for the land is Fura. This means
mine" just as the Hebrew word Afur.
or Ophir, does. DIR. Peters attaches great
importance TO the coincidence. In TACT.
he traces the word Fura 10 Afur. the
name applied to that district by the
Arabs of the sixteenth century
Near at hand, in the shadow OF some
ancient ruins, lay King Solomon's mines
for DR.. Peters expresses no doubt as TO
their identity. The ruins he describes as
OF Semitic character. They had evil
IDENTIFY been Notifications. Under them
| he detected the presence of gold in a
large alluvial tract. and near by were
magnificent quartz reefs.
There appeared the traces LETT b. treas
ure seekers long centuries before Even
the surface workings were visible. but in
addition 10 these there were shafts, and
roads hewn into the solid rock. showing
where great army OF workmen. possibly
slaves, had toiled under the direction OF
some civilized intelligence.
Macombe and his subjects were not ig-
noTant of the e1istencs and the value OF
the gold. and they had a legend that the
mines had been worked in ancient times
By white people. who had been overcome
and absorbed By the Africans.
Dr.. Peters found them II many re-
spects quite unlike any other African
race Their name, Makalansa, signifies
People Of the Sun. Like the ancient Per
SLAMS, they are sun worshipQers and FIRE
worshlppers- They are much lighter in
color than the Kaftlrs and are rnagnia-
cent specimens OF physical manhood.
But the most remarkable thing about
them was that which had struck Or.
Peters in TIE first .nstance-thsIr Semitic
cast OF features. their lofty noble broEs
Il was clear that they were TIRE descend
ants q the Jews and Phoeuiciaus ser.
BY Solomon ana King Hiram Of Tyre to
dig treasure out ot the earth II seemed
70 him Significant that the superior race
stu asserted Itself il the ty3s. Gssp!se
centuries % 3Enslgamztloa with the say
axe
After the rainy season the MakaIauEas