The evening times., 1900-01-12
CLEOPATRA'S RICH Mines
A London Expedition Fitted Out TO
Search for Them.
Hope Of Finding Gems That Have
3 Been Lost To the WorId-An Eng
1ish Diamond Merchant Confident
That He Has Discovered the Lo-
cation of the Missing Treasure.

Somewhere in Egypt are the richest en-
erald mines in the world. When the fasci-
mating Cleopatra was queen these mines
were part of her possessions and she kept
a number of slaves engaged in working
them. Day by day, urged on by the lash
of the task master, the slaves sought for
these rare gems, and each day the output
of the mines was sent to the Queen. This
is matter of history. So, too, is the fact
that the beautiful Cleopatra had so many
Of these gems that she was in the habit of
bestowing them upon those to whom she
desired to show her favor.
When Cleopatra died the location of these
mines was forgotten. For years mines of
gold, emeralds, and other precious stones
had been in operation, and yet they disap-
peared as mysteriously as they had been
run. Whether or not the knowledge of
their location had been a state secret that
was to be kept from the Roman conquerors
at all hazards is a matter that will proba
bly, never be known, but the fact remains
mines, and that before the Egyptians had
another opportunity TO operate them they
had forgotten where they were. For nearly
1000 years the immense wealth in these
mines has remained unclaimed More than
500 years ago an effort was made to locate
these properties, but without success. and
at last the mines Of Cleopatra came to be
regarded as fable that has no foundation
in reality.
Leader of the Enterprise.
A few days ago, however, a small but
perfectly equipped expedition left London
for the purpose of opening up the mines
of Cleopatra. The man who is at the head
of this remarkable expedition is Edwin
Streeter. a diamond merchant in Bond
Street, London, and he is so confident that
he has discovered the location of the buried
mines that he has entered into an agree
ment with the Egyptian government by
which ne agrees not only TO bear all the
expense of his explorations, but also TO
share the profits of his trip. In view of
this fact he is promised protection by the
government.
MIR. Streeter. who claims to have made
this remarkable discovery, is a man of no
little ability. Not only is he a prominent
figure in the commercial life of London,
but he is an explorer and archaeologist of
Tepuies dnQ dE VI COuslueTdU1S re-
nown. One of his books, Precious Stones
and Gems is already in its sixth edition.
and is regarded as one of the few standard
works in this field of knowledge. Under
these circumstances it is not strange that
commercial London should have been will
ing accept his remarkable story without
question.
According &c the statement made by
Mr. Streeter, the diamond merchant has
known of the location of these mines for
more than twenty years. Long ago he had
read of the famous Jebel Zebara mines and
OF the rich finds that they yielded to the
early Egyptians He had also studied
every page of history in which there was
any mention of the gold and jewels that
had been dug from the earth to add to
the wealth of Cleopatra. At last he be-
came persuaded that such mines had ac-
tually existed, and that they had been
buried in order that they might be kept
from the hands of the Romans. With this
idea In view he went to Egypt, bent upon
finding the mines that had once made that