The evening times., 1900-01-26
TIE DISCOVERY OF OPHIR.
Or Carl Peters Tells Of Finding the
Ancient Gold Mines

a. ION l4le LlLlun SiaElaTa-f
Dr. Carl Peters. ON his arrival from
Africa gave some details regarding his dis
c9very Of Ophir. As a result Of his inves-
LEGATIONS on the subject. the explorer was
convinced that ne knew the location ot
Ophir. DR. Peters at the time kept his in
formation secret but claims now that his
original theory was correct and that ha
has actually discovered Ophir. Tn con
versati0n with Reuters correspondent. pr.
Peters said,
81 have this summer explored the cOun-
Try between Zam1esi aud the PUugwe in
Portuguese South Africa and Eastern
Mashonaland. Before 7 started from Eng
land 7 had acquired geographical Iuforma-
lion which Ted me TO believe that Fura was
near the eastern entrance OF the Lupata
Gorge. There I have found IT, DO Is sit
u8Jed on the banks OF the NUfrg River
about fifteen miles south Of he Zambesi
and half way between Se2a and Ttte Al
the time OF my discovery Z had with me
Nj PUZey and twa mining engineers.
Nessrs. Gramauu and NapolskL
"FUra is The native corruption OF the
word Afur. by which name the Arabs of
the sixteenth century knew the district OF
which 7 am speaking a fur Is the Sabaeau
or South Arabian form oi the Hebrew
name Ophir- I have ample proof chat lna
Fura We discovered and explored this
summer is the Ophir Of the Old Testament
Atur, or OPhir. in the language of the peo-
pie who now inhabit the district also
means mine. The natives. who are under
the powerful chief Narumbe. call them
selves Nakalangd which means People o.
the sun. Unlike any other Africans /
know they are 90 this day sun and ire
wlrshipers. They are quite unlike the
ordinary African and have distinct Jewish
type of face and in my opinion. they are
a mixture OF the As-atiC conquerOrs with
the original Inhabitants Of the country
"On arriving iu the district 7 found that
the natives had some idea of the existence
OF the ancient Ophir. in fact they wash
gold themselves after the rainy season.
and after storing iT I'm quilts do q fairly
large trade in it with Beira ana TCtC. At
first l had great difficulties with these pCo-
pie. For 6ve weeks they refused 20 sell
me food and performed ~ar dances 10
frighten me. NaCombe Che chief. then
sent his brother CunteJe TO me demanding
what / meant by entering his country
BY this time however. as l had succeeded
in getting food from Other sources, Cuutetc
seemed inclined to be friendly. 7 made
friends with him, and I have brought him
to England
Up to the present his greatest surprise
is that he has not seen the sun. This chial
regarding the position of the ancient ru ms
and workings. which 1 az once iuyesti-
gated. Going 10 the spot indicated. /
found ancient ruins OF undoubtedly Semitic
type. I discovered phallic embiems which
nave always been connected with the an
cient Semitic sun worship. Fura itse
found to possess a formation of qu1rtziuc
slate and diorite, between which gold reefs
were running. Under the ruins I found
large allUvial tract, in which We discovered
gold. and near it magnificent quartz reefs.
The ancient workings which l found were
rot only surface workings. bus there ue e
also shafts and reads hewu into the rock
I have built a station in this district. and
also one in InyanEa both Of which are in
charge of trust worthy Europeans. l IN
tend next summer to further investigate
the traces OF diamonds, coal. white mica.
and saltpetre which we found.
My theory with regard TO Ophir said
Dr. Peters. in conclusion. rs this: The
ancient Sonquerors heard az the mouth OF
the Zamtesj OF rich 3lluvial geld up river
and sailed 40 20 the eastern entrance OF
the Lupata. beyond which rapids made nav
igatIon difficult. They then prrcee Eel
overland and found under the very walls
of the f0rtifcatioGs truirs OF which we
have discovered) ;lluviaI and also reef
gold. They then settled for a considerable
period aGd afterward migrated To the we
toward the Ruenyc. They eventually SET
tied in the ecol climate OF Inyanga. con-
GUered all the districts west and southwest
as far as the Sanvate River and Tete. ard
bailt a great empire along the Zambesi
and Sabl rivers. This ancient Sabaean
empire probably lasted for thousands OF