Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15
KING SOLOMON's MINES.
speculation as to Their Discovery and
Richness.

discovery
Richness.
From the London Mall
Ihis is story quite on the modern liter
airy lines, for it ends with note of inter
rogation.
IL begins with the scene of DR. Carl
refers, the German explorer, rummaging
about In an old German castle a few wears
back.
In this ancient Teutonic schloss DIR.
Peters came upon a musty volume, to-
gether with quaint old map, published in
France in 1719 or thereabout
This work and map, according to one Of
Dr. Carl Peters associates dealt with the
doings of the Portuguese 200 years earlier
In the country bordering on the Zambesi.
and are to form the key to the whereabouts
OF gold mines in the heart of Africa. The
course of the Zambesi was shown on the
map roughly, but accurately and on the
south bank of the river appeared Mount
tura. Now, concerning Mount Fura
thirst for science and a thirst for gold had
already bred in the good doctor certain
suspicious.
So he set to work, 1t is recorded in sys-
'ematlc fashion to get all the works he
could find on the subject. He is credited
with possessing a wonderful memory and
OF being capable of recollecting minute de-
tails for years afterward. Some of the old
writings thus hunted up went back to tie
was the trail followed up. says an admir-
ing chronicler through the dim and dust
strewn realms of centuries-old bookland.
The recent works were studied, too, and
at the end of two years, in July, 1898. the
German traveller promoted in London a
company-the DR.. Carl Peters Estates and
Exploration Company, Limited = for the
purpose of purchasing properties and
rights which had been acquired by him in
southeastern and central Africa, and for
the conduct by DIR. Peters of well-equp-
ped and carefully selected expedition to the
district where he hoped to discover Mount
Fura, and to test his surmises about that
mysterious locality.
The vendors took 70 900 fl shares in part
payment, and the expenses of this expedi-
ton and sufficient working capital would
be provided, said the prospectus, by the
issue of 25,OO0 shares.
Well the expedition, with Dr. Peters at
its head. and the clues afforded by the old
writings and the old map in constant use,
duly discovered the mountain of Fura, by
the middle of 1899. and DR.. Peters was con-
WINGED his cherished hopes were we'll found
ed. Those hopes were nothing more nor
less than that Fura was Ophr, the Biblical
land of gold, the source of Solomon's fabu-
lous riches.
Fura, the good doctor contended, was the
native corruption of the word Afur, by
which name the Arabs of the sixteenth
century knew the district. Afur was the
Sabaean, South Arabian, form of the
Hebrew name Ophir. AS DR.. Peters after
ward assured representative of Reuters
Agency, for the information of the world
at large, he had ample proof that the Fura
which his expedition had discovered and
explored in the summer of 1899 was the
Ophir of the Old Testament = the Ophir
the first Book of Kings, in both Books of
Chronicles, in Job, in the Psalms and in
Isaiah.
A chief. the doctor said. gave him valua-
BILE. information regarding the position of
ancient ruins and workings. which he at
once investigated Going to the spot indi-
Gated he found ancient ruins of undoubted
Semitic type. Fura itself he found TO pos
sess formation of quartzitfc slate and
diorite between which gold reefs were
running. The ancient workings which he
found were not only surface workings, but
there also, he declared, shafts ana
roads hewn into the rock
How the shareholders must have palpi-
tated when they read, in a report DR.. Peters
presented to the directors, that when the
Portuguese arrived in East Africa about
the year 1900 the Arabs called the district
Afur and told the Portuguese 1t was the
Ophir of the Old Testament. For a glance
at l. Chronicles, Chapter xxx, verse i,
would show them that David gave to over
lay the walls of the temple 1900 talents
of the gold of Ophir. and upon the au-
thority Of +. w. Madden, NJ r. A. s., au-
thor of History of Jewish Coinage" etc,
they would know that talent OF gold was
worth $1,000.
from Ophir. and the inexhaustible nature
of the supply would be apparent when they
pursued their Biblical researches to find in
l. Kings, chapter tx. verse %, that there
was brought from Ophir to Solomon. 400
talents of gold. equal to a modern value
of e.. 500, 900. and that, again. in ii. Chroni-
cles, hoapter viii verse Is, mention is made
Of another dip by Solomon into the Ophir
mines to the extent of 40 talents Of gold,
or e., 10000.
But by now cold shivers of doubt may
have succeeded to the first warm thrills;
for year has passed since the wonderful
discovery was made, and two years since
the company was formed, and no millions
Of pounds, nor hundreds, nor tens, nor
even units have yet come the way of the
expectaut shareholders
But instead come unexpected whispers
that what purported to be King Solomon's
mines are not works thousands OF years
old, but just mere ordinary collection OF
sand and rock hills.
Is 1t vertically the Land of Ophir, and II
so, have David and Solomon left much gold
for the shareholders in DIR. Peters Estates
and Exploration Company?
Moses annual September sale.-Advt.