The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-10-29
GOLD MINES
OF 4 QUEEN
How Sheba's Ruler
Obtained Her
Wealth.
Am ORE than 1900 miles to the north

ifA OF Cape Town, in the land over
which Livingstone made his IA
nous march when Africa was yet an
unexplored waste, and near the Fam
besi river, is supposed to be the site
of the famous mines from which the
Queen of Sheba derived her vast
wealth of gold, and it is from this
country that Captain Whittle, formerly
Of the South African Horse, came first
to England, and thence to Honolulu.
He is now in the city for short stay,
and will resume his voyage around the
world on the next steamer leaving for
New Zealand and Australia. In COM
mand Of a squadron of the South Afri-
can Horse, recruited at Cape Town
from among colonials, and men who
are always seeking adventure, Captain
Whittle accompanied the members of
a gold mining concession which had
for its field of labors the country
known as Mashonaland. For five years
he and his command remained in the
jungle combating malaria. and al
though supposed to be horse troops, the
men performed most of their duties on
foot. The climate has a bad effect on
horses, and few that are taken into the
jungle come out alive. They are at
tackled by a sort of fever which gen.
orally proves fatal.
1t Is in this country of wonders, full
of lions, elephants, crocodles and 9TH
or game, that hunters go thousands of
miles into unexplored lands to kill,
that the officer saw the vast ruins.
marked with a peculiar carving which
is similar to the Greek border, or more
properly styled the bowl heading q
succession of VS.. These ruins were
supposed by the men to be the ruins
of old forts, but archaeologists, after
examining them. declared them to be
the remains of an ancient civilization
of n high type. None of the races in
that part of Africa have any traditions
concerning them, and some go so far
as to suggest that they We're once part
of the realm of the Queen of Sheba.
In connection with these are many
shafts ranging to a depth of sixty or
seventy feet, from which the wealth
of the famous queen is supposed to
have been taken. No tombs We're found
and no tools of any description locat-
ed by which the ruins could be def
nitely traced. A long chain of ruins
is to be found, with an occasional tenn
pie evidently dedicated to a mysterious
but bestial pagan rite.
Another interesting feature which
the writer saw, was that described in
Rider Haggard's Allan Quatermain.'
The caves which are described by the
fanciful writer were explored by him.
Their appearance is that of artificial
Improvement, although they are natu-
raj caves, some of which are of a
length not ascertained by any of the
party. He also saw the original of
ALLAN Quatermain," who is a South
African hunter, man of title.
What gives archaeologists the i'm
preston that this was once land ruled
by the Queen of Sheba, is on account
of n similarity of names. For instance,
there Is n river there called the Sabi
river. which is now generally believ
ed to be contraction of Sheba.
Gold mining in Mashonaland is
fraught with difficulties which make
it an expensive undertaking. The OFF,
Ger states that no dependence can be
placed on the natives of the region to
work the mines. Everything had to
be transported at great expense, the
armed horse We're paid five shillnSS
day and found, and railways Were
not to be thought of seven or eight
years ago. The malaria has to be
fought at all times, but even with all
these terrors before them, recruits
among the adventurous class were al
ways to be found. When the horsemen
first appeared among the natives of
Mashonaland they were believed to be
centaurs, and the question was asked
whence they had been driven. Often
the men We're compelled to live on
maize and the flesh of oxen, which was
not the most palatable, and they were
beset on all sides by lions, and where
swollen streams and rivers We're en-
countered, by crocodiles with a PEN
chant for human flesh, especially that
of the natives. The men We're bare
footed on some Of their marches.
Now the railways open up the coun-
try to within 200 miles of the Zambesi
and stretches of railway are being laid
at intervals, soon to be connected in
one great railroad extending from the
Cape to Cairo. Gold mining will then
be more profitable, as the country can
be more readily exploited. The gold
is there in quantities, but is difficult
to make profitable at present.
Hunting was a great pastime among
the men of the command. There were
plenty of antelopes, or Glands, all of
the horned species, and none with ant
lers. Lions We're plentiful, while the
rhinoceri and elephant herds We're fast
disappearing. South of the Zambesi
ii was estimated that only few herds
had survived the onslaughts of native
and white hunters. AS a result, ivory
has gone upward in price. The lions
often attacked the men. In the case
of their dispatch bearers, one or two
were attacked and eaten. These men
rode one horse and led another. After
these catastrophes, an order was is
sued whereby the dispatch bearers
went two by two, 1t was found that
the lions only became man eaters
when they became old and could not
bring down their accustomed game, as
in their young days.
The officer and companion once lay
in wait for lions near the carcass OF a
horse which was badly decomposed.
The smell was So strong that two lions
came upon the two men from behind,
but did not attack them, as the odor
from the horse evidently confounded
their scent of the live men. One of
the lions stood almost over the officer,
and when he turned suddenly TO rest
his elbow on which he had been lean
ing he was startled at gazing directly
into a pair of eyes. unmistakably those
of a wild beast. The lion was as much
startled as he, and ran away with such
rapidity that no shots could be taken
The men moved later into a small en-
closure where they could watch the
carcass. The lions came to 1t, and as
.