Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-08-06
DIR PETERS, SCIENTIST,
AND HAGGARD, NOVELIST,
ARGUE THAT THE OPHYA OF KING
SOLOMON WAS IN EAST AFRICA.

claFing his belief. az q result of his
discoveries in South Africa during
the last two wears, that the country
between the Zambesi and the Sabi is
the Ophir Of Solomon.
From discoveries already made in
Egypt, he says, ave know that the
Egyptians penetrated FAR into Central
Africa $500 years before Christ. My
present discoveries show that they
were still there 100 years before
Christ, hut had bean departed 30 years
later. This Egyptians built up civil.
ization in Central Africa and main
tanned it for centuries. My evidence
consists of Yelics and hieroelyphics.
| have rneartted an Egyptian god
dess, Isis, bearing an inscription
mating the identity indisputable. |
have found numbers of bushm en- g
paintings and statuettes faithfully
reproducing the Egyptian style
among the rocks OF the Zamhesi, and
have brogght to light carvings repro.
seating an tgyptisn ship, which bore
An expedition south, ard on the arms
Of natives have discovered survival
of the system Of tattooing which
prevailed in E2ypt.'
DR. Peters is rot first who has con-
viaced himself that Ophir Law soue.
where on the east coast OF Africa, for
the l,te Mr. Bent ard other recent
writers believe that they had I9enti-
| fled the famous emporium wherce
Solomon, the king of Israel oh.
tanned gold for the the temple at Je.
rusalam ard two of Rider Haggard's
Govels are hased m this theory. 1t
must, of course, be admitted that re-
g
doubtedly exist in the locality indi-
Gated, and that these possess consider.
uble antiquity cannot be denied.
The theory which would place
Ophir in lnoia, on the banks of the
Irdus, had much in its favor, and
when it is remembered that the prec-
ious stones and alnug tree, which are
mentioned With the gold of Ophir,
are the peculiar products of India, it
is little difficult rot to accept it
without more ado. On the other
hand, the age and peacocks Tor par
rots as some would translate the word
tukkiyvim, which were brought to
| Ophir, indicate that its site was
nearer Palestine than Inuia for it is
we'll known that peacocks would not
have lasted several months, and
must also have been made in an
ope1 boat. Toe fact isl that many
places can produce, and must always
nave produced, gold in great anuo.
darca, and we are driven irresistibly
to the conclusion that more than ote
place bore the name OF Uphir.
DIR Peters first advanced tuis III eCry
in 500 a M unpnI1p' DT %
given in the Reforner columns. BE
fore he started from England he said
be had acquitted geographical iGfor-
nation which led ne TO believe that
Fura WAS near the eastern entrance
of the Lupata George. There have |
found it. II is situated on the rank
of the Muira river, about il miles
south of the Iamhesi and hslf aey
between Sera and Tete. Fnta is the
rative corruption Of the Vori Afnr,
by witch name tie Arabs OF the six.
tenth century knew the Gistrust
form Of the Hebrew name Ophir. |
have ample proof that the Fura We
discovered and explored this sum
mcr is the Ophir Of the OH Tesla
nept. Afur, or Ophir in the Semitic
language, means mine. Fura IN the
language of the people who now in
habit the district also means mire
The natives, who ara under the
poxerful chief Macombe, which
means people of the sun. Unlike any
other Africans | krow, they are to
this day sun sDd fire wOrshippers.
They are quite unlike the ordinary
African, and have distinct Jewish
tyle Of face aud in my opinion they
are a mixture of the Asiastic conquer
ors With the original inhabitants of
the country.
Fura itself | found to possess a
formation of quartzite slate and
Giorite, between which gold reefs
were running. Under the ruins | |
found large alluvial tract, in which, |
We discovered gold, and near it mag
nificent quartz reefs. The ancient
uorri ngs witch | found were not only |
surface workings, but there we're also
shafts and roaCs hewn into the rock. |
MY theory with regard to Ophir,"
said the doctor in conclusion, is
this: The ancieut conquerors heard at
the mouth of the Zamnesi of rich
alluviHl gold up river and sailed up
to the eastern entrance of the Lupata,
beyond which rapids made navigation
difficult. They then proceeded over
land to the very walls of the forth
cations. ruins of which We have dis
covered, alluvisl and also reef gold.
They then settled for considerable
period, and sfteraari migrated to
the west topard the Ruenye. They
eventually settled in the cool climate
of Iuyanag, conquered all the districts
vest and south vest as far as the San
yats river and Tete, and built great
empire along the Zsmhesi and Sabi
rivers. The aucieat Sabaean empire
probably lasted for Thousands of
years. Its existence was well known
among the Semitic nations, and it is
interesting t1 note tnat Ophir is al
ways mentioned in the Old Testament
without any explanation as to its To-
cality. | have seen enough to be
assured that all the products of the
ancient Ophir are to he found on the
Zsmbesi As result of my inveati
cation, the Arabian and Indian
theories regRrtiingOp1ir f-ll to pieces,
aud | claim Enthusiastically to have
located this year tie COLLEEN OpHir of
King Solomon and King Hiram.
W III West, regro policeman, ard
the only man who ever arrested a
president of the United States, has