The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-07
FOUND LAND
Of H|ITIES
One of the Abiding Places of
the Great Nation Discovered
PEOPLE ARE A MYSTERY
Region Which Has Not Been
Occupied for Centuries.

penheim. the German diplomat and trav
eller. is spending the summer here, rest
ing after arduous labors and excitin
adventures. and incidentally revising III
proofs Of forthcoming volumes 0
travels.
Baron Oppenheim's fame as an ex
plorer has been won in four or i've ex
petitions into Africa and Arabia. Con
corning vast regions in Syria and Meso
potamia, in particular, he is the soil
living authority, being the only Euro
pean who has penetrated them since the
decay of the cities and states that once
covered them.
Baron Oppenheim's last expedition was
particularly fruitful in results Of human
and archaeological interest. a prelim-
mary report upon them has been made
to the German Royal Geographical So
ciety, but the full account is not yet
ready for publication. I have. however,
/ by the courtesy of Baron Won Oppenheim.
made acquainted with many most inter
esting hitherto unpublished facts concern
! ing it-one OF the most interesting expior-
/ ing expeditions Of recent years.
| This journey, which occupied seven
months travel in country hitherto IN
known 10 the civilized world. was made
/ especially to throw light upon the char
1 acter OF the eastern Syrian desert and up
per Mesopotamia, never before touched
by exploration but supposed to consist
merely of interesting extensions Of the
great Arabian beginning OF time unpopu-
lated and uncultiyable
So far from truth was this presump-
ton that Baron Oppenheim's expedition
found itself traversing the seat Of q once
mighty civilization. country crowded
with majestic ruins Of hundreds or towns
cities castles and towers. belonging 70
the most diverse periods of time, and
witnessing TO the fact that here for many
centuries. for some mnlenia. human life
had teemed. and dynasties, states, So
cieties and religions had risen and fallen.
Wonderful architectural remains. rem
nants OF ancient art, numberless inscrip-
tions at every hand preserved the mem
DRY OF a long history which until this
moment had been forgotten by the race
OF men. now scattered over all the earth.
but in primitive times making this one of
its chief sbodes.
The monuments it was impossible to
bring back 70 civilization, but the ex-
plorer made photographs OF over 1900
objects of interest. together with mem
oranda. measurements, and all possible
data regarding the main fea lures brought
tc light. Among the chief trophies Of the
expedition are rubyings OF a thousand
inscriptions. over 500 Of which have prov
ed to be new. and OF the greatest interest
Some OF these are religious some are the
ancient equivalent OF State documents.
others are of domestic and personal sort.
throwing vivid light upon daily life
here long before our era.
The regions explored by Baron Open
heim appear to have been inhabited up
TO the close Of the fourteenth century.
1t was then that the Tartar hordes from
the north came down upon the land.
overwhelming the nations that occupied
IT and extinguishing ali life. before
sweeping on TO follow their conqueSts in
Europe. leaving this now desolate area
to the wolf and the prowling Bedouin.
Before the Tartar came. the land had
been under the dominion Of local Sui
tans owing suzerainty TO the Abbaside
Calphs. descendants OF Haroun al
Raschid. Of Bagdad; for a period. the
Crusader knights had held sway over il:
before Islam had appeared. Byzantine
and Roman Emperors were the masters
here; still earlier the land was held by
Greeks. descendants OF the generals Of
Alexander the Great: and prior to the
Grecian era. its history stretched back
through Persian and BabyIonia-A ssyrian
culture 70 that OF the Hittites-that prim
tive race whose seat and the character
Of whose civilization are among the chief
riddles OF history. but undoubted traces
Of whom have now at last been brought
to light.
There IS therefore 70 be found here a
series Of records OF successive stages OF
history, superimposed one upon another. .
Ike writings on a pslimpses.
Baron OpPenheim was peculiarly dtted
to the hazardous plunge into this region
By reason Of much travelling fl the des-
erts OF Africa and Asia ard among the
Arabs. He had explored The far interior
y Morocco. had crossed from Damascus
to Basdad by route never before taken
~ a European traveller Baron Open
helms great work From the Mediter-
-anean q the Persian Gulf Is indeed
he standard description q the syrian
Desert and Mesopotania-
The Baron has been very popular al
Newport This season He has been en-
ertained BY al the leaders 81 the cot
age colony. He Is a delightful talker
md his company has been universally
ought.
he was intimately familiar zith the
! "A bic dialects and customs having
wed for months in Cairo in house II
he Arabic quarter. keeping free from
n intercourse with Europeans. and again
or months n The desert cuItirattng
rsendships among the Bedouln tribes
ne Barons last ard eliminating expe-
itioa vas. IL fact made 81 direct con
eeueace % hints given by Bedoula
riends IL Syria that = country of u1onu-
nsuts lay north Of the Euph-ates.
The caravan consisted - twelve horse
cen. al vel equipped ana vel armed:
NO Europeans besides ihe Bzron.
senographsr and Photograph. and .
sck animals. cauels or mules. In Ger
ain portions CT The Journey ar escort
1 Be6ouins vas taken.
The journey Vas marked BY very great
sborS and tatiE1ss- n some stages b
rest suffering from lack Of water. za5 /