The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-07-05
TIE A OF A
Romantic story OF the Aasoppo HiIia,
Where Lies the BODY OF the
Famous Cecil Rhodes.

Vhe can easily appreciate the cir
eunstanees which induced Cecil
Rhodes to saett for his resting place
the solemn, peaceful grandeur Of the
Matoppo hills, says the London Mail.
For it was there that the most tragic
episodes Of his life were enacted, and
It was there also hat in the dark days
Of the Matabele rebellion he saw men
willingly sacrifice themselves in the
cause Of empire.
But Of the many brave deeds per-
formed by the men who took part in
what has been described as "the race
for the V. c." near the place where
he is buried, none surpassed the act
Of heroism by which Mr.. Rhodes
Brought the war 20 an end. Unarned,
he rode into the heart OF the enemy's
encampment, called a great indaba OF
conference Of the chiefs, spoke to them
as a father might TO his rebellious
children, and did not leave until he
had induced them to proclaim peace.
The rock upon which Mr.. Rhodes sat
at this historic assembly is now a
tranquil spot, which he always loved,
and is the place of his sepulchre-a
tomb more enduring that the Pyra-
mids.
The Matoppo hills stretch in a north
easterly direction from Buluwayo for
a distance of a hundred miles, their
greatest breadth being IS miles. The
place Of burial is situated about 80
miles from the town.
Nearby is a part OF the hills which
bears the important title of "The
Worlds View" The prospect from
any chosen summit makes a deep inn
preston on the spectator. Tt is i'm
pressive without being picturesque.
As far as the eye can see there is
spread out before him a panorama of
treeless mountains Of varied shapes.
mostly of abrupt outline, suggestive
Of a turbulent sea stilled by an ON
nipotent haad. The base of the hills is
fringed with trees, and here and there
is a clump Of thick bush. In places
great gorges draw black lines between
the mountains, which, moreover, are
punctured with giant caves, where the
Matabele took refuge during the re-
bellion, and could have held out for an
indefinite period had not the genius
and daring Of Mr.. Rhodes put an end
to the outbreak. The predominant
note is massiveness. and stability, for
the bills are Of granite; but the hard.
ness is toned down by the green of the
lower foliage and the soft, velyety
n Of the sky above. It was the
poet in Cecil Rhodes which impelled
him to his choice.
In places the traveller m upon
groups Of ruins which in this out-of-
the-world region strangely stir the
imagination. It is difficult to realize
that these h~abitations were occupied
by gold seekers SO long ago as 1000 B..
C. When one thinks Of Rhodesia It is
Invariably Of the great possibilities
which the future holds for the coun-
try. But what of Rhodesia's past?I
Three thousand years ago as gold
hungry as the "%greenestr prospector
Of to-day secured the Matoppos and
the surrounding country for the pre-.
cious metal. These crumbling ruins
once contained the furnaces for the re-
torting and smelling Of the gold. In
many quarters huge excavations are
found where the ancients dug far down
into the bowels Of the earth in search
of the metal. Several Of these mines
are still the largest on the earth's sur
face. The galleries are caked with
layers Of SCOT from the torches of the
workers. One historian estimates that
the ancient miners discovered millions
of pounds worth of gold in Rhodesia.
These early emigrants are believed
TO have been Phoenicians, who, as the
Old Testament shows, were a great
%colonizing people. Several writer's
have lately arisen to proclaim Rhode
STA as the yeritable land of Ophir, "a
land teeming with gold and precious
stones" Hitherto India has been re-
garded as the Ophir Of the ancients.
but savants now claim that in the light
OF recent discoveries India must re-
nounce that distinction in favor OF
Rhodesia. One writer goes so far as
TO assert that Job was a Rhodesian.
basing his inquiries on the words in
the Book of Job: ,"Surely there is a
vein for the silver and a place for the
where they fine it, The his
torian attempts to identify the "plaee"
as zimbabye, where many ancient
ruins abound. The land now known
Rhodesia was, he asserts, in Jobs
days one of the few civilized coun-
tries in the world. For centuries aft
erward 1t was overrun by savages.
and the man who rests in the land
that bears his name did more than any
to reclaim it to civilization.
Buluwayo, where the coffin rested
for some time, wa until the year 1899
- 49, w.