THE LAND OF MIDIAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 187, 9 August 1877, Page 4

THE LAND OF MIDIAN.

Some interesting particulars of an exploration of the ancient land of Midian just made by Captain Richard Burton, the celebrated traveller, have been published at the request of the Viceroy of Egypt, the Suzerain of that region. Of these particulars, the Home correspondent of the Otago Daily Times supplies the following summary: — The country is situated on the East side of the long arm of the Red Sea, known as tbe Gulf of Akaba, and is cut off from the said gulf by a range of granite and porphyry momuaius, wbich run parallel with the sea, and can only be traversed by tho " wadys " or gorges cut by streams. These wadys are now nearly all bare rock, yet Captain Burton fouud there the traces ol the former existence of a largo population — such as large towns of solid masonry, *' roads " cut iv the rock, aqueducts five miles long, remains of massive fortresser, artificial lakes." He also reports great discoveries of old mines, and of mineral wealth still unexhausted, and as he was accompauied by M. George Marie, who is described as "an able mining engineer in the service of the Khedive," it is to be presumed the statements mude on tbis point are those of a skilled witness. They are remarkable enough. Tiu and antimony were found, as well ns evidence of the former existence of turquoise mines. Silver ond gokl were also found, and the latt«r both in quartz and iv the beds of the streams, was found by actual experiment to be rich enough to pay the cost and trouble of working. " Each ruined town," writfS an Alexandria correspondent of the Times, to whom I am indebted for these interesting particulars, '• had its mining works; dams for the washing of sand and crushed rock were frequently seen, scoriae lying about near ancient furnaces; iv short the traces are numerous of a busy mining population in a couutiy which seems to be lull of mineral wealth. From Makua (Mugna of tbe maps), the capital of the iand of Midian, up to Akuba nt the bead of the Gulf, Captaiu Burton reports the country as auriferous, aud he believes the district southwards as far as Gebel Hassaoi— a mountain well known to geographers— to possess the same character. • He even goes so far as to suy he has brought back to life an ancient California. * * * Captain Burton has kept elaborate notes, and he main-

tains that they will bear out his golden views of the land of Midian." The Khedive is much pleased at so unexpectedly glowing an nccountof a region totally unknown, and he has asked the Foreign Office to grant bim Captain Burton's services again next winter in order to make further explorationsL Meanwhile the specimens brought away by the expedition are to be chemically tested. Captain Burton, writing under date May 17, to a friend iv Edinburgh, says " The whole story, wbich reads like a bit of « The Arabian Nights, j will come out in my volume ' The Gold Mines of Midian,' which await only the* plans and sketches of the Egyptian! officers, an J the report of the Viceroy's! mineralogists. You really can congratulate me. The land is one medley of metals," It is interesting, in view of these discoveries, to note that in the Scriptures the weahh of the i Midian ites, is prominently, recorded, especially in! Numbers, chapter xxxi., where we read that they had cities and " goodly castles," large flocks and herds, besides "jewels of gold, chains and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and tablets." A^ain, in Judges viii , 24-27, special mention: is made of their gold earrings, ahd the i chains on their camels' necks; and in< Isaiah Ix., 6, Midian is mentioned in| connection with the gold of Sheba,' All the references seem to point to gold: as having once been plentiful in the land of Midian. What if the next gold-rush should be to the mysterious land where Moses once kept the sheep of Jethro, the priest of Midian. his fatber-iu-iaw ?