Rhodesia the Ancient Ophir.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 96, 16 January 1900, Page 1

Rhodesia the Ancient Ophir.

Throughout the land of Monomatapa, which forms a portion pf our modern Rhodesia, exists what is supposed by many savants to bo the ancient land of Ophir, the home of the Queen of vSheba. Theie is evidence in all parts of Monomatapa that the ancients found thu mines in this country exceedingly mh, and yielding immense quantities. Everywhere the remains of workings on an extensive scale are found in this auriferous region, some of the mines dating back to 2000 b.c. Scripture tells us ho%v Hiram, tho Phoenician King brought enormous quantities of gold, ivory and slaves forgiving Solomon ; and where could all these have boon found together, and in such large quantities as described in Holy Writ if not from this portion of South-east Africa ? Job's references to ' gold dust ' locate the sources of Solomon's wealth in these parts, and certainly neilher the "ivory," the " slaves," nor the " apes" of bible history came from India ; for Africa, as is well known, has ever been credited in history as the " slave," " ivory " and " ape " producing country. Further, there is consideraple doubt whether any other country, India included, could at that period have produced the quantity of gold mentioned in Chronicles and Kings. Certainly, there is preponderating evidence to show that this land of Monomatapa possesses the oldest gold mines in the' world. Further, both Scripture and Heredotus tell us that it took Hiram's ships three years to make their voyages to bring theso treasures to Tyre, the port of Jerusalem, and we learn from records that Hiram on these yoyages, sailing through the pilltrs of Hercules, doubled the southern point of the African continent. The Phoenician were the English-i.e., the explorers merchants and navigators of the ancient world,— rand they discovered South America, anil left distinct evidences of their stone-cult religion

auo Worship of Nature ac rcpre; aenlcd by the Sun Lvfcb id SouiL. America and the South Sea Islands further, they were the n Jaiiavgists of the v.orJd, -n $h>i r,pdiUe» ranoan countries ;v t j i-\<Tf]c <u Arabia, Ryii?, ar>d ;r. i(i (t _ rtOli; N a: Cornwall, in Engknu, on j Lgp^^j., in Ireland. In theso places the peculiar and positive evidences of Phoenician, mining a^e not so absolute as in Monomafrpa. Here, in the Dark Continent comparatively within the, last few years, we are jusfc engaged in the re-di scov cry of what was patent to the world long ages ago. Scattered throughout this country are colossal ruing of fortresses, temples of distinctly Phoenician origin, identical with the ruins now seen in the land of the Phoenicians, and built by the sarn.e raes a? erected Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, and later built the rounded towers of Ireland. Here is the herring-bone style of buildings as; in Arabia, Sardinia, and the Brit'igtj Isles, There, too, are the gigantig monoliths, cloven stonos, and etoijg ciccle3, with altars and sacred en? closures, erected, as is SuOnehenge s on strictly geometrical and astron : omical principles, wifch their open' ings clearing the sun's passage to fche altar in the centre of the arc, fixed to the rising and setting of the sun either in the winter or ths summer solstice, and clearing, too, the passage of the sun's ray's to altars through other apertures in_ certain festive seasons. The golc[ ingot moulds discovered in Rhodesia, are identical with the tin ingotmoulds discovered in the ancien^ w >rkings of Cornwall uud Lehisteß, These si.rong'y built temples wera also the fortresses for the ancient gold prospectors, where they could seek shelter from the warlike tribes* of South east Africa, and they were, more — they were the storehouse fou the « gold duat " of the Old Testa, ment, and yet contain the crushing holes and smelting furnaces of the§3 adventurous miners. Round abou| each of chose ruins are to he founc] innumerable ancient workings ioj; gold, and evidences of succes^fa) operations abound to an extent i) some cases of 100 ft. They won. sufficiently experienced to kuov hov> to follow a reef, but th-n* crnshjj'2 operations, as the discovered tool*e/idenee, were pr^xixtn-o, and t\ey threw on one side all ibo hirde/ quartz which to-day stiJi s xgs whei 1^ it 'was thrown long ages ago.

" You haven't opened your iuout^ during the whole session," &aid an M. P. to a, fellowjnembsr. "Ob, yes, I have,'* svai the reply ; " I yawned through $h? whole of your speech." New Narse : " You are not afiaid of the bogey man, a,re'you ? " Little Miss Ayleet : 'i Oh, no ! I should be pleased^ to see him... He i 3 the best golf-player ja the country, is he not?" In his seraaon, preaohsd |n & sm«il cl^urch in Strathspey, g, eleigyman, ' .after inveigtiing againsf sicihfalness, said, in closing: "Do yois~ think Adam and Eve went about the OaMen qI Eden with the£r hands in theff pockets?" ", ~\ ' ' haggles : (t So tie married iha yido^ I though he had his ©ye on -the da^ghtor^ Waggles :~i ( - So h<3 had, bUtih ) «^idy^Jyj|» - her £yfi ou fci^,. 1 '