Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 305, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1918 — LAUD OF LOST CIVILIZATION [ARTICLE]

LAUD OF LOST CIVILIZATION

Abundant Proof That Africa Was al One Time Peopled by Races‘of High Intelligence. Evidences are multiplying that Africa contains the secrets of a greet civilization. At present It is partially a savage land, given over to savage animals and equally savage men, and ft is difficult to conceive that in the mists of antiquity this continent was peopled by Intelligent communities. In the last century a great deal was .learned about-this dark continent, and; the South African company , did much to add to our store of knowledge; The expedition of this company into Mashonaiand, in search of gold, passed the wonderful ruins of Zimbaye, pearly 200 miles due west of Sofala, »n the Indian ocean. They Have been attributed to the Moors, the Phoenicians and the Persians, and it is said by the old chroniclers that there were inscriptions, which modern archeologists have set out to decipher. '• These structures were reared of granite, hewn into small blocks a little larger than a brick, and put together without mortar. In all the walls are seen two or three courses of masonry, where tfle granite blocks are inserted in zigzag fashion. There Seems to be no doubt that they were erected as plaees of defense, and also for the smelting, storing and protection of gold, eoppe/ and other metals. On removing a quantity of the surface rubbish inside, there was found what was evidently three large circular roasting floors, formed of burnt fireclay and slightly concave. There were also remains of slag, and other evidences that the place had been used for smelting metals. It is certain that the last thing civilized men would expect to find in this region, where the natives belong to the lower stages of human development, are these great'rock structures betokening the existence of a former civilization amid these wilds. The natives have not eyen any/tradition as to the origin of the ruins. There are many facts proving their great antiquity, and among them the circumstances that at one of the great ruins at Zimbaye an ironwood tree, which was undoubtedly hundreds of years old, had risen through the wall and spilt it.