| Show A AI ost LOST NATION 1 A writer in the natal merc mercury tiny under date when treating of the ruins of bimbane Bim Sim baoe 66 A days march from andews between t two hills at the end of a vast gna and fertile valley are the ruins of axum to this d day ay incredible flights of stone steps conduct the traveler up to the summit of the hills in one of which are found deep grottoes and vast hills cut out of the rock and according to the traditions of the country is the tomb of the fhe queen of saba the adjoining valley shaded by majestic trees is filled by the ther remains of the city consi consisting ring Aing of huge blocks of stone very little of the debris reveals their former purpose there may however be distinguished two groups of fourteen or fifteen obelisks thrown down seven of them are discovered with ornaments and are not less than thirty six feet in length these masterpieces of ancient architecture pre reveal to us the fket fact of an ancient civilization in the heart of africa which has as disappeared again thousands of yearb years since tells us of a mighty empire existing here mentioning in particular saba I 1 and says it was so p powerful 0 gerful that even the roman boman and part parthian hian strength could not prevail against it this last statement was taken from a a greek inscription found among the ruins engraved in stone on the reverse side is ls another engraving in some ancient language which has not knot yet been deciphered the savage tribes guard these ruins with jealous care no living animal is allowed to be killed in fhern them no tree per permitted to be destroyed everything connected connect ed with them being held sacred as belonging either to a good or evil power A missionary sio bio nary nany who penetrated within a short distance of the tho theiu julns ins writes in this country were also found some some very verb old guns in a hole holp in the mountain we got one of these guns and found it to have a wheel outside with cogs or teeth and a tradition exists that they thay came from these ruins the often tell us when asked if they acknowledge god I 1 about thebie stones in the banyai where all created things are to be seen even sphinxes pyramidal shaped buildings and catacombs cata combs |
