Hello all
Here's one of stories I found in my travels when searching for some thing else. it takes you back to another time.
The 1930?s era is all but a distant memory to our parents, grandparents and even great Grandparents for some. It was the era of the Great Depression with a lack of jobs lack of hope and for some the great struggle to overcome. It was the era that toughened up people for the horrors that were yet to come.
Perhaps even our own time is an ominous warning of what is yet to come for us?
It was an era that spawned countless stories in the newspapers of treasure stories from all parts of the world. Was there any truth in these stories from the 1930?s? Or was it some vain attempt of newspapers to entice poverty stricken nations to believe in dreams. To me it is the Era of Humphrey Bogart and the Maltese falcon and the later Iconic stories set in that era of Raiders of the lost Ark etc. That inspired many to romance about fortune and glory that dominated that some how lost decade.
There was real life expeditions to Coco Islands and the pacific, South America, Lassiter in Australia a whole host of men of all ages and nationalities roaming the countryside looking for work and any odd job that came their way, all dreaming of fortune glory and any treasure they could find.
One such story is pretty much lost to history. It has not been heard about for over 70 years. In the Canberra Times dated 19th may 1931 a strange story filtered through diplomatic circles about an alleged discovery of a Lost City in the deserts of the Kalahari in Africa.
The lost City of the Kalahari
Mr. Piet Grobler minister for lands in South Africa set upon an expedition to the Kalahari Desert to look for an ancient lost city alleged to be buried there. The Lost City was first described by an American man called Farini. Not much is known about him. He and written a book in 1871, claiming he had discovered a lost city in the Kalahari Desert.
It is from Farini?s 1871 book we have this description of his discovery. He related this story that his caravan of a few white men and Hottentot natives were heading from a North West direction came across a small hill with a long line of stones resembling the Great Wall of China. The Stones were of enormous size and once side has looked like it had been faced and had cement attached to it in places.
They followed the wall for about 1 mile and discovered it was semi circle inside the wall was oval structures that had small entrances. Farini set to work his natives in an excavation and found a floor and what appeared to a Plinth of which the lower portion was fluted. They Search for any sign of script but found none. Farini natives became superstitious and refused to dig further. Farini did sketches and took some photographs of the site. This is allegedly in his book.
Farin believed that there was at one time in history a chain of forts for a people came here in search and trade in gold and gems and the network stretched across Africa.
The account of the lost city was verified the bush people and by a surveyor by the name of Mr Roger Jackson who claimed that some natives found a strange idol in the Kalahari that resembled a Buddha that was given to a missionary and sold.
Another man known by the name of Anderson is to have known a lot about it. And Gert Low a man who accompanied Farini also mentioned the lost city to Mr Boreherds of Upington. It appears by all accounts the ruins cover an area much larger than the ruins at Zimbabwe.
Interesting enough there is a story of a free booter called Scotty Smith who spoke of the locality and not of location who claimed the shifting sands reburies the city and from time to time reveals itself again.
The South African minister of lands also said there is speculation about there was perhaps a chain of enclosures or forts crossing across the lower half of Africa. It this story true or another tale of treasure fermented by the imaginations of desperate people from a desperate time?
As strange as the story is I have never been able to trace this rare book as the article never mentioned the name of this book. It is kind of romantic to believe that perhaps some where out there is still lost cities to find in the deserts of the Kalahari? One can imagine one?s self on entering a lost city lost time only discovered by those who dared to dream.
But the shifting sands of the Kalahari claims her own and she chooses when and how she reveals her hidden treasures, only take it away again to taunt us like the flirting lady she is.
Hardluck
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