'THe 'Seven Wonders of the World' is 00 familiar an expression that it is little surprising that no one has hitherto roudored us equally conversant with the 'Seven Secrets of the World' as 8 corresponding phrase. By this would be indicated those unsolved historical problems which continue to puzzle people of an archaeological tarn of mind, and which, if necessary, could no doubt be counted up ea as to make seven. The Chinese, however, who have a sort of passion for artauging everything under namorical categories, are by no means particular as to an odd number or two, seeing that Mr. Mayers gives the names of no fewer than nine signs under the general epoch of if we, therefore, find that the unsolved problems refuse to add up exuolly to woven, ueilber we shall at any rate have for {the itiscouracy of Besides, there are in all nota dozen people who to the ques.
'o some it would which they are prepared to defend with their very lives, and such persons, at Toast, would not consent to the me clusion of this subject among the Seven Secrets of the World. The personality of Homer and the historical character of the Siege of Troy need not trouble us much either; indeed, comparatively fow persons take any interest in quod. tions the nature of which is purely and simply literary, and for one man who cares a straw about the authenticity of the Casket Letters or the identity of Jauius there) are dozens who are at. tected by the more imaginative and romantic speculations which de the site of Paradise, the whereabouts of the Ten Tribes of Israel, and the eeoret of the Great Pyramid, And thi natural enough, There is jast sufficient, light thrown upon these Asian Mysteries to make us long for more, but not sufficient toguideus very far in the direc. tion of fresh discoveries. I'wo learned sciolists, as we have lately seen, claim to have fixed upon the exact spot indicated by the rivers Bison, Hiddekel, Gihon, and Euphrates, where grow the Trees of Knowledge and of Life; but alas for their disciples One states that Eden was at the North Pole, the other that it was in @ mountainous nook of Syria where the Drases live. How the North-Pole pundit reconciles his " diss with the clear geographical given in Genesis is not ox. plained: but if we oan be sure of auything we may be sure of this, that Havilah, Assur, and Cush do not lie within the Arctic Circle, and hitherto, at any rate, the shores of the frozen sea Lave not shown any signs of being rich in gold. We fear, then, that the sword of secrecy still guards our approach, to the primeval Paradise but how about another absolved pro. blem, that of the whereabouts of the tribes who revolted under Rehoboam No doubt the Anglo-Israelites will be very angry when they find the really very striking claim put fore ward by the Afghans. The heritage of Jacob is not lightly to be wrested from those who, in their own belief, have enjoyed it for ea long. The Afghans appear to Lave been a nomad race for many long centuries, and their historic cal records probably are fow; still, here we have something far more tangible' to go upon than the crazy misapplicas tions of incomprehensible prophecies to which the Banner of Israel treats ite readers week by woak, and a fine field of investigation is offered to the serious student of comparative history, Que of the queerest attempts made of lata to reavlye a world-secret la contained
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.