'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎349] (372/448)

1
But feeing we are now at Malacca) and in or near the Aurea Cherjonefus^ places lb ce
lebrated by reafon of that plenty of Gold has been brought thence, as induced feveral
Geographers and Hiftorians to fix Ofhyr there: Neverthelefs, finding the local place no
lels controverted, and according to various apprehenfions drawn into feveral contrary
quarters of the World albeit in that brief dilcourle I made concerning the Red fea and
Carmania where I made mention of the Burial-place of Erythrem there are fome glan
ces at if, I fhall here neverthelefs (as in the moft proper place) fpeak a little further
upon that fubject.
And firft concerning the Name: It is agreed by moft That it is derived from Ophar
Son of Joktan, Son of Eher, the third in defcent from Shew the Son of Noah, mentioned
in Genefis) chap. 10. verC 26. upon the fixing his plantation: which albeit the Scripture
clears, neverthelefs from analogy of the Name and from the abundance of Gold and Ivory
found in feveral oppofite parts of the Earth, the place is tolTed to and fro, whereby the
difcovery of the true place is obfcured and becomes more difficult*, yea, not any Hifto-
ncal part of Scripture more controverted that 1 can meet with,than this Ophyr. Amongft
many others I fhall inftance Kabanns Mawrus-y and from his light Chv. Columbus', whole Au
thority Stefhanm inclines to, and whofe joint opinion it is, That a great IQe that verges
towards the Gulph of Mexico was Oyhyr ; to which conjefture they are led by no other
reafon I can find than that the Spaniard has thence extraded a mafs of Silver, Gold and
precious Stones-, but no Ivory: albeit what they have (tawn thence is little, compared
with what other parts of the Terra firma in South America efpecially about 2otofi have af
forded *, which Mines neverthelefs are far more uberous in Silver than Gold, the laft be
ing the emphafis of Ophyr: a metal we fee by daily experience much more plentiful in
Afiick^and Afta than the new-found World that hath hitherto been difcovered. Howbeit,
tis probable that removal of Ophyr into the Occident, but elpeciallv the fimilitudeof the
Name in like manner perfwaded Goropim to infer (and not without Ibme vehemency)that
it was rather in Tern. Now the reafon he gives is, Becaufe Vemyam and Veru are har
monious in found; and indeed it is not deny'd that Ophyr and are terms conver
tible-, as may appear by comparing the 1 Kings 9.29. with theiChron. 3. 6. Where for
the better fortifying that conjedure, they with like reafon perfwade their Readers that
Sepher is that mighty Mountain or rather chain of Hills now called the Andes which furge
to a marvellous height and penetrate the heart of Peru, not ceafing their courfe until they
come in fight of the Streights called Magellane. Notwithftanding which Ortelim rejeding
that of the Teutonic perfwades that he has made a more real difcovery of the place in v£-
gtfymha or Sou^th Africk^: for in his Thefaurm he mentions a Town and Province called
Phura a part of Sojfala which was attainable by Solomons fhips from Euon-geher without
the help of any Gompafs, and where there is fuch ftore of Gold, precious Stones, Ivory
and Ebony ( v/hich fome take for the Algummin wood) as no other part of the World
attords more plenty. Yea, to ftrengthen that imagination others fuppofe that by the
word