about two o'clock in the
afternoon
I prowled about among these intensely interesting remains for several hours , until close upon sunset in fact , examining them and striving to puzzle out their origin , and then made my way back to the wagon , where I found Piet and Jan rapidly working themselves into a fever of anxiety about my prolonged absence , and earnestly debating the propriety of instituting a search for me . So profound were the interest and curiosity aroused within me by these remarkable and mysterious relics of a lost and forgotten civilisation that when Piet awakened me on the following morning with my early cup of coffee and the enquiry whether it was my pleasure that the oxen should be inspanned , I determined to devote at least a few hours to their further examination , and issued my instructions accordingly . Then , as soon as we had all breakfasted , I ordered Piet to take the sporting double-barrel while I carried my rifle , and , with the two dogs accompanying us , set out to complete my inspection . But , beyond the finding of an elaborately sculptured stone sarcophagus , which we took the liberty of breaking open , and which contained a mummified human body and several earthenware utensils decorated with exquisite paintings -- one of which I appropriated and carried away -- we discovered nothing further that was worthy of particular mention ; and about two o'clock in the afternoon we inspanned and resumed our journey . An hour later , however , at a distance of some three miles from the ruins , we arrived opposite a hill of solid rock some four hundred feet in height and about a mile long , in the face of which I observed what I at first took to be the mouth of a cave ; but , looking at it more closely , I presently perceived alongside it a great mass of debris . My curiosity again got the better of me , and , calling a halt , I walked over to it and proceeded to examine it at close quarters , with the result that I soon convinced myself that the `` cave '' and its accompanying mound of debris could be nothing else than an ancient working ; while upon entering the opening , which extended inward and downward for a distance of nearly half a mile , I discovered evidence enough to prove that the working was that of an extraordinarily rich gold mine , visible gold showing everywhere in the worked face of the rock ! And at once the idea seized me that if I could but contrive to ingratiate myself sufficiently with Lomalindela , His Majesty might be induced to grant me a concession to work the mine , and so place me in possession of wealth `` beyond the dreams of avarice '' .