1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: If you travel around South Africa, you might wind up 7 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: Inclining Karu, an arid valley in the Western Cape. Nestled 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: between two mountain ranges, the valley is known for stunning 9 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 1: views and gorgeous weather. It's also home to nine elaborate mansions, 10 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: each looking like a tiny palace fit for a maharajah. 11 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: These are called the Feather Palaces. They were built by 12 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: nine South African families who became rich the feather craze 13 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 1: of the early nineteen hundreds. Yes, you've heard that right, 14 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: the feather craze. Now, if you've never heard of it before, 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 1: you are not alone. Most people have no idea that 16 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: at one point feathers were worth more by weight than diamonds. 17 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: Even more bizarre were the lengths that some people went 18 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: to to corner the feather market. They were ready to beg, borrow, 19 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: and literally steal just to get their hands on some 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: ostrich plumes. By nineteen ten, American women were obsessed with big, 21 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: stately hats adorned with bushy feathers. The bigger the feathers, 22 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: the better the hat. Some women even fixed taxidermy birds 23 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: to their brims. After all, why settle for a few 24 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: feathers when you can have the whole animal? And Ostrich 25 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: feathers were the fluffiest feathers on the market, so they 26 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: were the most sought after, and since they had to 27 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: be shipped from overseas, they were expensive. At the time, 28 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: South Africa was the ostrich farm capital of the world. 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: Ostrich feathers were the fourth largest X point, just behind 30 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: gold and diamonds, and interestingly enough, the ostrich trade was 31 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: largely run by a Lithuanian Jewish community. They had escaped 32 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: Czarist rule and emigrated to a town called Oatshorn in 33 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: the Klein Karu Valley, where they swiftly set up ostrich farms, 34 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: and before long they were raking in the dough. At first, 35 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: they enjoyed a feather boon and made money hand over fist, 36 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: but soon enough American competitors crowded into the market. The 37 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: South African ostrich industry needed an edge if they wanted 38 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: to stay competitive with American ostrich farmers. Now, the best 39 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: ostrich feathers in the world didn't actually come from South Africa. 40 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: They were plucked from barbary ostriches. The problem with that 41 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: was that nobody knew where barbary ostriches were from. The 42 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: prevailing rumor was that they were bred in Nigeria. So 43 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: the South African government decided to fund an expedition to 44 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: Nigeria to see if they could figure out where the 45 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: ostriches were bred and whether they could buy some. Naturally, 46 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,119 Speaker 1: they hired a group of agricultural professors to lead this expedition. 47 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: So in nineteen eleven, a small group of professors landed 48 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: in Nigeria. They hired one hundred local men to carry 49 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: their luggage and equipment into the Sahara Desert and they 50 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: set up camp along a trade route, and every time 51 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: a trader passed through with ostriches, the professors would secretly 52 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: inspect the birds to see if they were these sacred 53 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: barbary ostriches, and eventually some traders passed through with a 54 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: flock of the desired birds, but there was a problem. 55 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: As it turns out, the ostriches were not from Nigeria. 56 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: They came from just across the border, which at the 57 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: time was a French military territory. The South African government 58 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: asked France if they could buy a flock of barbary ostriches, 59 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: and predictably, the French government said no, and that should 60 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: have been the end of the conversation. But remember ostrich 61 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: feathers were South Africa's fourth largest export. They desperately needed 62 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: to stay on top of the market, so they told 63 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: the professors if by the birds, just steal them. And so, 64 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: in the dead of night, these professors snuck over the 65 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: border and into military territory. They ducked past soldiers and 66 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: gangs of bandits until they finally located a massive flock 67 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: of barbary ostriches and they managed to make it back 68 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: to their camp with one hundred and fifty six birds 69 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: in tow. Of course, this presented the professors with a 70 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: new challenge. They couldn't just take the birds on a 71 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: train back to South Africa because that would arouse suspicion. 72 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: So how would they get the ostriches back across the 73 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: Sahara Desert. Well, remember those one hundred local men they 74 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: hired to set up their camp. Well, the professors hired 75 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: the men again to carry their belongings and help them 76 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: build crude ostrich pens out of sticks. They then loaded 77 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: the ostriches inside the pens, marched them about one hundred 78 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: and eighty miles across the desert to Lagos, where it 79 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: was safe to board a boat for home. And when 80 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: they arrived back in South Africa with these birds, the 81 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: professors were lauded as heroes. For the moment, it seemed 82 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,239 Speaker 1: as if had saved the South African feather trade. But fate, 83 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: as always, would get the last laugh. Just a year 84 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: after this elaborate heist, the feather industry collapsed. In the 85 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: United States. Cars were becoming a popular mode of transportation, 86 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: and cars back then didn't have tops, so it was 87 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: impossible to wear giant, feathered covered hats while sitting in 88 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: the front seat of a car. Women traded in their 89 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: feather hats for driving caps, and the price of feathers plummeted. 90 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: In the end, the professors risked their lives for a 91 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: journey that wasn't worth the trip, but in terms of 92 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: great stories, it's safe to say that this one was 93 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: a real feather in their caps. In fourteen eighty five, 94 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: a Portuguese sailor, let's call him Alvaro shall we strained 95 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: against the oars of a rowboat, swatting at mosquitoes as 96 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: he went. He and his fellow sailors were on a 97 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: river in the rainforests of Nigeria. They hoped to find 98 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: the rumored city of Benin, which was said to contain riches. 99 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 1: Unlike any scene in Europe, traveling through the jungle was exciting, 100 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: but also uncomfortable. There were bugs everywhere, and Alvao couldn't 101 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: remember a time when he wasn't sweating profusely, and there 102 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: was always a lingering fear in the back of his mind. 103 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: They could become lost in the jungle, possibly for nothing. 104 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: They were only even here on the word of travelers 105 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: and traders who claimed to have met people from Benin city. 106 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 1: Alvaro's heart sank when, after a few days of rowing, 107 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: the river finally came to an end they would have 108 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: to leave their boats and proceed on foot. The river 109 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: had at least provided some direction. Now they would be 110 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: completely at the mercy of the jungle, but after only 111 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: a short bit of walking, Alvaro and his crew were 112 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: stunned to find a dirt path clear as could be 113 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: leading them north. Their hearts soared. Perhaps this was the 114 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: way to the city, and so they continued on. Alvaro 115 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: kept his eyes on the horizon as always, hoping to 116 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: catch a glimpse of their destination, and his eyes were 117 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: eventually drawn to a strange bird perched atop the tree line. 118 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: At first, Alvaro thought that it was some kind of 119 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,239 Speaker 1: huge condor with its wings expanded, but as they got closer, 120 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: he realized that it wasn't moving. It wasn't a real 121 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: bird at all. It was a carved one perched atop 122 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: a tower. They had found the city. Alvaro raced ahead, 123 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: hurrying up the road, unable to contain himself. When he 124 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: crested the next hill, he was unprepared for the site 125 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: that unfolded before him. Benin city was massive, stretching out 126 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: as far as the eye could see. Dozens of towers 127 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: with the carved bird toppers dotted the skyline, but most 128 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: impressive were the walls. They were about ten feet high 129 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: and they stretched for thousands of miles. It seems, surrounding 130 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: the city and also breaking it up into a series 131 00:07:55,920 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: of interconnected communities, and each community was constructed with order 132 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: and precision. The streets were long and wide, dividing up 133 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: the buildings in endless rings. They were also dotted with 134 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: metal lamps that Alvarro assumed illuminated the city at night. 135 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: He and his crew were greeted warmly at the gates. 136 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: The people of the city wore bright and colorful robes, 137 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: unlike any Alvaro had ever seen before. They guided the 138 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: crew through the streets, and Alvaro could peer into each 139 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: building as they went. They had no doors, Apparently the 140 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: citizens weren't worried about theft. Each home looked very similar, 141 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: with a central chamber and two rooms connected to it, 142 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: and he could see that the main room was for 143 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: the patriarch of each house and the side rooms were 144 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: for the women and children. In fact, the more he looked, 145 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: the surer he was that the town centers were full 146 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: of life, with people trading in the exact kinds of goods. 147 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: The crew had hoped to find, large elephant tusks, plentiful 148 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: cracked pepper, and textiles that would have surely impressed the king. 149 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: When Alvarro looked ahead again, he suddenly realized that the 150 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: gate guards had led them to what was surely the 151 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: royal palace. It was constructed out of incredibly smooth clay 152 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: walls that were so clean and polished that you could 153 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: almost see your reflection in them. Bronze artwork adorned the entrance, 154 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: showing the king's many accomplishments. Alvaro had expected to find 155 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: some thatched roofs and mud huts. He had not expected 156 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: a city that rivaled any in Europe. Once inside, he 157 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: and his men immediately bowed as they approached the throne 158 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: of none other than Oba Ozulua, legendary king of Benning City. 159 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: Alvaro and his fellow soldiers quickly produced bars of brass 160 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: and copper to show what they had to offer the king, 161 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: who smiled, telling them that they were welcome there. It 162 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: seems that a door had been opened between two kingdoms, 163 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: and it would change this legendary city forever. You see, 164 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: the additional bronze and copper from Portugal would allow the 165 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: king of Benning City to war with neighboring kingdoms. The 166 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: city soon became involved in the slave trade, selling their 167 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: captured enemies to the Europeans, and ruling over a large 168 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: empire soon meant that there was infighting and civil war 169 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: inside Benning City. By the late eighteen hundreds, it was 170 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: an easy target for British colonization, who destroyed the city, 171 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: so that today the only evidence of its former greatness 172 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: is found in the journals of the explorers who visited it. 173 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: For the European explorers of old, there might have been 174 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: no greater discovery than a lost city, But looking back, 175 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 1: it would have been better for those cities to remain 176 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:35,560 Speaker 1: as hidden as possible. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided 177 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on 178 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting 179 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me 180 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make 181 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 182 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: book series, and television show, and you can learn all 183 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 1: about it over at the Worldolore dot com. And until 184 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.