Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-17
RUINS OF AN AFRICAN CITY.
Strange Walls shown to Mhshonaiahd
Expiorers by tho Natives.

Strange walls shown to Mashonaland
Explorers by tho Natives.
The correspondent OF the London
Morning Post, accompanying the
british South Africa Compiny's expedl-
tion into Mashonaland, writes: 4" must
not omit to attempt description OF
the ruins of Zimbsbye, about fifteen
miles from camp. We were led
TO the spot by two native guides.
and some distance off could already
make out through field glasses a
large. bare surface OF granite wall
placel high mp on a rocky kople. Aswe
neared the foot Of the kopje alarmed ma
tives could be seen hurrying about IN ell
directions, evidently hiding their women
and cattle, as is their wont III these Ma
tabele raiding-grounds before they have
assured themselves OF the peaceful ~
tention Of strangers. A present OF a
blanket TO the chief coon. however,
smoothed the way to friendly relations,
and finding that we were eager 70 see the
wonderful stones they led M at a trot
from relic TO relic, one more astonishing
than the other.
1.-The impression left by the Zimba-
bye ruins is bewildering. The apparently
aimless and unmethodical manner IN
which in most unexpected places bit oil
a wall. small turret or buttress, peers
through the long grass, almost hid
den in the jungle, or boldly walls
up cnasm in the precipitous
rock. leaves the untutored mind II
state of hopeless confusion and con
lecture. 1 must content myself with
chronicling the fact that my astonished
ewes have seen q wall eighteen feet thick
nj the base, tweuty-seven feet high, en-
closing circular space about eighty
wards in diameter. Mr.. Harman ano
myself attempted to measure 1t by tape
bat the thick jungly underground d
singing weeds prevented as from carry,
ing out our intention. We contenteo
ourselves with scrambling to the rough
top of the wall, and following it round
until we were confronted by a cOnica
turret thirty-seven feet high and appa
rently quite solid.
Retracing our steps, with the lnten
| tention of measuring this structure We
/ found ourselves in a labyrinth OF clrcu'
lar walls, all running parallel to tho
outer wall, and varying IN thickness
/ from five feet to six feet, some ending
abruptlv in ruins, others abuttiug anc
forming cW del SQcj but The
one nearest to the outer wal
formed with it moat-like space
about six feet wide aud diverged OF
nearing the turret so as to enclose 1t, bu
allowing it to be approached byan open
ing which is guarded on its inner anC
left-hand side by pillar of masonry ST.
feet in diameter, and which probably wa
originally eight feet to ten feet Il
height. The enclosing inner wall ter
inmates in square space, with evldenc'
Of an entrance at its far end having peer
subsequently blocked up.
1.-The big wall is in state OF perfec
preservation no cement has been used
and. with the exception of one gap. 1t
rs perfect as on the day IN which 1t wa
first put together. Some clue to tn
origin of this extraordinary settlement
in the wilderness may be given by tn
fact that the wall is ornamented by
frieze twenty-five feet from the ground
and in its T.. S. f.. aspect only. tn
frieze is of zigzag pattern, formed O
thin slabs Of granite let In between tn
courses"