The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-05
OLD WALLS IN AFRICA.
There Was Neither Mortar Nor Co.
ment Used in Their Con-
struction.
Ruins OF Absorbing Interest to
the Antiquary and this
Archeologist.
OF Massive Character and Still Quite Per-
feet In Appearance-Their Dis
covery and History.

The existence Of certain ancient ruins not
far from the British South Africa company'a
camp on the Newfoundland plateau was re-
ferred to recently in letter to the London
Times from q correspondent from that
point They were at the head OF what ID
known as the Providential pass. Il have
since had the good fortune to visit them,' =
he recites in second letter. land now
seize the first opportunity Of chroniclina
the existence in this neiRhborhood OF ruins
and remains Of absorbing interest, not only
to the antiquary and archseologist but Of 80
massive a character and still sufficiently
perfect appearance az to make even the
most casual and Indifferent sightseer pause
in wonderment, and for the first time in his
life, perhaps, betray genuine desire to be
supplied with some information about these
relics of the ancient past.
"Some twelve or fourteen miles from our
camp to the southeast, close to the edge of
the plateau, lie the famous ruins Of lin
babye, long sought for and discovered by
the wellknown German traveller, Mauch,
and alluded to and illustrated upon verbal
descriptions from him) by Baines in his
work entitled The Gold Fieldsof Southeast
Africa The general impression at the
time when Mauch's discovery was first made
known to the world was that he had good
deal exaggerated what he had seen, and
drawn considerably upon his imagination
for many of his facts and features. As a
matter of fact, however. his description of
these marvellous remains is, as many mem-
bers of this expedition are now able to tes-
tify, in the main exact and correct.
II have neither the desire nor the neces-
sary knowledge to enter upon any elaborate
disquisition on the subject in this present
letter. prol ose to give merely brief but
accurate description of what we have ac-
tnally seen, that cannot fail to prove Of
interest to the most general reader. The
ruins themselves lie at the base of striking
and precipitous 'kopje,' inhabited by one
Of the Mashona tribes, under chief called
Moghabi. The first feature to be noticed
on approaching the skopje' is the existence
ming, apparently, right round the entire
'kopje,' but, owing to the high grass and
dense iunglellke underground. it was found
impossible to trace this wall more than half
a mile. Next come indications of second
and inner wall, which it was also impossible
to trace for any distance, for the same
reason. Then, amid a perfect labyr-
inth of remains of small circular buildings
"a mighty maze, but not, apparently,
without some plan-southwest of the 'kopje'
and 300 yards from its base, we find our
selves confronted with the startling and
high wall of circular shape, from thirty to
thirty-fve feet high, forming a complete
enclosure of an area eighty yards in diam
eter. This wall (about ten feet in thick
ness at the base and tapering to about
seven feet or eight feet at the top) is built
~ 10 c1~< 80
otan ordinary brick, beautifully -hewn and
dressed, laid in perfectly even courses and
put together without the use OF single
atom of either mortar or cement. This
strange Enclosure is entered on its eastern
side by what at first sight appears to be a
animation reveals to be what was once evil
IDENTIFY we'll defined narrow entrance, as
shows clearly by the rounded-off eau, ses.
Inside the building itself (which is most
difficult to examine thoroughly, owing both
to the dense underground and presence Of
which conceal traces of, seemingly, series
OF further circular or elliptical Walls). and
close to the entrance and outer wall, here
thirty feet high, stands conical-shaped
tower, or turret, thirty-6ve feet in height
and eighteen feet in diameter at the base,
built OF the same granite blocks and con-
sistlng OF solid masonry. Lastly, the re-
naming feature of this building to be
touched upon in this brief account is that
on the southeast front of the wall and
twenty feet from its base runs a double
zigzag scroll. one-third of the distance
round. composed of the same-sized granite
blocks placed in diagonal positions. On
the 'kopje' and hillside itself, too, there
are numerous traces of remains of
similar character. circular buildings
wedged in among boulders of rocks,
walled terraces at least nine in number;
and. built on the very summit, an enor-
NOUS mass of granite blocks, to be used,
the complete absence Of any disintegrating
forces in this climate, is in an almost per-
feet state OF preservation. The view OBJ
tanned from the summit of the 'kopje'
commands panorama probably unrivaled
in South African scenery. Its counterpart
regarded az the gem Of such scenery-the
Marco district in the Transvaal.
What may be the origin, history, and
intention of these curious. ruins, and. in
particular, of the large circular building
with its cone-shaped turret is, as far as the
members OF the present expedition are con-
cesned, perfect mystery. The more scien-
tito and learned element is mute in the
presence of the ptehisto. 10 remains, and
stands IN silent amazement at their maQni-
tude and solidity. No one, SO far. has been
bold enough to come forward and suggest
SOmo uOiueAoa VI t14o problem t0ey present,
or offer some explanation of the sermons
they must infallibly preach. One thing Is
certain. however. that the area covered bv
the numerous walls and circular buildinos
points clearly to tho existence at some time
perhaps before the aQes'-of large and
semi-civilized population at time when
slave labor was procurable to an unlimited
extent.
From the natives themselves, as 10 in
variably the case with all South African
natives in similar circumstances, We can.
CLEAN no information whatever respecting
these ancient relics, under whose very
shadow they dwell; nor do they appear to
entertain any superstitious reverence for
them. They found them there, as did their
them and information begin and end. Per-
haps upon the advent of the expected white
population they will begin (and, judging
from our own experience, the process seems
to have already begun) to recognize their
vnv r,A 60.