The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-31
SOUTH ArRrcAN NUNS



81 King ~eacmoass Time.
Prof James Bryce IN June Century.
II would seem that. ~ scsne far distant
Gate. people znore rtvslaxed thar any os
she present kaffr tribes had penesraeQd
into the region We row cab MasAoaalana.
and had maintained Itself there for . con-
siderable period Remains OF rcld-wosk-
inss are found IN many parts Of that
country and even a far az the sccth-
western part OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
which show that mining mus: have been
carried on. BY primitive methods. no
ccres. but on . scale larger than ne can
vel deem within the capabilities Of the
kaffr tribes ~ we nos see them. There
ara. moreover. in these regions ana usual
" not far from some old gold workings.
pieces OF sneien; buildings executed with
nsainess and ..nsss. as well as With an
attempt at artistic effect. which are en-
ttreiy absent from the rough walis. sone.
cnes of loose stones. sometimes plsssered
with mud. which the kaftrp build yoday
These cid buildings are with one
exception. bits OF wall inciosin9 torts
or small residences. they are CEN
strucsed OF small blocks OF the granite
or the country. carefully trimmed
10 % Of one size. ane are usually orna-
mented with simple pattern, such an the
eo-cAlied herrfrgoone" pattern The enc
exception - TO be found in the ru.ns Of
Ssmoahwe In southern Mashcnalana.
Here wall thirty feet hieh ard from
six 20 twelve Or fourteen fee, Thick. IN.
closes . large eliie,tesl space. ni,ed With
ether buildings. some OF which apparently
were intended for the purposes Of wcr.
ship. TAere are no inscriptions OF any
KIND. and few objects. except ecme rudely
carved heads Of birds. 10 s;,cply any inai-
cation as to the chronological afsini,ies Of
the people who erected this building or
as TO the nature OF their worship. Such
Indications as we have. however. suggest
that ~ was some form OF nature worshic.
including the worship OF the sun. We
KNOW from other sources dnciuding the
Egyptian monuments and the Ola Tesla
meno that there was from very early
times trade between the Red Sea and
some part OF East Africa: ana a. va know
also that the worship Of natural forces
ana OF the sun prevailed among tho early
Semttes, ths view that the builders Of
Ztmoabwe were Of Arab or some other
Semitic stock. Is at least highly plausible
Two things are quite clear 10 every one
who examines the ruins. and compares
them with the smaller fragments OF an
cient buildings already mentioned. Those
who built Ztmbabwe were q race much
superior TO the Bansu tribes, whose mud
huts are now 10 be found not far from
those strong and solid walls; and those
other remains scattered through the
country were either the work Of that same
superior race. or. at any rate. were built
In imitation of their style and under
the influence they had left But whether
this race was driven out or peaceahly
Withdrew. or became By degrees absorbed
and lost in the surrounding Bantu popu-
lation. We have no data for conjecture
II they came from Arabia they must have
como more than twelve centuries ago, be-
fore the days of Mohammed; for they
were evidently not Masselmans, and Il 10
just a. easy to suppose that they came IN
the days OF Solomon. fifteen centuries
earlier.
n n Cafna hsnlAins snafSetal AsaA~>