The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-24
THE OIDRUNSG llMBABNE
ursrERy or rHE BACKGROUND or
RIDER HAGGARDss STORY.
Ancient rertresses In Soath Africa
theodore Beaa's Theory That
They Were nailt ny Race 81
Arab Oraxtn In search Of Golf.

turesQue, nor have they cyc}cpsAn ufnef-
sicns; but in the attributes Of mystery and
suggestiveness they are interesting relics
OF the past. They constitute glsam from
the darkness that surrounds South Afri-
can history. and as such have puzzled IN
vestigasoYs Whence came the powerful
race that built them What purpose did
their massive walls and narrow. winding
passages serve. Were they prisons for the
confinement OF the slaves who worked the
gold mines near by Were they fortresses
husk by an invading army with a view 10
permanent settlement in hostile country.
Were they temples or perhaps palaces OK
the abortgines OF the lande All four the
cries have. found their supporters. The
first explorer to examine them thorough
w. relates the New York Sun, less than
thirty years ago. came TO the conclusion
now wholly ACKNOWLEDGMENT one OF the
ruins was a reproduction of King Solo
non's temple and the ether a copy of the
queen OF Sheba's palace, The latest and
best theory. very sklilfuily set forth by the
late Theodore Bent. holds that they are
the ruins OF a settlement established and
garrisoned by Arabs for the sake Of the
gold they found between the Zambesi and
Limpopo rivers.
Zimbabwe is Bantu word. and means
the great krall.' or palace. 1t Is Used TO
denote any kind of building. but especially
the residence Of native chief. Among the
kaffirs. Zimbahws is a common noun, and
only Europeans use IL 10 denote these
particular ruins in Southern Masaenaland.
The ruins lie about fifteen miles southwest
OF Fort Victoria, about 2A miles due west
OF Beira on the Indian ocean. and about
30 miles north of the Transvaal They
are the largest and most important. but
not by any means the only ruins 10 be
found on the rolling table lands Of Mata-
beleland and Mashonaland. About fifteen
such relics OF the past have already been
discovered in different parts of the pla-
teau. and as the up-country and billy dis
triess are being gradually explored. no
doubt more will be- met with.
Similarity of Workmanship.
These ruins ale show similar workman
ship. Most of them are simply fragments
OF walls built OF granite blocks, hewn or
Clipped into fairly uniform size. These
blocks which are usually about foot long
by six inches high. are strongly and neat
~ set together. though without mortar or
any kind of cement. Why the ancient
architects abstaned from using cement
cannot be conjectured for the hoorings OK
many Of the buildings show they were
acquainted with it's manufacture and prop
critics. The buildings ara generally found
on the summit OF some hill. the walls are
rarely under seventy feet in height. and
always thinner at the top than at the
base. Two more characteristics are COM
mon to them all. They are found only
near gold mines and they all show the
same scheme Of ornamentation. This at
tempt at decoration is OF the simplest kind
and consists in placing some OF the layers
Of blocks at an acute angle to the layers
above and the layers below. thus produc-
ing what Is known as the herring-bon
pattern. and the side OF the wall that con-
tains this ornamental work invariably
faces the rising sun. The majority of
these ruined walls seem to have been con-
strueted for purposes OF defense. though
few have possibly religious significance.
According to Theodore Bents theory they
constitute a chain of forts erected by tho
conquerors 10 overawe the native tribes,
eliminating at Zimhabwc.
The Zimbabwe ruins are split up into
two buildings. one of which stands on the
top Of a rocky. precipitous Hill and the
ether on comparatively level ground about
a third of a mile away. The building on
the higher ground was obviously fort
ress. Its outer. defenses consist of a Sc
rles OF walls some single. some double.
stretching from point TO point around the
eastern and southeastern sides of the
hi.l-ihe only sides. that IS from which
an attack was TO be feared. The walls.
which are built of the small granite blocks
already mentioned are In parts thirty feet
high and thirteen feet thick and decorated
along the top with a succession OF mono
lIths and small, round towers. From
openings In them. narrow passages. barely
wide enough TO allow two people to pass,
go zigzagging up the side OF the hill to-
ward the summit. twisting I'm and out
among the rocks. joining one gigantic
boulder with another. and completely CON-
mandsng every possible approach. These
passages are tianked on each side by high
walls and form an Intricate and bewiider-
ing labyrinth. Although destitute OF any
roof. they are dark and gloomy. At the
top of the hill are ruins OF what was once
a ternpiesand close by Mr. Bent discovered
a gold-smeiting furnace and many curl
Gus tools.
Walls of Great Thickness.
The other building on the lower level
frowned down upon by the fortress some-
what as the Acropolis frowns down on
Athens or Edinburgh castle on the city be-
low. consists OF wall thirty-five feet high
In parts and sixteen feet thick at the base
surrounding about three-quarters Of an
acre of ground. The ruin lis rather elm
t.ean than circular. Here as In the other
buildings. the wall Is composed OF chip
ped blocks OF granite. fitted In perfect
symmetry. but without mortar. Where Il
races the rising sun IL Is higher and thick
er than al other points. and near the TOD
runs the simple zigzag scheme of decora-
ton described before. IL has three en-.
frances. the principal one facing the fort,
resss 10 the north. From this ens-aure a
very narrow passage, formed by the great
surrounding wall on one side and an inner
wall OF the same height On the other. leads
after twenty or thirty yards to an enclos-
ure. in which stand two solid towers aiso
OF granite blocks. one OF them thirty-fve
feet high and the other about five feet.
Ine actual approaches TO this snclosure
are defended with buttfesses on either
side IN which rud.mentary poYtcutIss
could be and probably was fixed. os,yl
Dusty this Enclosure. with its two solid
towers, was considered especially sacred
such are the main features of the Tim
h9o~e ruins. They do not amount to
much bnt they raise some puzxiluy arch
geological questions. sWhat WIS the stenif
tcsnce OF this sacred iuciosur. and tbs
TWO solid towers and what the meaning Of
the decoration facing the SUM- One thing
al least was evident that the Kaffiys wars
net responsible for their building: for she
haairs never trim their blocks. bur uaa
L.