Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1898-12-08
A Lost African People.

a Lost African People.
1t may be doubted if many readers
know OF the entrance of the vast
1nyanga plateau, the roof of east Cen
trail Africa; but there, according to
recent travellers, one may see dem
onstration more impressive than the
Pyramids themselves of the possibill-
ties of human handiwork. The plateau
stretches away to the north of Umtali,
the frontier station on the Beira rail-
way, which is eventually to join Sal
isbury with the east coast. White men
have visited 1t, but it is almost unln-
habited And yet 1t was once the
home Of a powerful race, OF whose
history not a trace is known to remain,
save in the topography of their coun-
try. That is as they made 1t, and such
1t will remain as long as the earth
lasts. The general level of the plateau
is about $500 feet above the sea Tho
scenery along the journey from Um-
tall Is described as most varied and
beautiful. The plateau itself, hundreds
Of miles in extent, comprising through
out It's length and breadth one marvel
Jus IltlllOA ldl VI a NuilSAbu ldiCt VIC
may let the traveller describe who has
sent the record of his journey to the
British Central Africa Gazette.
Approaching Inyanga from any d.
rection one is struck" says the writer,
with the marvelously regular lines or
contours of elevation, which are to be
seen from a distance running In long
continuous parallels horizontally to the
mountain slopes until they are lost to
sight on the observers horizon. Here
and there along the face of the noun
tains, and intersectlng the aforesaid
parallels, are to be seen numerous sill
very-looking streaks (when lit up by
the rising or setting sun) descending
from the mountainous. On a closer
inspection 1t will be found that the
long parallels are simply retaining
walls and that the sllvery-looking
streaks are waterfalls. The whole OF
the mountain slopes have been most
beautifully and systematically terraced
by the hand OF man, and a most per-
feet system of irrigation has at the
same time been carried out and com
pleted. Even the numerous valleys
which are inclosed In this mountainous
region have been laid out in ridge and
furrow; the ridges are about two yards
wide by about three feet deep. Stand
ing some distance up the face of any of
these mountain slopes and looking
downward into any of these valleys,
one is at once struck with the remark
able symmetry with which the whole
surface OF the country is laid out.
II used to be impressed with the
beautiful regularity Of the Scottish
fields as compared with the attempts
at agriculture in other lands, and |
hold the opinion that in no place in
the world is farming carried on with
such industrious or perseyering regu-
larity as in Scotland and that other
countries have a good deal to learn
from Scotland. Yet here in east Cen
trail east Africa there is a record left
behind by a race forgotten whom the
Scotch would not be dlsgraced in copy
ing with respect to irrigation. OF
course, with such splendid facilities as
those which nature has bestowed upon
this portion Of the earth. it was only
natural that, when 1t first met the
eyes Of that wandering tribe who have
left so grand a monument of their in
telligence and industry behind them,
they decided to make 1t their home
That they must have been a mighty
host is evidenced by the fact that every
foot of soil was made available for Gull
tivation, and the magnitude of their
labors will be readily understood when
1t is stated that frequently as many
as $50 to 200 parallel walls of stone
can be counted on the face of the
mountains, and these walls can be
followed, conforming to every contour
of the ground, for thirty or forty miles
along one system alone After the walls
were built the ground had to be ex-
cavated and leveled. The water courses
were then cut and the water, which
had been flowing from hundreds of
springs on the SUBMITS of the noun
i tains, finding its nearest path down
ward, was let into these channels and
| thence regulated over the entire face
| Of the country
There are numerous traces left Of
old forts, strongholds, and lockout
posts, all very strongly built in stone.
/ The method OF ingress or egress was
through a small hole left in the foot
Of the wall. The people may have
| taken these precautions as a means Of
/ protection from wild animals. / think,
/ however, that 1t is more highly prob
able they were beset by hostile sur
rounding. l cannot conceive 1t pos
sihle that SO Industrious a race could