The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-02-09
A Lost African People.

know OF the entrance of the vast
lnyanga plateau, the roof of east Cen
trail Africa; but there, according to
recent travellers, one may see a DEM
onstration more impressive than the
Pyramids themselves of the possibili-
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 unin-
habited. And yet it 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. The
scenery along the journey from I'm
tall is described as most varied and
beautiful. The plateau itself, hundreds
OF miles in extent, comprising through
out its length and breadth one marvel
GUS memorial of a vanished race, we
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 n is struck" says the writer,
with the marvelously regular lines. or
contours of elevation, which are to be
e 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 interesting the aforesaid
parallels, are to be seen numerous sill
overlooking streaks (when lit I'D 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 si~lvery-looking
streaks are waterfalls. The whole of
the mountain slopes have been4most
beautifully and systematically terraeed
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 Enclosed 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 1
hold the opinion that in no place in
the world is farming carried on with
such Industrious or persevering 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 disgraced 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 it their home.
That they must have been a mighty
host is evidenced by the fact that
foot of coil was made available for cul-
tivation, and the magnitude of their
| labors will be readily understood when
it 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
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 DullC IN stone.
The method Of ingress or egress wal
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. 1 think.
however. that it is more highly prob
able they were beset by a hostile sur
rounding. / cannot conceive it pos
sible that so Industrious a race could