Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1934-01-24
FIND RELICS
IN TRANSVAAL
Traces Discovered In "Hill of
Mystery" Near Cape
Town
OF RHINOCEROS MEN

Cape Town.-Sensationa finds of
golden ornaments and other relics
of vanished native race have just
been made in the northern Trans
vaal at a place called Mapungubwe
the Hill of Mystery.
The natives, it appears. long have
known of the Hill of Mystery; but
they feared the place, and never
explored it. Thirty years ago a
white hermit named Bernard Lotrie
lived near the spot. He had ac-
companied Doctor Livingstone on
the famous journey to Lake Ngami
and Lotrie undoubtedly climbed the
almost inaccessible Hill of Mystery.
But at that time there was no
suspicion that a prehistoric settle
ment existed south of the Limpopo
river, and Lotrie's stories of strange
discoveries attracted no attention.
Now that valuable relics have
been unearthed, men who remember
Lotrie have recalled his story of
a rich treasure chamber" in the
dense brush near the hill. The gold
en- treasures already found have
whetted adventurous appetites and
the hunt is on.
Meanwhile, the Hill of Mystery
is being guarded by police, while a
party from the University Of Pre-
toria carries out scientific research
untroubled By intruders.
A Powerful Tribe.
The most valuable find was
small golden rhinoceros. A very
small clan of natives whose ances-
tors worshiped the rhinOceros still
lives in Rhodesia. 1t Is regarded
as practically certain that the peo-
pie who inhabited the Hill Of Mys-
terry and smelted gold there, were
''rhinoceros men,"
Discoveries have been made not
only on the precipitous hilltop Of
Mapungubwe, but also in the sur
rounding country. The rhinoceros
men were evidently a powerful tribe
in their day, for the bush is i'm
pregnated with evidences Of old hui
man occupation. Pottery and beads,
besides the gold and copper orna-
mentS, have been found over wide
area. A skeleton wearing a metal
helmet was among the most interest
ing discoveries.
It has been suggested that the Hill
of Mystery was the burying ground
of the foreign invaders who carried
off the gold from the ancient mines
of Rhodesia. Some OF the beads
and ornaments appear to be of
Egyptian origin.
There Is a tradition along the
Limpopo that a small yellow people
worked the gold and copper mines
near the river, trading with trav-
elers who wore white cloth around
their heads and rode on camels.
For the reason already mentioned,
4 the scientists have had great diff
Guilty in obtaining native guides.
Every one who goes up that hill
\ dies" say the natives. I'VE don't
\ know why-but they die"
A Formidable Fortress.
The Hill of Mystery is mass of
\ hard sandstone rising out of the
4 tropical bush Of the Limpopo val
ley. 1t is the only hill in the neigh
borhood topped with grass, and 1t
\ Is now clear that the rhinoceros
4 men carried hundreds Of tons of
earth to the summit of their secret
place. The sides are rugged and
overhanging, and the scientists only
climbed it with the aid Of ropes and
ladders. There is one great oblique
/ cleft in the rock, however, which
offers the least difficult path to the
summit. The entrance to the cleft
/ is hidden by trees and stranger
might never find 1t.
Holes were cut In this cleft by
the ancients, and once, no doubt
there we're wooden rungs forming
a sort of ladder to the summit. Al
the top of the cleft were boulders
evidently placed in position SO that
they could be toppled over in the
event of an invasion. This same
terrific form of defense was found
at other places where the cliffs
might be climbed. The stronghold
of the rhinoceros men was impreg
nable.
No other walls were needed-in
deed the only sign Of building found
on the summit was small stone en-
closure-possibly once the chiefs
residence-now occupied by balloons