A JAUNT ALONG THE ZIMBABWE AND MOTELEKWE ANCIENT ROAD
One often wondered along what part of the country on the south or east of Great Zimbabwe lay the ancient road from the coast to this old-world metropolitan centre. Several suggestions more or less possible have been made since the preoccupation days as to the ancient road. That the ruins at Mapaku (the caves), seven miles distant towards the south-east, formed one of the posting stations on such a road may be considered as highly probable. Visitors have generally favoured the conjecture that the road from Zimbabwe to Mapaku must have passed to the north of the Beroma Range, which, seen from Zimbabwe, from which it is two miles distant, forms a continuous granite rampart some 600 ft. high, four miles long, and about one and a half miles broad, stretching from north to south. This range appears to present a solid obstacle to any approach from Zimbabwe. A detour round its north end and along its eastern base as far as Mapaku would make the distance at least ten miles. Moreover, on this line the kopjes and valleys have recently been thoroughly searched for any traces of ancient occupation, and none have been found. This therefore shows that such suggested route, had it actually been the ancient road, would have been altogether undefended for ten miles in an awkward country where the valleys, gorges, kloofs, and boulders would have provided splendid vantage points for attacks on the gold- and ivory-laden convoys proceeding from Zimbabwe to the coast.
Schlichter Gorge, running south at the east end of Zimbabwe Valley, has also been suggested as the ancient approach to Zimbabwe. Certainly, viewed from the Acropolis, this would appear to be the only natural road, but the position of the gorge, as can be seen when visited, negatives the suggestion. The gorge at its southern end is practically impassable. It is filled up at several points with solid sections of cliff which have fallen into it from the steep sides on either hand, and though the Mapudzi stream finds its way under these obstructions, the traveller must climb the almost perpendicular sides some seventy to a hundred feet to descend again beyond the obstructions, and further on repeat the climbing to pass a further barrier. In this gorge and on the summit of its cliffs there are no traces of walls to defend the defile, while an enemy could easily destroy the convoy, for the pass forms a veritable military trap. The distance from Zimbabwe to Mapaku in this direction would be at least nine miles.
Thus these two conjectured routes may for many reasons be dismissed as impracticable. But there remain two other possible routes to be considered, and both of these pass over the Beroma Range. The first, the one traversed by Mr. Bent and by all visitors to Mapaku, keeps to the Motelekwe track past East Kopje (Mazanda) till opposite Chenga’s kraal, through which the path leads, and up the long trough-like valley on the Beroma Range, which depression is formed by the two parallel lines of the summits of the range. On the east line of summit are two depressions, and visitors are taken by the northern of these past Mandarali kraal, which is on the edge of the cliff facing east, then down the side of the range and along its base southwards to Molinije’s kraal at Mapaku. This line of route makes the distance a little over seven miles. The local natives say that this path from Zimbabwe to Mapaku is a very long one. On it a careful search has failed to discover any traces of ruins.
A well-defined line of route protected at several strategic points by ruins of buildings indicates, beyond doubt, the actual road of the ancients. This makes the distance barely six miles, which is the shortest to Mapaku, and along it runs a much-frequented native track, used by the numerous long string of “boys” coming up, between the harvest and the sowing, from the districts of the Lower Motelekwe and the eastern stretches of the Lundi and Limpopo rivers, to seek work in the gold district west of Victoria. The ruins protecting this route form a chain of forts, which occur at intervals of about one mile and a quarter. On the Zimbabwe-Mapaku section of this route there are the remains of five substantial and well-constructed ancient buildings. It is along this section and a further section of the chain of ruins extending from Zimbabwe to Majerri that the trip here described was taken.
At 3.30 a.m. the six boys to carry blankets, food, cooking utensils, survey and photographic apparatus, botanical case, insect bottles, rifle, and a few tools, were waiting ready to start for the Majerri Ruins in the Motelekwe district, some twenty miles south-east of Great Zimbabwe. The moon was almost at the full, but would set an hour before sunrise. This is the best time of day to start on a walking expedition, as one may then hope to break the back of the distance before the sun’s heat could be felt. Five boys took up their loads, each about 35 lbs., and our guide marched on ahead with the rifle. Our little party passed down the Motelekwe track till the East Ruins were reached. It was perfectly light and a greenish-grey mistiness invested the Valley of Ruins, the Acropolis, and the Elliptical Temple. Walking silently we passed through the ruins of the dead city to the point where the old road to the coast leaves Zimbabwe.
At East Ruins the track to the upper reaches of the Motelekwe, and to Arowi, rounds off at the foot of East Kopje towards the north-east. Our path took us slightly south of east. But the Beroma Range looked like a Titanic wall of granite cliff barring our passage in that direction. “Sheba’s Breasts” (Sueba, black; marsgi, a corruption of the word meaning bald-headed), a pair of bare and round-topped hills on the southern end of the summit of the range, stand clearly against the greenish sky, and above them the morning star is just appearing. Sueba is marked on all maps of Rhodesia as “Mount Sheba”; but the names “Sheba’s Breasts” and “Mount Sheba” are very modern indeed, dating back only to 1891. This pair of hills can very well be seen from the Tokwe, where the old Pioneer Road from the Lundi crosses that river. Evidently some member of the column familiar with Mr. Rider Haggard’s works, knowing that Great Zimbabwe lay just behind those hills, bestowed these names upon them, and so they have been known ever since.
Our path led down a slight valley from East Ruins to the Mapudzi stream, and here the Beroma was found not to be such an obstacle to our progress as was at first imagined, for on its west side is a broad defile leading up to the ledge of land a third way between the base and summit of the range, and at the top of the defile, and a hundred yards to the left, is a well-built ruin which guards the approach up the defile. Chenga’s Ruin, as it is called, occupies a position well chosen for defensive purpose, and presents several good architectural and constructive features. Here the coastward-bound convoy would first realise they had quite left Zimbabwe behind them, and would start to count the fifteen to twenty days of their tedious and, no doubt, highly dangerous journey to the sea, which should bear them in their gold-laden argosies homewards, either to the port of Eudaemon (the present Aden), or to the Moscha (“harbour”) of Ophir, metropolis of the ancient Sabæans, or else, if later, to Ezion-Geber, the Jewish and Phœnician port on the Red Sea during the reign of King Solomon.
Chenga’s Ruin is outside the Zimbabwe ruins’ area, and is the first posting station on the road to Sofala. In 1540 the Moslem Arab traders in gold and ivory informed the Portuguese that the journey from Sofala to Zimbabwe required from fifteen to twenty days (twelve to fifteen miles a day), so that the later Arabs must have travelled on foot taking native carriers. They too may have used as caravansaries the line of ancient forts that stretches from Zimbabwe towards Sofala along rivers whose valleys form the natural outlet to the coast for the populations of Southern Rhodesia, for they could thus find admirable protection at easy intervals for the night, or halt within the walls built, possibly, by their remote ancestors. So the ancients leaving Chenga’s Ruin might know they had at least fifteen days of tramping ahead of them, for no evidence of their employing oxen, horses or camels, or any wheeled vehicles, has come to light. The journey may have even been longer, owing to the delays of the slave gangs and carriers with their burdens of gold and ivory, and to the caution needed in passing through a land clearly shown by the protecting forts to have been hostile territory. The weary stretch of the Sabi Valley lay before them—Sabi, a name which students of Chicaranga and of other native languages state has no known derivation, and of which the natives emphatically affirm “It is but a name. It means nothing to us.” It has therefore been repeatedly conjectured that the name Sabi, Sabæ, or Saba has a connection with the river with which they must have been very well acquainted. From scriptural accounts we find that such duplication of names of places was a practice of the old Semitic peoples, as in Havilah, the local and pastoral country, and Havilah, the foreign and mineralised country, in a superlative sense the gold land, “and the gold of that land is good” (Genesis ii. 12). Instances, in fact, occur almost everywhere from the remotest time down to the founding of New South Wales, Nova Scotia, New York, and a hundred other well-known places.
Chenga’s Ruin was absolutely unknown to white men, as also were the Beroma Ruins, until quite recently. The local natives repeatedly denied the existence of any ruins on the Beroma Hills, and this denial on their part, so authorities on Makalanga customs say, is perfectly natural and to be expected, for all the ruins of this chain, like so many others throughout the country, have been used by the Makalanga up to the present day as burial-places, and being well aware of the clearing of the Zimbabwe ruins, they feared lest these other ruins, too, should be explored. But since they have learnt that in the work at Zimbabwe the graves have been respected, they appear to be less nervous, and as it is known for many miles round that substantial rewards will be paid for information as to other and fresh ruins, they sometimes volunteer their information and offer themselves as guides. Thus some nine additional ruins have now been discovered and inspected. But the three ruins on the Beroma Hills which at strategic points guard our path were found by the author on making a systematic search of all the hills in the district of Zimbabwe.
From the ledge on the west face of the Beroma Range on which Chenga’s Ruin is situated the ground rises gently towards a broad depression in the western crest of the range into a long valley, which runs from north to south and from end to end of the top of the hills. The path after passing through the farmstead of David (a native teacher) passes up the valley southwards for half a mile and then turns east at a sharp angle towards the most southerly of the two depressions on the eastern crest. Within a few hundred yards, on the right-hand side of the path where it turns east, and on a low, rocky knoll, is a second ruin—Beroma Ruin—which is well-built, and has a rather fine, rounded entrance. The southern half of this ruin is now reduced to a few piles of granite blocks. On the south-west side of this ruin is one of “Sheba’s Breasts,” Marsgi. On the south side of the path is Sueba, the other “Breast.” Half-way between Beroma Ruin and Sueba, and on the south side of the path, is a cluster of tall, pillar-like rocks, which look in the serene moonlight, and at a little distance, like a cathedral built of white stone. The natives call these rocks Rusinga. On the left-hand side of the path, on the ridge of the depression on the eastern line of summits, is a tall column of huge boulders, which, when seen from the south side, exactly resemble one of the soapstone birds on beams found by Mr. Bent at Zimbabwe.
THE BIRD ROCK, NEAR ZIMBABWE
VIEW OF MOTELEKWE RIVER NEAR GOBELE’S KRAAL
On Sueba is another ruin which overlooks the depression, through which the path runs south-east down the east side of the Beroma Range towards the Mapaku Ruins, which form the fourth posting station from Zimbabwe. Climbing Sueba, one can at once see that this line of route, owing to the topographical structure of the range, is not only the most direct from Zimbabwe, but the most natural for anyone crossing the Beroma Range.
Just as the path starts on the descent to the Mapaku Ruins the scenery to the north-east and south, as viewed by moonlight, is truly magnificent. Towards the north-east the sky-line is formed by the jagged crest of the romantic Livouri and Inyuni Hills, while the Moshagashi Valley is wrapped in a mantle of greenish mist, above which towers the lofty Arowi Peak in solitary grandeur. Here the ancients on their way to the coast would have their last view of Zimbabwe.
We arrive at Mapaku kraal (Baku, “cave”; Mapaku, “caves”) just as the light is sufficient to make the main features of the scenery perfectly distinct. Here the sub-chief Molinye and his people are already stirring and squatting round fires in the open. The kraal is situated at the east base of a cluster of high cliffs, and these cliffs are full of caves and deep fissures used as passages. The kraal which formerly occupied these rocky vantage grounds is now removed to level ground, and built without a fence of any kind. Molinye is a younger brother of the Mogabe Handisibishe by the same mother, and takes the name of their father, the Mogabe-Molinye. He is an intelligent man and very active. He considers himself the custodian of the neighbouring ruins of Mapaku, and just as his brother at Zimbabwe says to all visitors, “Here is Zimbabwe. One shilling!” so Molinye’s first remark to visitors is, “Here are the caves. Two shillings!” or “Here are the ruins. Two shillings!” Molinye is very proud of the caves, for here his people successfully defied the Matabele and Amaswazi raids. In these caves the women, children, cattle and grain were safely hidden, and the approaches to them could well be defended by two or three men as against a hundred of the enemy.
Molinye’s tall figure leads the way to the Mapaku Ruins, which since 1891 have been known as “Little Zimbabwe.” Here our breakfast is laid out in the central enclosure, and Molinye sits enviously watching the boys eating “bully beef.” Evidently he will not be happy till he receives a tin, and he is given one. Still he is not content, and urges the payment of a further two shillings for taking us to the ruins. He only knows two words of English, and these are “Two shillings,” but having already paid him one florin, which is more than his due, he fails to draw a second, and is at last content with a box of matches. Natives always ask for about ten or twenty times more than they expect to receive.
The sun is just showing above a long black hill—Ingumaruru—and as we have ten to twelve miles to cover before we reach Majerri’s, our journey is taken up afresh. There is another ruin at Mandindindi’s, lying on our route, but our time will not permit us to visit it on this trip.
From Mapaku the path leads south to the right bank of the Motelekwe, about a mile and a half away and near Gobele’s kraal, which is from this point of view backgrounded at some distance by the steep and rocky Goruma Hill. Here the river is wide, and has, even in the dry season, large pools many acres in area. The granite rocks in the bed of the river are pierced with round holes a few feet deep, all of which have been made by the action of the water. The path then passes through Gobele’s kraal and down a small defile towards a drift across the river. This drift is only used by the people of the neighbouring kraals, and the paths on each side of it are very narrow, while the crossing is rather tortuous and slippery. From above the drift we continue on the path south-west to the south end of the Goruma shoulders at a quarter of a mile distant. We were now at least a mile and a half from the river, which has turned south-east through some dark-looking, tall kopjes, and from the higher ground we could see that the rivers which flow to the Motelekwe form swamps just before reaching it, and by keeping on the high ground these are avoided and the rivers are more easily crossed. In fact, by taking this path we cut off an eastward bend in the Motelekwe, striking it again at a wide, easy, and natural drift some eight miles farther on.
About a mile from Gobele’s we come to the Meziro, a perennial stream, 300 yds. from which on the east side of the path is the Rumeni Ruin, built on the slope of a hill. This ruin occupies an area of 111 ft. from east to west and 63 ft. from north to south. The highest wall is now only about 6 ft. high. The style of building is peculiar—a large, well-built, rounded buttress being at the north entrance, and the walls show both superior and inferior workmanship, while the western side is formed of arcs of circles end on end. The Meziro flows south and east of the ruin in the valley below.
Two hundred yards back along the path and about one hundred yards from it on the west side is an old Makalanga wall with portions of the wall of an oval enclosure. The structure is of no great age, and is definitely claimed by the natives as the work of some few generations past. Its total length is 54 ft., and the area of the enclosure is 16 ft. at its longest parts. Some old Makalanga clay flooring has been used as building material at different points in the wall.
The journey south, and later south-east, is continued, and the Meziro and Mazili rivers crossed, while the following kraals are passed in order—Chinaka’s to the left, Skarduza’s on the right, and Manamuli also on the right. In front is a very high kopje with almost perpendicular sides. This is Rushumbi, a noted landmark for many miles round. The path leads past the south of this hill and up another hill, where is Marota kraal. This hill, which has a very considerable elevation, is exceedingly steep on the south side, and there is an extensive view from the summit down the Motelekwe and Tokwe valleys. Marota was the largest kraal seen on this journey. Half an hour’s walk from Marota brought us to a natural drift on the Motelekwe, which here bends south-south-east. The river-bed at this point is about 200 yds. wide, and in the dry season is very easy to cross, from sandbank island to sandbank island and scrambling over large granite rocks with smooth glassy surfaces. There is no doubt that this is the best drift within a good many miles either up or down the river, and it lies, as seen in the distance from Mount Sueba, the eastern “Sheba’s Breast,” exactly in the natural and unbroken line of country up which is the easiest and most natural approach to Zimbabwe from the south-east, thus avoiding bewildering mazes of kopjes and rough country which lie on either side. The topography of the country clearly points out the ancient route, and it is along this that our present journey is made. At this drift we saw a boy of about nine years of age with a skin no darker than that of an ordinary Spaniard and with almost perfect features. Both parents were ascertained to be Makalanga.
From the east bank of the drift the path ascends for a distance of nearly two miles between the drift and the Majerri Ruins, which at this distance lie half a mile to the south of the path on a line of kopjes to the south-west of another Mapaku (“the caves”). This Mapaku must not be confused with the Mapaku we had visited during the small hours of the day, for wherever there are caves there is a local Mapaku; hence there are several places of this name within a score of miles from Zimbabwe. The name of the headman at this Mapaku is Munda, and on sending to his village, one of his men will act as guide to the ruins, which are rather difficult to find by anyone unacquainted with the district. On our way from the drift we passed several very long game-drive fences and large game pits, and saw two herds of wild pigs and several large buck.
By three o’clock in the afternoon we had reached the ruins, and a camp for the night was made in one of the enclosures. Soon afterwards the boys were busy with hatchets cutting away brush from the sides of the walls, so that a survey could be made and photographs taken. The ruins are much larger and better built than we had been led to believe. There are sixteen enclosures, also a passage 290 ft. long running from end to end of the ruins. Chevron pattern is on the west face of a very substantial wall of what appears to have been an important enclosure. We worked at the measurements till it was dark, when we partook of our evening meal. The full moon rose a little later and flooded the ancient building with light, so that further examinations could be made. The enclosure in which our camp for the night was formed was made most picturesque with the lights of moon and fire, the walls gleaming white with the heavy mantle of lichen which covered them. This white appearance of the walls is a prominent feature in all the ruins of the Motelekwe chain, most probably accounted for by the mists that usually hang over the line of the river.
The talking and singing of the boys, the music of their Makalanga pianos, seemed in perfect harmony with the solemn stillness of the ruins and of the night. We turned in early, and at five in the morning we were again busy completing measurements and noting up descriptions of architectural features and styles of construction. At ten o’clock the principal parts of the ruins were photographed, and at eleven we set out on our return to Zimbabwe.
The objective of our next expedition down the Motelekwe Valley will be another set of ruins still further south-east. There are other ruins beyond these again, and we hope to be able by such expeditions to obtain full descriptions, with photographs and plans, of all the ruins of the Motelekwe chain.
Munda, the headman at Mapaku (Majerri), states that only three white men have ever seen these ruins, two came together and one alone, but that these visits were made some years ago. One of the Messrs. Posselts was of this number.
On this journey we found the women were all decorated with the furrow pattern on their bare stomachs. The “female breast and furrow pattern” was on all washing-tubs, drums, granaries, and furnaces, and also on some doors, and further worked out in clay on the sides of the huts. Check pattern adorned some of the huts, but mainly the inside walls. Some very well-built semi-circular walls for screening open fires were found at some of the villages.