On referring to The Ancient Ruins of Rhodesia, it will be found that chains of ruins of forts, occupying strategic positions at comparatively equal distances from each other, run in a south-easterly direction along the Motelekwe River, and are further carried along the Sabi far into Portuguese South-East Africa. The south ascent appears to be the north-west termination of this line from the coast, and the importance of this approach is demonstrated by the presence of two outer distinct and large ruins in the valley at the south-eastern end of the hill, and these guard the lowest extremity of the ascent. The Mapaku Ruins, misnamed Little Zimbabwe, which lie eight miles south-east of the Great Zimbabwe, would form the first posting station and fort for the protection of the road to the Motelekwe chain of forts.
Besides, the contour of the country round Zimbabwe very clearly points this route out as the ancient line of road to the south-east coast, any other line, as can be seen from the summit of Zimbabwe Hill, being barred by ranges of steep and high kopjes, in addition to which it may be observed that the wagon road from Zimbabwe towards the Motelekwe and Sabi rivers runs to-day along this identical line, as the formation of the land permits of no other route from Zimbabwe.
It was shown in chapter vii. that discoveries demonstrated that the ancients exported a large quantity of the gold won from the thousands of ancient workings on the numerous gold-belts of Southern Rhodesia. This amount authorities have placed, on a conservative estimate, at no less than £75,000,000. Most probably a portion of whatever gold was won in the northern gold districts of Southern Rhodesia went to the coast by a northern route and not viâ Zimbabwe. But the gold collected from each of the capital towns in the more southern portion of Southern Rhodesia, the capital towns having collected the gold from their respective sub-districts on the reefs, would come to the metropolitan centre at Zimbabwe, ready for transmission by caravan to the coast. The districts that in all probability sent from their capital towns their stores of gold as they became accumulated, so far as the lines of forts and the contiguity, geographical position, and convenience indicate, would be the present Tati, Bulawayo, Bembesi, Selukwe, Gwanda, Filabusi, Belingwe, etc., and the gold districts of Southern Mashonaland. For the service of these districts the north-west ascent at Zimbabwe would appear to be extremely natural. The gold therefore, in all probability, was brought from these districts to Zimbabwe along its north-west ascent, and was taken away to the coast by the marvellously protected path leading to the south-east.
This argument is not mere romancing. It is one which has every evidence in its favour so far as any evidence can at present be secured. Passing along the south-eastern ascent we may be pardoned if some poor attempt be made to reconstruct some of the scenes that have taken place in ancient times within its narrow and tortuous walls. Here may have occurred the greeting of fresh arrivals from the coast, or from the mother country of the ancient colonists; the bringing of news from a far country, possibly news from Yemen, and later from Tyre and Sidon; news of changes in home dynasties or of the progress of those ancient and classic wars which shook the world and started fresh eras and epochs in its history.
There, too, might have been seen the train of slaves carrying their golden burden in claw-hammer-shaped ingots as stated to have been shown on the monuments of Punt, and as they are pictured in the tombs of ancient Egypt, of which the ancient soapstone moulds are represented in collections of relics found in Rhodesia. Ivory, apes, ostrich feathers, and gorgeous birds would be borne in the caravan, while gangs of slaves, doomed to exile, would follow in the convoy, for all these, since before the dawn of history, have been exported to the “Near East” from Sofala and ancient Rhodesia.
Again, there might have been seen the dusky Semitic crowd watching the departure of the results of their toil on so many ancient gold-bearing districts, dressed in short, armless tunics (p. 108),[59] and displaying massive gold bangles, exquisitely made and chased with Zimbabwe designs, on arms, wrists, legs, and ankles, and with chains of heavy gold beads round their necks, and in their hands the rods of office with the beaten gold sun images on the tops, gold ferules at the ends, or copper battle-axes and spearheads thickly plated with gold—for all these are articles plentifully found with the buried ancients of Rhodesia.
One can almost see the vantage grounds seized by the younger members of the ancient crowd to view such spectacles, for on the same granite cliff-ledges, foot-polished by ages of wear, the young men of the Makalanga love to climb and squat.
At the lower end of the passage, and near the two ancient forts which protect its south-eastern extremity, would be the soldiery in readiness to take up their position in guarding the caravan. One can realise how the ancients climbed on to the boulders at the very summit of Zimbabwe Hill to strain anxious eyes in watching the progress of the convoy down the valley towards the south-east till it disappeared in the blue distance of the lower land.
Romance is most undoubtedly buried on the floors of all Zimbabwe ruins throughout Rhodesia, but Romance rivalling that of Rider Haggard at his best pervades the massive walls of this ancient ascent as it insinuates its upward way along the precipitous side of Zimbabwe Hill.