(e) Section between Visitors’ Path and the Water Gate, which is at the lowest point of the ascent, over 600 ft. long.
(f) Water Gate (see Water Gate).
The first three sections have already been described.
Section (d).—This extends from the Northern Parapet to the old visitors’ path. The passage on leaving the parapet turns north-west for 41 ft. The walls on either side are from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, but these heights are increased on either side by a further 2 ft. or 3 ft., owing to the depth of soil and block débris lying along the summits of the side walls, the passage for this length being found buried for this depth below the surface of the face of the hill. This length of passage is 2 ft. to 3 ft. in width. At 31 ft. from the upper end of this length and on the east side is a rounded entrance leading into an enclosure which is completely buried under débris and silted soil.
At the bottom end of this length of 41 ft. the passage turns due east for 32 ft., the corner wall being rounded. At this corner a passage from the west side enters the ascent, but this passage is at present buried in débris. The width of the ascent here averages 4 ft. to 5 ft. 6 in., but it is narrowed at one point to 2 ft. 6 in. by a rounded buttress projecting from the north side into the ascent. The heights of the walls for this length are: south side 6 ft. to 8 ft., with several feet depth of débris on its summit; north side 4 ft. to 8 ft. The ascent in this length has a fall of 6 ft. At the bottom of this length on the south side, and fronting up the ascent, is a rounded buttress in form of a quarter section of a circle, and this is 11 ft. round its base. It has a further buttress on its west side and traces of another on its east side, and between these two buttresses are the remains of steps, but a tree growing out of the steps has caused their dilapidation.
From this buttress the passage turns due north for 75 ft.; its eastern side from 28 ft. to 56 ft. of this length had fallen into the passage, but the rest of that side of the passage is still practically intact. Along this length the passage is deeply sunk into the face of the hill. The widths average from 2 ft. 10 in. to 6 ft. The side walls are of the following heights above the passage floor: east side, 7 ft. to 10 ft.; west side, 5 ft. to 10 ft. On either side of this length are enclosures which are completely filled in with débris and buried, but the entrances to these can be seen. This length of passage was found (October, 1902) to be completely buried, even for some feet above the 10 ft. side walls, and the floors of Makalanga huts were built across them and the passage.
At the 63 ft. point in this length are two entrances, one on either side of the passage. The one on the east side is rounded and is 6 ft. high, and steps are formed by the curving inwards of the courses of the wall. This leads into an enclosure until recently filled in and buried, and this enclosure is mentioned in the description of the North-West Face of Zimbabwe Hill, where it is described as being typical of so many other enclosures on this side of the hill. On the opposite side of the passage the entrance there is angular on one side and rounded on the other. Its side walls are 6 ft. high. This entrance is blocked up in the same manner as was the ascent. This leads into another buried enclosure, a portion of which has been cleared out and examined. The passage along the 75 ft. length has a fall of 11 ft.
SUNKEN PASSAGE, SECTION OF NORTH-WEST ASCENT, ACROPOLIS
