6. Passage 7 ft. deep and about 20 ft. long, completely buried in fallen wall débris, over which the visitors’ path had crossed (South Enclosure, Acropolis).
7. Passage 8 ft. deep and 30 ft. long, completely covered by wall débris, over which the old visitors’ ascent path had crossed (Platform Enclosure).
8. The round towers on the large west wall of Acropolis can now be shown, by the radii of stones of the top courses recently discovered, to have originally been conical.
9. Two large ancient entrances, hitherto unknown, deliberately filled in by Makalangas for graves, the remains removed and reburied with Mogabe’s consent (Cleft Rock Enclosure).
10. The covered passage at foot of platform which had been blocked up by Makalangas for graves (fifteen years old) cleared, the remains removed and reburied with Mogabe’s consent. Visitors can now traverse this passage.
NOTE E
[Extracted from Report presented to the Chief Secretary, Government Offices, Salisbury, Rhodesia, November, 1903.]
Zimbabwe, Acropolis Ruins.—I regret having to report that the slanting granite beam on the platform at the Western Temple of the Acropolis Ruins has fallen and is fractured. This happened during the heavy thunder and rain storms of last week. The discovery of its fall was made to-day by Mr. Molyneux (Scientific Association, Bulawayo), Mr. Herbert Hayles (Sheriff of Victoria), and myself. No clearing or any other operations have been conducted here within a distance of twenty feet. Mr. Molyneux thoroughly agrees with me that the fall was perfectly natural.
The beam has for at least twelve years leant over at a severe angle, and now it can be seen that it was once perpendicular. The base was only fixed in the stonework for 1 ft. 8 in. The length of the beam from the base was 12 ft. 11 in., but this was longer by 2 ft. 4 in. some time previously to Mr. Theodore Bent’s visit in 1891.
The great marvel is that no one has been killed by its fall, for many visitors climbing to the platform have used the beam to assist in the ascent, and also in descending, and I have, as is well known, on scores of occasions warned them not to do so.