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.