Zohgrrums ,Green, & Co., I o n i a n ,& I f e *Y o r k .
them. The custom still prevails amongst the Mohammedans
of Persia, who transport their dead to
such places as Kerbela, Meshed/and Kum, to rest in
the vicinity of some sacred shrine ; and the absence
of any burial place near Zimbabwe would seem to
point to the same custom having prevailed here.
Having failed to bring to light any definite
records of the past during the first fortnight of our
work, we naturally cast our eyes around for the
most likely spot to carry on our work, and our
choice fell on the south-western portion of the hill
fortress. Here were certain indications which struck
us as favourable, and furthermore it occurred to us
that a spot situated on the shady side of the hill
behind the great rock might possibly be free from
Kaffir desecration ; and the results of our excavations
on this spot proved this to be the case, for here,
and here,only, did we come across relics of the past
in our digging. In fact, the ancient builders seemed
to have originally chosen the most shady spots for
their buildings. Undoubtedly the oldest portions of
the Zimbabwe ruins are those running along the
sunless side of the hill fortress ; on the other side,
where now the Kaffir village is, we found hardly any
trace of ancient structures. Our difficulty was to get
the shivering Kaffirs to work there, for whenever our
backs were turned they would hurry off to bask in
the rays of their beloved sun.
I will now proceed to describe the hill fortress,
approaching it from the valley below. Tfie labyrinthine
nature of this fortress will best be realised