North-West Ancient Ascent—Water Gate Ruins—Terraced Enclosures on North-West Face of Zimbabwe Hill—South Terrace—Ruins on South Face of Zimbabwe Hill—Outspan Ruins.

NORTH-WEST ANCIENT ASCENT

UNFORTUNATELY in describing this ascent it is necessary to commence at the summit and work downwards instead of upwards. The amount of dÉbris which covered its lower lengths precluded the tracing of the ascent from below, and further it is only the higher lengths which have been cleared out, though now the lower parts can be easily followed.

The ascent begins at the Water Gate at the north-west base of the hill, and terminates at The Platform which overlooks the Eastern Temple on the Acropolis. Its total length is a little more than 500 ft.

Walking across the north-west face of the hill it would have been impossible to discover this ascent owing to the confusing number of lines of foundations and outcrops of walls running in all directions over the side of the hill, and the intermediate ground being so much covered with blocks. The idea that this ascent existed along its present lines was suggested by viewing the face of the hill from Mogabe’s kraal, which is on the opposite side of the north-west valley. From this point the step-like form of the side of the hill can be seen as a whole, and it appears obvious that artificial means had been employed in making the lines of projection on the side of the hill. These were subsequently examined, with the result that sections of a passage-way downwards were found in one chain extending from the summit to the base of the hill, though there were some long gaps between the sections, while the sections themselves were filled in up to where the side walls out-cropped for a few inches.

The sections of this ancient ascent, commencing at the summit, are as follows:—

(a) Passage through Platform Enclosure 72 ft. long (see Platform Enclosure).

(b) Passage through main wall 16 ft. long (do.).

(c) Passage along Northern Parapet 28 ft. long (see Northern Parapet).

(d) Section of ascent between Northern Parapet and the old visitors’ path which the ascent crosses 233 ft. long.

(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.

At the bottom end of this length and going north is an enclosed area triangular in shape 47 ft. long, and with the apex resting in the lower end, where the passage becomes narrowed to 2 ft. 6 in. This area and the corresponding area of similar shape in the South-East Ancient Ascent appear to have been intended to serve a similar purpose—that is, to enable a crowd of defenders on a high level to act against two or three bands of the attacking party on a lower level and in a narrow passage. Into this area open out at least three entrances from buried enclosures on either side. The area has in its length a fall of 9 ft.

At the foot of this triangular-shaped area the passage runs north for 38 ft. It is 2 ft. to 4 ft. wide, and the side walls are 4 ft. high. The fall in this length is 5 ft. At the northern end of this length and crossing it at right angles is the old path used by visitors in making the ascent of the hill.

Section (e).—This extends from the old path used by visitors ascending the hill, down to the Water Gate.

From the Visitors’ Path the descent to the Water Gate is somewhat uninteresting, the passage walls being very much dilapidated, the upper side wall being particularly damaged, having been subject to the full force of falls of block dÉbris down the face of the hill. In this way the lower side walls, having been so protected, are in a somewhat better condition.

Starting down from the path there appears to be a chaos of stones for some 15 ft., but still the passage can be traced. As there are several lines of well-laid blocks close to the crossing of the path and passage, it is quite probable that side passages ran into the main passage at this point. At the 15 ft. down a very wide wall 4 ft. to 5 ft. high runs down the north side of the passage for 140 ft.

The south side shows an unburied wall 30 ft. long and about 3 ft. high. At 80 ft. from the Visitors’ Path the passage opens out into a triangular space 25 ft. wide, with the apex resting at the lowest point of the steep enclosure. Such triangular spaces on the lines of steep passages are not uncommon, being found at several ruins. There is one higher up the same ascent, and another on the South-East Ancient Ascent. In each case the descent is steep, and the lowest point of the triangular area rests on a narrow passage coming up from below.

At 140 ft. below the Visitors’ Path the north wall alone is standing, and this runs downwards for 50 ft. This wall is 4 ft. high and is rather wide. The south wall is now represented only by a line of wall dÉbris running parallel with the north wall.

At 190 ft. the passage becomes lost, but exactly parallel and at a distance of 20 ft. south is the commencement of another passage. Probably the upper length takes a sharp turn west under a pile of dÉbris which lies between the two passages. This second passage has a buried wall 3 ft. high on the south side. On the north side the wall is 150 ft. long, and on this length the south wall has practically disappeared.

At the down side of this length the passage becomes far better defined, having side walls from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, and 3 ft. wide on their summits. The passage here takes a sharp turn towards the north for 50 ft., then to the south-west for 25 ft., and again to the north for almost 100 ft., the side walls being intact for this length, the east wall being from 4 ft. to 7 ft. high, and the passage 2 ft. 6 in. wide. This is the best-preserved portion of the lower half of the Ascent. The west side walls are from 3 ft. to 4 ft. high. Between these walls are traces of steps, also a few buttresses, all rounded.

At the end of this length the passage is continued between walls 4 ft. high to its extremity, before reaching which it takes some sharp W-shaped turns and terminates in very well-built walls.

The Water Gate faces this point at 100 ft. distance, only at a lower level of some 30 ft. to 40 ft. The side of the hill is here very steep, and is faced in parts with granite glacis, between which the path descended to the Water Gate. Converging on the extremity of the passage are traces of other passages from each side, which give the impression that the North-West Ascent was the main approach to the summit of the Acropolis from this side of the hill.

THE WATER GATE RUINS

This is situated at the lowest extremity of the North-West Ancient Ascent to the Acropolis, and forms its approach and entrance from the valley on the west and north sides of Zimbabwe Hill. It has been styled the Water Gate on account of there being immediately in front of it a large donga (water-hole), one of the chain of dongas which run round the hill from the south-west to the north-east, and are believed to be artificial, but have become reduced from the original area and depth by the silting in from the side of the hill during a very long period of sub-tropical rains. Sections of walls have been discovered at great depth in these dongas.

This entrance forms part of a long line of wall which runs round the base of the hill for some two or three hundred yards, and is called the Inner Defence Wall, in which on the south-west side of the hill is another large entrance, known as the Outspan Ruins. This line of wall is in some places very well defined, being from 2 ft. to 4 ft. above the level of the veld, but some lengths of it are mere lines of stone dÉbris or ridges of mounds full of blocks; but seen from some heights up the face of the opposite hill it can be traced throughout its length.

The gateway is exceedingly well constructed, and the curves of the ends of the walls which form its sides are very bold and massive. Though it is distant over 900 ft. from the main ruins on the summit of the hill, it must be admitted to be a very good example of entrances of the earliest ancient period. But the construction of the wall on either side of this entrance, and at some little distance from it, becomes only fairly good, and at a still greater distance roughly built, and yet the entrance and the line of wall are of the same original plan. This grading off of the quality of construction on either side of the entrance and at some little distance from it is also seen in many other entrances which are not in proximity to the main ruins. The line of the Inner Defence Wall in which this entrance is inserted curves outwards towards the west-north-west from about 30 ft. on either side of it. The entrance is thus in the centre of the curve, and faces west-north-west. It is 2 ft. 10 in. wide, and 7 ft. from outside to inside. The side wall on the south is 7 ft. 6 in. high above the steps, and on the north 5 ft. 6 in., though on either side the present reduced summit of the wall is from 2 ft. to 4 ft. higher at a few feet from the entrance. Like all main entrances, save one, at Zimbabwe, it is without portcullis grooves, these having been found in rounded entrances in internal and divisional walls. The wall on the south side is 8 ft. wide on the floor of the entrance, and 7 ft. 6 in. on the north side. There are remains of three steps on the entrance which commence flush with the front faces of the two side walls. These are greatly dilapidated, but it can be seen that they form part of the foundations of the wall. One stone of what is left in the front row is considerably worn on the top, as if it had been trodden on for many generations.

As in very many entrances of the earliest style of ancient architecture—for instance, the main entrance to the Elliptical Temple—the walls on either side widen out as they approach the entrance. In this instance the walls widen out from 4 ft. and 5 ft. to 8 ft. as the entrance is neared. There are also traces of buttresses on either hand on the inner sides of the entrance, also of a few steps ascending into the interior of the enclosed area.

The front face of the wall on the north side is 5 ft. above the veld, but the summit increases in height towards the interior face of the wall, as most of the dilapidations have taken place on the outer side of the wall. The front face of the south wall is 7 ft. in height, and the summit of this wall ascends much higher towards its inner face. At 12 ft. from the entrance, along the face of the south wall, it is clearly seen where the excellent workmanship of the entrance grades off to an inferior construction in the continuation of the wall southwards. The line of wall on the south side is more or less intact for 48 ft., at which point it becomes lost in dÉbris and silted soil, though its line of route can of course be traced much further. The wall on the north side extends for 90 ft., but from this point northward it is very easy to follow the course of its dÉbris.

The interior faces of the wall, for about 30 ft. on either side of the entrance, are still in a good condition, and are from 4 ft. to 7 ft. above the inside cleared-out level.

On the inner face of the south wall, at 5 ft. above the present level of the enclosed area, is a herring-bone pattern which directly faces east-south-east. The pattern remaining is 3 ft. 6 in. long, and 1 ft. 2 in. deep, and is formed of tile-like blocks, varying from 10 in. to 1 ft. 3 in. in length. Judging by the positions of the stones, it is highly probable that this pattern extends at least 2 ft. further towards the entrance. The usual frame for this pattern, and also for Dentelle and Chevron Patterns, is still good for three courses at its south end. The size of the stones employed in this pattern is above the average size used for the same pattern in other ruins, and is somewhat larger than those in the pattern at Little Umnukwana Ruins, in the M’Pateni district, where the average length of the stones is 10 in. So far this is the only herring-bone pattern discovered at Zimbabwe. It was first noticed by Mr. J. W. Clarke, of Victoria, in September, 1902.

From immediately behind this entrance the north-west face of the hills rises very sharply, so much so that the rains of many years have silted soil to a great depth behind the walls. Rain-water would naturally be guided by the contour of this part of the hill towards this entrance, so that the area behind it has become filled up to a very much higher level than in the time of the original occupiers. Some two dozen cubic feet of this silted soil was cleared out of the entrance in October, 1902, and while the work was progressing a heavy storm, lasting only an hour, broke over Zimbabwe. On visiting the entrance later in the day it was found that this one shower had caused the almost entire filling up of the excavation by mud streams, which had washed down the side of the hill.

Immediately in front of the outer faces of this entrance and running parallel with this length of the Inner Defence Wall, and at a distance of 90 ft. from it, are the remains of a line of wall almost hidden in dÉbris. This wall can be traced for a distance of at least 130 ft., and there appears to have been a passage or entrance through it at a point almost due north of the Water Gate. Further to the north and north-west of this wall is a donga, and on the north-north-west of this donga runs the outer defence wall, which is at least 600 yds. long, and encloses the line of dongas from west of the Elliptical Temple with the north-east of the base of Zimbabwe Hill. In this Outer Defence Wall is an opening, and in all probability, judging by the arrangement of the wall dÉbris and the contour of the ground, a gateway or entrance was once situated at this point. This opening in the Outer Defence Wall, the traces of an entrance in the ruined wall in front of the Water Gate, and the Water Gate entrance are all in one line, and the line is further made complete by the remains of two small walls in the donga itself, which equally divide its width, as if these walls either carried or supported a bridge; or at any rate afforded the means for crossing the donga. In fact, the size of these dongas and their relative positions appear to indicate that on this side of the hill the Acropolis was further defended by water. These two small walls show signs of having had rounded entrances in their centres.

Taking into consideration the line of the three entrances, the fact that the ancient ascent through the Water Gate leads into the heart of the main ruins of the Acropolis, and further that the contour of the ground beyond the Outer Defence Wall indicates the direction in which a road from Zimbabwe to the north and north-west must take, it is reasonable to conjecture that the ancient road from Zimbabwe in that direction passed on the north side of the Makuma Kopje, on which Mogabe’s kraal is now located.

TERRACED ENCLOSURES ON NORTH-WEST FACE OF ZIMBABWE HILL

About forty or fifty ledges protrude in step form up the north-west face of Zimbabwe Hill from the valley below up to the front of the west main wall of the Western Temple, and these projections are not only upwards in terrace form, but broadways, extending across the entire length of the north-west face of the hill.

The best view of these ledges is obtained from Makuma Kopje, on which is Mogabe’s kraal. From this point it is seen that these projections must have been artificially made. So great has been the fall of wall dÉbris, and the washing of soil for many centuries by heavy sub-tropical rains down the hillside, that even the outer faces, or retaining walls, of many of these projecting ledges or platforms are completely buried, and their outline can but barely be traced owing to the absence of any outcrop of walls. In fact, the whole of this face of the hill for over 300 yds. upwards, and the same distance broadways, is but a chaos of fallen blocks, and the visitor, while walking over this area, sees infinitely less of their arrangement and plan than can be seen at a distance of a third of a mile from the opposite kopje.

These terraces are not disposed in lines across the hill as are the Hill Terraces of Inyanga, but each is independent of the other. Nor do they in any point resemble the terrace system of the retaining walls so often met with in ruins of the Second Period of Zimbabwe architecture.

Several of these projecting areas on the steep face of the hill have recently been cleared of the dÉbris which has in so many instances completely covered them, and rendered their form but a mere suggestion of an outline. The outer faces of some of the terrace walls have been laid bare, and their construction is seen to be of true Zimbabwe building of the First Period, all features of the Second Period, so far as examinations have extended, being altogether absent.

The walls are not built on straight lines but on curves, some of the curves being laid on bold lines, in some instances amounting to a semi-circle. The angular wall is absent. The construction of most of the walls is superior to that of Second Period walls. There is no promiscuous filling-up of the interiors of the walls. The walls are as well built on the inside as they are on their outside faces, and they possess the true Zimbabwe batter-back, and such entrances as have been discovered are excellently rounded.

The spaces between the outside edge of the summits of these walls in front and the rising surface of the hill behind them have been levelled by falling dÉbris, but there is no lack of evidence to show that, where not wholly filled in naturally in the course of time, the work of their complete filling-in has been systematically carried out by people who were not the original builders. On clearing the irregular surfaces of these ledges of dÉbris it was found that the areas were rudely covered with red clay or daka, and on this flooring were the clay foundations of Makalanga huts, with piles of buck bones and quantities of charcoal and bits of iron slag. Mogabe’s headmen state that these hut foundations are not those of Makalanga of their time, as Mogabe’s kraal, and that of Mokomo before him, though on the north side of the hill, were situated much higher up the hill and much nearer to, or even among, the main ruins. Nor do they belong to Makalanga of sixty years ago, for Mogabe’s people say that when Chipfuno arrived as a boy some seventy years ago this portion of the hill was then in the same state as is seen to-day. Judging by the weathered blocks piled and strewn upon these areas, it is very possible that these rough clay floors and hut foundations are at least seventy years old, if not considerably older. Portions of iron assegais and Makalanga hoes found on these floors are so eaten by rust that they have become thin, and are almost as brittle as glass.

But the most interesting feature of these terraced areas lies in the fact, obvious to anyone who inspects the areas cleared out in July and August, 1902, that these areas were not originally terraces but ordinary enclosures, with floors from 4 ft. to 10 ft. lower than the present reduced summits of the outer walls. Some people of times later than those of the original builders had deliberately taken the blocks from the outer or down-side walls of the enclosures and thrown them inside till the interiors were filled up level with the reduced height of the walls, and over such filling-in had spread a clay floor, and so made these enclosures into terraced platforms and dry vantage ground on which to build their huts, lay their corn-drying, threshing, and winnowing floors, and also their small daka granaries, which, occupying these well-drained and soilless positions, would be free from the ravages of white ants.

By clearing the outer faces of these walls from block dÉbris, which has fallen or rolled down from higher positions on the hill—and these falls have in some instances utterly ruined the walls beneath—and following the curve of wall round to its opposite side on the face of the hill, the rounded entrances into some of these enclosures have been unburied, the floor of such entrances being on an average 5 ft. to 9 ft. below the dÉbris. These entrances, so far as discoveries have been made, are all at the rear of the enclosure and close to the face of the hill. These entrances are narrow, 1 ft. 10 in. and 2 ft. 2 in. being a fair average width, and once the line of floor which is level with the floor of the entrances is cleared, it is seen that there are no steps inside the enclosures, though outside the entrances there are in a few instances steps leading up to the entrances only, but never steps leading upwards from inside the entrances. The floor of the entrance, in each case, is the level of the floor of the enclosure. Inside is seen a mass of dry blocks without soil, and many of these blocks show a face that was once exposed to the weather and become time-eaten if not greatly decomposed, which shows that they once formed part of the face of an ancient wall.

In removing this block dÉbris from these enclosures no pick or spade was necessary. The blocks were picked up and handed outside, and when the enclosures had been emptied there was not 12 in. depth of soil, and what was there was mainly fine granite chippings caused by the throwing in of the blocks, and of decomposed daka, which had formed the floor, and which, being of poor quality, constant rainfalls had practically rotted into sand. It was on these cleared-out floors that portions of large carved soapstone bowls were discovered in July and August, 1902. The “finds” on the bottom and original floors bore undoubted evidences of antiquity, and were totally different in character from the unmistakable Makalanga objects found on the daka floor some feet above.

As before stated, these terraces of enclosures are in some points independent of each other—that is, they extend across the face of the hill most irregularly. The second enclosure may be 20 ft. or 30 ft. in front of the level of its neighbour on either hand, the third 20 ft. or 30 ft. to the rear of the level of the first enclosure, and so on. But the enclosures are built very nearly one behind the other up the face of the hill, the front wall of one being the back wall of the next below. Between these ascending lines of enclosures are narrow sunken passages, the existence of which, until August, 1902, was altogether unsuspected, as such passages showed no outcrop of their side walls. Two of these passages are now known to be at least 350 ft. long, and one of them has been cleared out for this length. They were exceedingly narrow, so that at many points only one person could pass at a time. The widths average 2 ft., and their floors are from 3 ft. to 12 ft. below the present dÉbris-strewn surface of the slope of the hill. Into these passages the entrances to enclosures on either side open.

Evidently the same people who filled in the enclosures and converted them into platforms likewise deliberately filled in the passages for the foundations of old Makalanga huts, and granaries were laid across the filled-in passages. The “finds” on the floors of these passages and those found on their “filled-in” tops showed as great differences in every respect as were presented by the objects found on the original floors of the enclosures and those on the later clay floors above them.

SOUTH TERRACE

This is a natural ledge of ground artificially improved, running east at the foot of the south precipice for 200 yards from the foot of the Rock Passage, and extending beyond the point where the most easterly ruins of the Acropolis are built along the summit cliff. This terrace is supported on its south side by several retaining walls.

Almost all the enclosure walls along this terrace have been demolished by the falls of great masses of walls from the ruins on the summit of the cliff. Barely the foundations of such enclosure walls now remain, the only exception being the enclosure adjoining the bottom end of the Rock Passage.

THE “OUTSPAN RUINS”

These ruins, which lie 75 yds. to the north of Havilah Camp, are on the outspan in the valley which runs along the south side of Zimbabwe Hill, and also on the path leading from the camp to the South-East Ancient Ascent. This block of ruins was entirely cleared out of wall dÉbris and silted soil in September, 1902, and now visitors may walk upon what was practically the ancient floor. The cement which once formed the floor has become decomposed to granite sand, and owing to the enclosures of the ruin having been buried some 3 ft. to 5 ft. under the veld, the enclosures held all the water which in rainy seasons would pour down the side of the hill immediately behind.

These ruins form part of the line of Hill Inner Defence Wall, which encloses the whole of Zimbabwe Hill on its west, south, and east sides and runs along the foot of the lower slopes of the hill. The most complete view of this continuous line of wall is obtained from the summit of the hill. This line of defence wall is again enclosed on the west side by the Outer Defence Wall, which runs from the north side of the hill almost as far as the Elliptical Temple, and between these two walls are the three large dongas on the west side of the hill.

The “Outspan Ruins” form the most perfect section of the Hill Inner Defence Wall, not excepting the fine entrances to the North-West Ancient Ascent with its herring-bone pattern, which is also another section of the same line of inner defence wall, only on the north-west side of the hill. They also must have served as an important entrance through the south-west portion of the Hill Inner Defence Wall. The entrance is complicated and rendered very difficult of attack by a number of rounded buttresses, in addition to which there are small enclosures most substantially built, which, most probably, were guard-rooms.

There is nothing angular in the plan and construction of these ruins. They very patently resemble other outlying buildings which obviously formed part of the original plan of the main Hill Ruins. The courses in the wall are not very regular, and stones of all shapes and sizes have been introduced. There is no decorative pattern in this section of the Hill Inner Defence Wall, but there is one peculiarity in its architecture, and in that of a conical tower which is described later.

These ruins occupy an area of 113 ft. from south-east to north-west, and 70 ft. from north-east to south-west.

The main wall faces south. The 113 ft. length only includes the line of main wall which still stands some 5 ft. to 11 ft. in height, the wall at either end of this length can be traced extending for 500 yds. to the east and 350 yds. to the west and north.

The entrance which has rounded walls on either side is 4 ft. wide, and passes diagonally south-west through the main wall, thus giving it a length of 8 ft. On its eastern side the wall is 7 ft. high, and 5 ft. on the western side.

The ruins on the north side of main wall form a central enclosure to the north of the entrance with an enclosure on either side of it, also a passage on the south and west sides of the central enclosure.

The central enclosure is formed by a wall 22 ft. long, 4 ft. high, and 5 ft. to 7 ft. wide on the present reduced summit, which runs north at right angles from the inside of the main wall at 4 ft. east from the east side of the entrance. The wall, which at its northern extremity is rounded, forms the divisional wall between the central and eastern enclosures. The west side of the central enclosure is formed by a wall, rounded at each end, which starts at 4 ft. from opposite the inside of the entrance, and goes west for 13 ft. and north-east for 19 ft. This wall averages 3 ft. to 8 ft. in height, and is from 4 ft. to 5 ft. 6 in. wide at base, and 3 ft. 6 in. on the highest summit. Where the east wall of this enclosure comes opposite the end of the north-east wall is an entrance 3 ft. 6 in. wide. The area of this enclosure is 14 ft. from west to east and 19 ft. from north to south. It is possible that in the centre of this enclosure once stood a round buttress or tower, and the position of a few blocks in the floor makes this something more than a mere conjecture.

On passing through the main entrance from the south, one enters a passage which runs parallel with the north side of the main wall for 17 ft. towards the west, and then curves sharply towards the east-north-east for 19 ft. At its two extremities the passage is from 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. wide, but at the curve at the end of the first length of 17 ft. it is 6 ft. wide. The western wall of this passage is 19 ft. long, 5 ft. wide at base, and 3 ft. 6 in. on the highest portion of the summit, this being at the south end, where the wall is 8 ft. high. This wall is rounded at its northern extremity, and forms the divisional wall between the passage and the eastern enclosure. Neither the eastern nor the western enclosures can at present be defined on their northern sides, though lines of block dÉbris would appear to fix their boundaries.

The most interesting architectural feature in the “Outspan Ruins” is the conical tower built to form part of the main wall. This is an independent structure from its base upwards. It is 9 ft. high, and though built of irregularly shaped stones and without much adherence to courses, it is symmetrical in appearance. On its west side between it and the rounded end of the main wall is a space 2 in. wide on the floor and 5 ft. wide at 6 ft. from the floor. This narrow loopholed space still remains open, save for a single slab which at 6 ft. above the floor is built into the tower and the main wall, thus forming a sort of stone shelf. On the eastern side of the tower the space between it and the rounded wall of the entrance is neatly built up, and a slab is laid from the rounded wall into the courses of the tower at 5 ft. above the floor. Possibly these slabs on either side of the tower formed raised platforms to afford a view over the wall, while the narrow loophole might have served as a look-out. The circumference of the tower at 5 ft. from its base is 19 ft. 3 in.

The portion of these ruins which lies to the south of the main wall comprises (1) a wall running south at right angles to the main wall at 4 ft. from the west side of the entrance. This wall is 24 ft. long, and averages 3 ft. 6 in. in height, and is 2 ft. wide on its present summit; (2) a circular buttress built independently and standing opposite the outside of the main entrance at a distance of 8 ft. 6 in. Its height is now only 3 ft. 10 in., and its circumference at base is 28 ft. 4 in. It is hollow in the centre, and it has collapsed from summit to base on its southern side for a width of 3 ft. The obvious object of this buttress is to divide the open space on the outside of the entrance into two narrow passages, each of which could easily be defended by a few even against a great number of besiegers.

At 36 ft. east of the south side of the entrance is an outcrop of a wall 6 ft. long, and this runs due south at some 5 ft. in front of the main wall.

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