S3^~' OklGIX OF ZIMBABWE-CULTURE. 



to prosecute researches as to the mediaeval and relatively modern 

 history of this country. Had Air. Rhodes been living the ancient 

 records of Western Asia, so far as the Rhodesian activities were 

 concerned, would ere now have ceased to be a sealed volume. 

 This is a special work which onl}- advanced classical scholars and 

 recognised antiquarians with full knowledge of the East, and of 

 strict impartiality, could undertake. Let us all hope the Beit or 

 Rhodes Trustees may soon act on this friendly hint. 



The probable connection of India with this country is a most 

 fascinating ]:)hase for consideration. The Indian maj) of northern 

 Zambesia, dating from the time of the Purans of the ancient 

 Hindoos, discovered and republished by Captain Speke, is ex- 

 ceedingly valuable, seeing it gives Indian names of far inland 

 typographical features of South-East Africa extending to 

 15° Lat. S., that is, southwards of the northern bend of the 

 Zambesi River. 



Again, we have Hmnboldt's account of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, whicli was well known to Indian navigators as Cape Diab, 

 " the two waters," two centuries prior to its rediscovery by Diaz 

 in 1486. 



And further, we liave Alassoude's accoimt (gi5 a.d. ) of 

 the trade in gold between Sofala ( Rhodesia's ancient seaport) 

 and India, which, with the export of Rhodesian ivory to China, 

 was a commerce which had Nourished for centuries even before 

 his time. 



Livingstone, Cha])m;in, llurton. Kirk, and all authorities on 

 Zambesia down to the present day have called attention to the 

 great number of plants, fruits, and trees of Indian habitat to be 

 found together on our gold mines area. These are, of course, 

 not indigenous to this country. We have the now wild Tonge 

 niaiu/a. a cotton of Indian origin, not the Tongc cadja, which is 

 intligenous ; also a liean, cajainis Indiciis. known in India as the 

 Doll I'lant ; also tlie Indian fig now grown wild; also a tree, 

 iiiatiii'i, found elsewhere only in Inditi ; and also the MaJwhohobo, 

 which lias its habitat only in Southern India and Alalayia. Here, 

 this tree is only found on the area of the pre-historic rock mines, 

 but the vast extent of country its forests now cover demonstrate 

 that it arrived in some exceedingly remote times, and. being an 

 Indian fruit tree, it was in all probability introduced by Indians. 



Massoude, our earliest historian, in describing his voyage to 

 China, which he took in the last decade of the ninth century, 

 mentions the number of Arab colonies on all the eastern and 

 southern Asian coasts, and he goes on to say that side by side 

 with each such colony were large affiliated colonies of IncHans. 



Arabs and Indians, the Indians always occu])ying subsidiary 

 positions, have from time immemorial been associated in their 

 settlements, commerce and labour, at all East African and South- 

 East African ports from Cape Cardafui to Zanzibar, and from 

 Zanzibar to Mozambique and Sofala. 



