Great Zimbabwe. 515 



The north-west entrance opens directly into the enclosure 

 which contains the conical tower just descril)ed. The side walls are 

 now only 5 feet in height and 4 feet to 6 feet wide at this height 

 from the floor. The entrance is 2 feet 6 inches wide, ajid including 

 the steps, is 9 feet long. A semi-circular platform projects 6 feet 

 into the enclosure, and on it are built rounded buttresses, with port- 

 cullis grooves. These buttresses are in an advanced stage of dilapi- 

 dation. There are three steps between the buttresses. 



At present only the south side of the east entrance has been 

 opened out. This is 4 feet high, ajid is rounded. On the inner side 

 is a semi-circular buttress, hollow inside, with a rounded entrance on 

 the south side. 



All the entrances in divisional walls, of which there are eleven, 

 are rounded, and most have portcullis grooves. 



At the centre of the eastern face of the massive curved wall is 

 a rounded entrance with portcullis groove, into which is built a slate 

 beam lintel, which stands 8 feet abo\-e the floor. The total length of 

 this beam is at least ri feet. This is the most perfect of all the 

 stone lintels built in portcullis grooves. 



Enclosures. — Judging by sections of divisional walls, there were 

 in all probability no less than si.xteen enclosures in these ruins. 

 Some were of large area, but sub-divided. All the divisional walls 

 were built on ctir\ed plan. 



The only complete enclosure is the one on the north side of 

 the ruins, where stands the conical tower. The wall on the south 

 side is from 5 feet to 9 feet high, on the west side 5 feet to 10 feet, 

 and on the north side, which is an outer wall. 5 feet high, and the 

 reduced summit 4 feet wide at 5 feet from the floor. 



Rtittresses. — A prominent feature in these niins is the large 

 number of large semi-circular l)uttresses. Dne buttress is 5 feet high, 

 21 feet round the face. 9 feet fmm back to front, and \2 feet across 

 the back; it faces the west, and also the centre of the east face of 

 the curved wall at 25 feet distance. The floor of the passage sur- 

 roimding this buttress is laid with thick granite cement, on which 

 are large rounded cement steps. 



Drams. — So far as these ruins have l)een cleared out of debris, 

 there have onlv l)een two walls discovered here. Thev are lioth at 

 the northern end of the ruins: one passes through the outer wall. 6 

 feet wide, and the other through a di\isional wall, s feet wide, 

 which runs parallel with the eastern face of the curved wall. 



Cement. — Granite cement has been most extensiveK emj>loved 

 tor flooring, dadoes, covering of steps, and for raised platforms in 

 the angles of walls, which somewhat resemble the " blin<l steps" 

 found in all the main ruins of Zimbabwe. 



