ANDREWS] 



"WEBSTER" RUIN IN SOUTHERN RHODESIA 



45 



this spot M'Shangaan dead in considerable numbers lie around, but 

 they are the dead of the ruling chief, Chikwanda, or of his people, 

 and under these circumstances I have no right to disturb them. I 

 am carefully turning over the ground around the building and sup- 

 posed graves, but without success in any form up to the present. 



The absence of debris heaps, and I am convinced there are none, 

 proves to my mind it could not have been an ordinary dwelling 

 ground, though there are a few native huts, or the remains of them, 

 about, but they are quite recent. I have come upon no copper wire, 

 brass wire, or beads of any description, nor do I think I am likely to. 



The green glass I firmly believe to be the same as the Portuguese 

 use at the present day in making the demijohns for their vino. I 

 was comparing it with one a few days ago and it resembles the 



Fig. iS. — <7, portion of hoe ; b, iron spear head. One-half natural size. 



demijohn very nearly. The iron things found today are shown in 

 figure 1 8. 



October 2 j. and 25. — Continued turning over the ground round the 

 ruin and among the supposed graves. Only a few iron articles were 

 found, as shown in figure 19. Quantities of sherds of common 

 household pottery were found lying about, but none with decoration 

 of any sort among them. I also turned over the flooring of three 

 old huts, but nothing was found in either of them, with the excep- 

 tion again of common potsherds, and an iron spear used on the 

 heel of an assegai and bound round with iron. The natives of the 

 present day use the same thing. It is for sticking the assegai in the 

 ground ; also for digging out small roots, etc. 



October 26 and 27. — Heavy rains on these days and quite impos- 

 sible to do any work ; in fact, the rainy season appears to have set in. 



October 29. — Commenced work on the supposed graves, which 

 work carried me on till November 7. As already stated, the graves 

 are piles of large and small stones piled together, being in shape 

 more or less oval, and each one has a kind of retaining wall, so as 

 to keep the stones above in their places. In all, I have opened up 



