Certain critics from South Africa have attacked my derivations of words. I admit that the subject is open to criticism; almost anyone could state a derivation for such words as Zimbabwe, Makalanga, Mashona, and they would all have about the same degree of plausibility. Some people write and tell me that they are quite sure I am right; others, again, write and tell me that they are quite sure I am wrong. Such being the case, I prefer to let the derivations stand as I originally put them until positive proof be brought before me, and for that I feel sure I shall have to wait a long time. J. THEODORE BENT. 13 Great Cumberland Place: May 26, 1893. CONTENTS PART I ON THE ROAD TO THE RUINS CHAP. PAGE I. The Journey up by the Kalahari Desert Route 3 II. First Impressions of Mashonaland 31 III. Camp Life and Work at Zimbabwe 60 PART II DEVOTED TO THE ARCHÆOLOGY OF THE RUINED CITIES IV. Description of the various Ruins 95 V. On the Orientation and Measurements of Zimbabwe Ruins, by R. M. W. Swan 141 VI. The Finds at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins 179 VII. The Geography and Ethnology of the Mashonaland Ruins 223 PART III EXPLORATION JOURNEYS IN MASHONALAND VIII. Down to the Sabi River and Matindela Ruins 247 IX. Fort Salisbury and the Old Workings and Ruins of the Mazoe Valley 279 X. Our Embassy to the Chief ’Mtoko 301 XI. The Ruined Cities in Mangwendi’s, Chipunza’s, and Makoni’s Countries 336 XII. The Journey to the Coast 361 APPENDICES A. Notes on the Geography and Meteorology of Mashonaland, by R. M. W. Swan 389 B. List of Stations in Mashonaland Astronomically Observed, with Altitudes, by R. M. W. Swan 398 C. Addenda to Chapter V., by R. M. W. Swan 401 D. Progress in Mashonaland summarised from November 1891 to May 1893 405 INDEX 413 ILLUSTRATIONS