200 Obituary Notice of 



lers, by making us acquainted with the nature of the axis of 

 the great continent, of which we possess the southern extre- 

 mity. 



It was on the 18th of March 1845 that Mr Ruxton landed 

 on the west coast of Africa, to push his adventurous way, 

 accompanied b}' a single companion, a volunteer from the 

 Royalist. Expecting to find vessels at Angra Pequena, the 

 travellers took very little water and provisions. Their route 

 along the coast was most fatiguing, from the moving sands, 

 in which they sank at every step. The only vegetation was 

 a stunted sand-plant, affording subsistence to a species of 

 hare rather plentiful, and dwarfy scrubby myrrh plants, from 

 which the gum freely exuded, though the shrubs were leaf- 

 less, and apparently dead. The coast was found to be strewed 

 with the wrecks of many vessels and boats. At sunset on 

 the 20th they came in sight of Angra Pequena, where they 

 saw only one vessel, and that in the act of getting under 

 weigh, and too far off to see them. They sat down exhausted 

 with fatigue, to reflect upon their hard fate. A single biscuit 

 each, besides limpits found on the rocks, had been their only 

 food for three days. They were unable to discover either the 

 Fish River, or the three or four smaller streams denoted as 

 falling into the sea between the Gariep and Walwich Bay, — 

 geographical errors, which promised speedily to seal their 

 fate. With an energy which has since been found so charac- 

 teristic of the man, Mr Ruxton at once exclaimed, " For 

 Ichaboe ; it is there alone that we can hope for life.'"* And 

 notwithstanding this wise step was immediately taken, they 

 were still far from Walwich Bay on their homeward route, 

 when, exhausted with heat, fatigue, and want of food, they 

 had no alternative but to resign themselves to death. A 

 party of Indians, however, discovered them in this dreadful 

 condition, and by administering to their wants, enabled them 

 to reach the Royalist, still at her anchorage. 



Mr Ruxton had the misfortune to find that, from the jea- 

 lousy of the traders established on the coast, and of the mis- 

 sionaries, he could get no assistance from the natives to en- 

 able him to prosecute his explorations into the interior; and 

 he was accordingly compelled to return to England. 



