130 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



1836, there entered that keen-witted and gallant 

 sportsman, that gifted and enthusiastic naturalist— Sir 

 William Cornwallis Harris. 



By a happy chance the great expedition which 

 under Sir Andrew Smith had established the exist- 

 ence of the inland lake was just returned from the 

 interior : the Director's Report was read at a meet- 

 ing held on March 19th, 1836. Sir John Herschell 

 occupying the chair. A splendid zoological collection 

 of 180 skins of new or rare quadrupeds, 3,379 skins 

 of new or rare birds, and a host of other treasures 

 amply testified to the diligence of the party ; 

 from these it was proposed to select specimens for 

 exhibition in Europe in aid of the funds. Some of 

 the choicest specimens were stuffed at Capetown by 

 M. Verreaux ; amongst these were the roan antelope 

 now in the Natural History Museum, a black 

 rhinoceros, a pair of waterbuck, and a hippopotamus- 

 Harris had many conversations with Sir Andrew; 

 and thus happily supplied with the very latest in- 

 formation set out from Graaf Reinet on September ist, 

 1836, the " day so auspicious to sportmen in Europe." 



Few expected that the "Indian gentlemen" 

 (Harris and his friend Richardson) would ever 

 return : yet undeterred by the dangers of the wdv 

 and accompanied only by an untrustworthy follow- 

 ing of Hottentot servants, these two pushed stoutly 

 on, eventually reaching Kapain, the kraal of the 

 dreaded Moselikatze, king of the Matabele, having 



