386 



NATURAL SCIENCE. 



Nov., 



up in, and a rifle with four cartridges. Taking the Southern Cross 

 for his guide, Selous began his lonely journey southward, having his 

 rifle stolen by the way, and narrowly escaping being shot. He fell in 

 with the remains of his party near Wankie, and then found that on 

 the fatal night twelve men had been killed and six wounded, the 

 survivors bolting into the bush, and making south during the night, 

 across the country. From Wankie, Selous, undeterred by the perils 

 of the last journey, went up the Barotsi Valley as far as Lialui, and 

 returned by canoe along the Zambesi River to Kazungula, where he 

 arrived in October, i888. In December, although no rain had fallen, 

 he pushed rapidly across the desert country, and reached Bamangwato 



Head of Lichtenstein's Hartebeest. 



in January, 1889. After paying a flying visit to England, Selous 

 reached QuilHmani, on the Coast, in July, and conducted a pros- 

 pecting party to the Upper Mazoe, travelling by canoe up the 

 Zambesi from Mazaro to Tete. Leaving the river, the travellers 

 struck S.W., reaching Mount Hampden (close to where Salisbury 

 now stands) about September, returning to Tete in October. Thence 

 journeying down the Zambesi to Vicenti, he was back in Cape Town 

 in December. 



About this time Selous threw in his fortunes with the British 

 South African Company, and in March, 1890, we find him at Palapye 

 and Bulawayo interviewing Lo Bengula, whose ideas on the subject of 



