iv INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



In 1849 he may be said to have commenced his travels. 

 Towards the end of that year he proceeded to England to dispose 

 of many specimens (living and dead) of natural history that he 

 had for some time past been collecting, purposing thereby to 

 raise sufficient funds to enable him to visit distant countries. 

 His most ardent wish, as mentioned above, was to proceed to 

 Africa ; but this project he, for the time, was obliged to forego, 

 as the cost of such an expedition quite exceeded his means. 

 Already, indeed, he had determined on visiting Iceland, when 

 an altogether unexpected circumstance enabled him to carry into 

 execution his original and favourite scheme. 



David Livingstone had in 1849 commenced his wonderful 

 discoveries in Africa. By means of the Kalahari desert he found 

 his way to the " Lake Ngami," which had long previously been 

 ascertained to exist, but to which no European had then pene- 

 trated, thereby making known to the world that to the north of 

 South-western Africa lay a well-watered country, rich in vege- 

 table and animal life, and especially in elephants. This intelli- 

 gence, which promised so well for the naturalist, the man of 

 business, and the hunter, created in England and elsewhere the 

 greatest sensation. Amongst those seized with a desire to 

 follow in the track of Livingstone was Francis Galton, who, as 

 early as the first months of 1850, began to make preparations 

 for a journey to " Ngami." Andersson met with this gentleman 

 in London ; and it was soon arranged between them that they 

 should travel in company, Galton agreeing to bear all the ex- 

 penses of the journey. 



The needful outfit completed, Galton and Andersson sailed 

 from England in the month of April 1850, and arrived at the 

 Cape the following June. From thence, in the commencement 

 of August, they proceeded by sea to Walvisch Bay, on the 

 south-west coast, which they reached towards the end of the 

 month. The starting-point of their projected journey was the 

 missionary station of Scheppraansdorf, situated some twenty 



