TUlflUam Cotton swell 353 



occasion. He was on foot, and had to run for dear life. 

 But in thirty yards from the start the rhino was at 

 his heels ; in another instant the horned snout came 

 lapping round his thigh, and he remembered nothing 

 more till he found himself on his horse supported by a 

 native, with his head still swimming and a deep gash 

 in his thigh eight inches long, which had only missed 

 the femoral artery by a hair's breath. 



Oswell's association with Livingstone in the expedi- 

 tion which resulted in the discovery of Lake Ngami 

 is thus referred to by the great missionary traveller : 



" I communicated my intention to an African traveller, 

 Colonel Steele, then aide-de-camp to the Marquis of 

 Tweedale at Madras, and he made it known to two 

 other gentlemen, whose friendship we had gained during 

 their African travel, namely Major Vardon and Mr. 

 Osvvell. All of these gentlemen were so enamoured with 

 African hunting and African discovery, that the two 

 former must have envied the latter his good fortune in 

 being able to leave India to undertake afresh the 

 pleasures and pains of desert life. I believe Mr. Oswell 

 came from his high position, at a very considerable 

 pecuniary sacrifice, with no other end in view but to 

 extend the boundaries of geographical knowledge. 

 Before I knew of his coming I had arranged that 

 the payment of the guides furnished by Sechele should 

 be the loan of my waggon to bring back whatever ivory 

 he might obtain from the chief at the lake. When 

 at last Mr. Oswell came, bringing Mr. Murray with 

 him, he undertook to defray the entire expenses of 

 the guides, and fully executed his generous intention." 



VOL. II. 2 



