30 MATABELE LAND. 
of elephants which used to come here five years 
ago, and have been found quite near here since." 
At this point Frank Oates and his brother re- 
mained a few days before separating, and on the 29th 
the former wrote home the following letter, giving 
some account of his future plans, and adding some 
particulars to his experiences above related : — 
"... When we left Bamangwato," he writes, 
"whence I last wrote, Buckley and Gilchrist went 
on with W. I followed two or three days later, 
having been busy seeing people and making ar- 
rangements. I soon picked W. up, who was wait- 
ing for me, the others having gone on in advance — 
of course, as we thought, to Tati. We, however, 
met a trader with a note from Buckley saying they 
had turned off at the Seruli River. . . . We have 
been here now two or three days, and to-night 
Buckley and Gilchrist arrived, having abandoned 
their new route. 
" The road we have come crosses a number of 
sandy river-beds. These rivers are large streams 
in summer, but are now dry, except occasionally 
there is a little pool in some, or water may be some- 
times obtained by digging. This tract of country 
through which we have come is called by the Dutch 
the ' thirst land,' and is now at its worst. On our 
return it will no doubt be easy enough to cross, but 
now it is hard work, especially for the oxen. We 
trek about three hours at a time, doing perhaps 
seven or eight miles in a trek. Generally two treks 
are enough in the twenty-four hours, one in the 
