RESOLUTION TO PROCEED. 239 
than the month of April, when the rains would only 
just be over and the moisture not all dried up. 
Indeed Stoffel, who adhered to his present plan and 
waited to go on till April, himself took the fever 
when he reached the river, and died from its effects. 
The fact is that neither one plan nor the other was 
a good one, and between the two it was but a choice 
of evils. So anxious, however, was Frank Oates to 
reach the river that season, that, gladly catching at 
the moderate degree of encouragement he now 
chanced to receive from these two gentlemen, he 
resolved forthwith to push forward there at once, 
without intending, however, to make a lengthened 
stay, or do more on this occasion than merely see 
the Falls, and obtain a few specimens of natural 
history. And thus resolved, he again resumed his 
journey on December 3d, and with no serious delay 
or hindrance succeeded in reaching the Zambesi. 
Before starting, however, he wrote home the follow- 
ing short letter, which Messrs. Wood and Selous 
undertook to convey as far as Tati : — 
" Matengwe River, Decernber id, 1874. 
" Again I report progress. I am past the 
obnoxious Makalakas, and am actually going to 
start for a hurried run to the Victoria Falls. I left 
Tati with the people I told you of, who were going 
on to a place about three days ahead of here on the 
Zambesi road, intending to wait there till April and 
then go on to the Zambesi. I intended to accompany 
them and turn back, as I did not wish to wait for 
another season, and did not think it advisable to 
