46 PREPARING TO CROSS THE DESERT. Chap. II. 



man in tlie Bakwain tribe, next to Sechele, was sent with an ox 

 for both Sekomi and his mother. This, too, was met by refusal. 

 It was said, " The Matebele, the mortal enemies of the Bechu- 

 anas, are in the direction of the lake, and, should they kill 

 the white man, we shall incur great blame from all his nation." 



The exact position of the Lake Ngami had, for half a century 

 at least, been correctly pointed out by the natives, who had 

 visited it when rains were more copious in the Desert than in 

 more recent times, and many attempts had been made to reach 

 it by passing through the Desert in the direction indicated ; but 

 it was found impossible, even for Griquas, who, having some 

 Bushman blood in them, may be supposed more capable of 

 enduring thirst than Europeans. It was clear, then, that our 

 only chance of success was by going round, instead of through, 

 the Desert. The best time for the attempt would have been 

 about the end of the rainy season, in March or April, for then 

 we should have been likely to meet with pools of rain-water, 

 which always dry up during the rainless winter. 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. 

 Oswell. 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 Iris high position, at a very considerable 

 pecuniary sacrifice, and 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 for the guides furnished 

 by Sechele should be the loan of my waggon, to bring back what- 

 ever 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. 



Sechele himself would have come with us, but, fearing that 

 the much-talked-of assault of the Boers might take place dur- 

 ing our absence, and blame be attached to me for taking him 

 away, I dissuaded him against it by saying that he knew 



