CHAPTER I. 



Departure from England — St. Helena — Cape Town — Arrival at 

 Durban — Pietermaritzburg — Start up country — Pretoria ; its 

 climate and vegetation — The High Veldt — Dutch Boers — The. 

 Crocodile River — Bamangwato. 



On the 5th of March 1873, Frank Oates and his 

 brother, W. E. Oates, sailed from Southampton for 

 Natal on board the Union Company's steamship 

 "African." It was the intention of the former, as 

 already explained in the introduction to this volume, 

 to make a journey to the Zambesi, and, if possible, 

 push on thence to some of the unexplored country 

 northwards. His brother contemplated a shorter 

 trip in the same direction, which was to occupy 

 about a year. 



After leaving England and passing the Needles, 

 the islands of Porto Santo, Madeira, and Teneriffe, 

 and one of the Canaries were successively sighted, 

 as well as Cape Verd on the African coast, and on 

 March 25th the vessel reached St. Helena, where 

 she touched and remained a few hours. The 

 fruit in the island at this r time (including figs, 

 bananas, and very fine peaches) was in perfection, 

 whilst scarlet geraniums, fuchsias, and petunias — all 



B 



