xxiv • MEMOIR. 



which beset him upon his journey must be attributed 

 to the delays which were occasioned by his desire of 

 embracing every opportunity which presented itself, 

 not only of adding a new specimen to his collection, 

 but also of noting any fresh fact with regard to the 

 country and its inhabitants which came under his 

 notice. For, in addition to his natural history 

 pursuits, he was, as above intimated, engaged on this 

 journey in taking observations of the country which 

 he passed through, and laying down his route, and also, 

 wherever possible, in seeking intercourse with the 

 natives, and gaining knowledge of their character. 



This same tendency of his — to attempt too 

 much — had once before proved injurious to him 

 when at the University in earlier life. Born 

 on the 6th of April 1840, a son of the late Mr. 

 Edward Oates, of Meanwoodside, near Leeds — 

 himself a lover of nature, and a man of literary 

 tastes — Frank Oates entered at Christ Church, 

 Oxford, at the close of i860. And here his love of 

 nature and her teachings soon displayed itself by 

 his choice of reading for a class in the Natural 

 Science Schools. His work, however, in this 

 direction did not keep him from study in many 

 other departments of knowledge ; and, besides his 

 studies, all out-door pursuits had each their re- 

 spective fascination for him. Of these, riding held 

 with him, as it had always done, the foremost place ; 



