3 o MATABELE LAND. 



concludes, " is quite ploughed up with the spoor 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 Willie. I followed two or three days later, 

 having been busy seeing people and making arrange- 

 ments. I soon picked Willie up, who was waiting 

 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 



