MR. GILCHRIST'S JOURNEY. 271 



Gilchrist was speedily enabled to make a start north- 

 wards ; and, on the afternoon of the fifth day from 

 the date of their leaving Tati, came to the point in 

 the waggon -road where they had to leave it, in 

 order to go down to the river's side to reach the 

 grave. Mr. Gilchrist found it placed about six 

 hundred yards to the left of the road, in a situation of 

 much natural beauty, surrounded by low picturesque 

 hills, and with trees of varied growth and foliage 

 scattered at intervals over the grassy sward. The 

 grave itself, over which a number of large stones 

 had been placed when it was first made, was found 

 quite undisturbed, and amongst these Mr. Gilchrist 

 now inserted at its foot the small white stone, neatly 

 cut, which he had brought from Pietermaritzburg 

 for the purpose, bearing this simple inscription — 

 " Frank Oates, F.R.G.S., of Meanwoodside, Leeds, 

 England; died 5th February 1875, aged 34 years." 

 Then, the task of friendship faithfully performed, 

 he returned without delay to England. 



Nor had this journey, painful in its objects and 

 associations, been entirely free, on Mr. Gilchrist's 

 part, from privations and anxieties of a graver kind. 

 Water upon the road had many times been scarce 

 (on one occasion he was without any for his oxen — 

 twenty -nine in number — for as much as seventy 

 hours) ; the season was one of exceptional heat and 

 drought, and the time occupied on the journey was 

 unavoidably considerable. 



And here, before concluding, it may be men- 

 tioned that at Tati, Bamangwato, or wherever he 



