182 



Notice of an Expedition, 8^c* 



[No. 32, 



stone, the enterprising Scotch Missionary in Caffraria^ induced him 

 to exhibit the direction of the river as it now stands. " This sketch" 

 observes Mr. Oswell " is not supposed to be strictly accurate. We 

 " laid down the course of the river Limpopo as correctly as we could 

 " from the tops of hills, &c., with a compass, but having no other 

 ** instrument we are aware that many errors may have crept in and 



only hope that others, more carefully provided, may some day or 

 *' other give the world a better. The present will at all events 

 " serve to show the wanderer in these parts, where water may be 

 " obtained at a distance from the river and information such as this 

 ** even, is not to be despised in Africa." 



The Sekaa and Bamungwatow tribes, whom Mr. Oswell visited 

 in his first excursion, mentioned three other people as living to the 

 north of them, viz. the Makalakka^Mancupani and Mashuna. They 

 were also familiar with the existence of the great Lake and had fre- 

 quently visited it. They described it as lying in a W. N. W. direc- 

 tion from their location, at a distance of 12 or 14 days journey for 

 a man on foot, (which would be about 300 miles,) or a month with a 

 waggon. 



Mr. Oswell adds with reference to the sketch-map, " The lines 

 dotted and plain mark the track of the waggons, but the country was 

 well quartered on horseback for 40 or 50 miles on either side. The 

 Limpopo is supposed to reach the sea at or somewhere a little to the 

 North of Delagoa Bay^ 



It was on the banks of the MaMlwe, an important tributary of the 

 Limpopo, that the travellers first met with the singular animal of 

 which we have given the accompanying figure,the fidelity of which is 

 attested by Mr. Oswell. He describes it as resembling generally the 

 white Rhinoceros ( Bh. Simus) " except in the formation of the horn, 

 which is longer, much straighter and curved, though but slightly, in 

 exactly the contrary direction : the two specimens of the horn which 

 we brought from the interior, are abraded at the points, on the lower 

 sides, probably from coming in contact with the ground whilst the 

 animal is feeding. When running at speed also or when alarmed, it 

 carries the head very low, as do likewise the other species, and the 

 horn then standing nearly straight out from the nose with a trifling 

 curve downwards, may occasionally strike or rub against the inequa- 

 lities of the ground." 



" From the circumstance of the Quebaba being found in the same 



