Charles G. Oates

Matabeleland and the Victoria Falls: The Letters and Journals of Frank Oates, 1873-1875 Charles G. Oates

On New Year's Eve 1874, the British explorer and naturalist Frank Oates became one of the first Europeans since David Livingstone to see the magnificent Victoria Falls. A month later, he was dead from malaria, aged 34. This book draws on the original diaries, letters and sketches of Frank Oates to paint a vivid picture of the Victorian exploration of Central Africa. It documents his encounters with legendary rulers such as King Lobengula of the Ndebele and larger-than-life characters like the ivory hunter Frederick Selous, and records Oates' final, fatal trek through the Zambezi Valley towards Victoria Falls. Offering the modern reader an unparalleled view of nineteenth-century Africa at a period of transition, "Matabeleland and The Victoria Falls" is detailed, personal, and compelling.