Frank Oates

His original plan was to travel to the Zambesi and explore the terra incognita north of the river.

This territory was occasioning much interest at the time: in King Solomon's Mines, published in 1885, Haggard locates the fictional land of Kukuanas there.

After outfitting his party in Pietermaritzburg, Oates travelled to the Transvaal, reaching Pretoria in June.

He was not impressed with the town – which, he claimed, lacked even a book shop – or the people: "I fear the English who are here are a bad lot, with few exceptions.

[2] Travelling north-west to Shoshong in the Bamangwato region, the next leg of the journey took the brothers to Tati and then Gubulweyo.

From here Oates explored the central portion of Matabeleland, traveling to Inyati and finally reaching the Umgwanya River in October 1873.

Delayed by poor weather and the hostility of local tribes, he finally reached the falls on 31 December 1874.