William Cotton Oswell, Hunter and Explorer
The Story of his Life with Certain Correspondence and Extracts from the Private Journal of David Livingstone, Hitherto Unpublished

Published in 1900, volume 1 of Oswell's (1818–93) biography describes his years in India, and his five African expeditions.

William Edward Oswell (Author)

9781108032117, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 June 2011

326 pages, 45 b/w illus. 5 maps
21.6 x 14 x 1.9 cm, 0.42 kg

The life of English explorer William Cotton Oswell (1818–93) was marked by adventures and discoveries. At nineteen, he left Essex for Madras, where he worked for the East India Company and became a renowned elephant catcher. Due to poor health, he was sent to South Africa, the 'empire of wild sport', where he specialised in hunting and exploration. He discovered the River Zouga and Lake Ngami during an expedition across the Kalahari desert, and travelled to the Zambezi River with Scottish missionary David Livingstone. Originally published in 1900, this two-volume biography was written by Oswell's eldest son. Since Oswell kept no diary, his life is here reconstructed through the many letters he sent to his family and friends. Volume 1 focuses on Oswell's youth. It describes the seven years he spent in India, where he trained as a surgeon, and his five African expeditions from 1844 to 1852.

Preface
Introduction Francis Galton
1. Parentage and birth. 1745–1832
2. Education: Rugby and Haileybury. 1832–7
3. India. 1837–44
4. Africa. 1844–6. First expedition (with Murray) to Ba-Kaa Hills. Return by Limpopo
5. Africa. 1846–7. Second expedition (with Captain Frank Vardon). Exploration of course of Limpopo, and discovery of River Mokolwé
6. India and England. 1847–8
7. Africa. 1848–9. Third expedition (with Livingstone and Murray). Passage of Kalahari Desert, and discovery of River Zouga and Lake Ngami
8. Africa. 1850. Fourth expedition (unaccompanied). Exploration of River Zouga. Second visit to Lake Ngami
9. Africa. 1851–2. Fifth expedition (with Livingstone). Visit to Sebitoané. Discovery of Rivers Mababé, Souta, Chobé, and Zambesi.

Subject Areas: African history [HBJH]