Bell's The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter is out of copyright in the US, and a nicely scanned copy, in several different formats, is available on the Internet Archive. He illustrated it with many hand drawn sketches and some photographs. It can be read in one's spare time over a few days.
His description of the life of the Africans is fascinating. There must have been some luck involved to survive that many encounters with buffalo and elephant using a 7 Mauser with solids. (He later switched to a .318 W-R, the equivalent of today's .338-06.)
It's interesting to try to follow his wanderings on a modern map (google). Some of his mileage estimates look to be a bit off but can be forgiven, given the circumstances. Be prepared to use a search engine to try to find the modern names of places he mentions.
a good read
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- gamekeeper
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Re: a good read
Sounds interesting, I like non fiction about long gone times and places.
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- GunnyMack
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Re: a good read
I read Bell's stuff years ago, I always remember he was lost with another person, night was upon them so they built a fire. Next thing they knew an elephant charged in and bell only had soft points for his 7 Mauser. He pulled a bullet with his teeth! Flipped it around base first and shot the tusker!!
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Re: a good read
If you have not read it, "IN AFRICA, Hunting Adventures in the Big Game Country" by John T. McCutcheon. An account of hunting British East Africa (now Kenya) written in 1910. McCutcheon was a cartoonist with the Chicago Times. It is a well documented account of preparation and what it took to do a safari in Africa in those days.gamekeeper wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:40 am Sounds interesting, I like non fiction about long gone times and places.
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Re: a good read
I just a got a book called,, Uganda Safaris by Brian Hernes. Anyone heard of him? Todd
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres
250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
Re: a good read
Thanks JimT. I see that one is also available in the Archive.
- crs
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Re: a good read
I read that book on Uganda Hunting many years ago and found it most interesting s I worked with a few Ugandans here in Texas back then.
Now, I cannot locate the book.
Now, I cannot locate the book.
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Android Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/
Android Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/
Re: a good read
From McCutcheon's 1910 In Africa, on the sea voyage to east Africa:
Indeed.In this voyage of the Woermann there were about twenty Englishmen and thirty Germans in the first class, not including women and children. There was practically no communication between the two nationalities, which seemed deeply significant in these days when there is so much talk of war between England and Germany. Each went his way without so much as a “good morning” or a guten abend. And it was not a case of unfamiliarity with the languages, either, that caused this mutual restraint, for most of the Germans speak English. It was simply an evidence that at the present time there is decidedly bad feeling between the two races, and if it is a correct barometer of conditions in Europe, there is certain to be war one of these days.