Was reading the article about Paul Rainey in this months issue of Sporting Classics. Never knew that the term White Hunter actually came to tell the difference from two PH's. They regularly used last names back then and Lord Delamere had two hunters employed for predator control. One was an Abyssinian the the other was Alan Black. To distinguish between the two men, Delamere referred to Black as White Hunter.

quote:

Originally posted by Capt. Purvis:
Was reading the article about Paul Rainey in this months issue of Sporting Classics. Never knew that the term White Hunter actually came to tell the difference from two PH's. They regularly used last names back then and Lord Delamere had two hunters employed for predator control. One was an Abyssinian the the other was Alan Black. To distinguish between the two men, Delamere referred to Black as White Hunter.

There's a similar explanation at the begining of Brian Herne's "White Hunters."

The story in Sporting Classics is essentially taken directly from Herne’s book. Having read Herne’s book many, many times, I felt the article was “too close” to it. But that’s just me.

Herne attributes the Alan Black reference to Donald Ker of Ker and Downey.

I would think White Hunter came about less precisely though. For example, drive around rural Kenya and you’ll hear from your car, “mzunguuuu!” as you roll through the country - especially from
Kids (mzungu means white person). When Europeans came as hunters I would imagine natives were quite freely calling them white hunters in conversation. Again, just my .02c.

When I started out hunting East Africa some 25 years ago, I was sat around a roaring fire deep in conversation with an elderly "Professional Hunter" of Kenyan stock.

We deliberated on the futures surrounding our chosen profession and he nonchalantly requested I not refer to us as Professional Hunters, but that we were in fact the last of the true White Hunters.

Never forgotten that evening.

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:
When I started out hunting East Africa some 25 years ago, I was sat around a roaring fire deep in conversation with an elderly "Professional Hunter" of Kenyan stock.

We deliberated on the futures surrounding our chosen profession and he nonchalantly requested I not refer to us as Professional Hunters, but that we were in fact the last of the true White Hunters.

Never forgotten that evening.

Very cool story.

Oh my goodness...there will be a huge backlash by the masses around the globe that this is "racist". Then there will be cries for reconciliation and reparation.

Sorry, I must just be reacting this way because of the news every single day that is more of the same and where every single little thing gets twisted and distorted to be negative.

I love reading the books about the early days and Safari in East Africa. Wish I had been born early enough to have experienced it.

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:
When I started out hunting East Africa some 25 years ago, I was sat around a roaring fire deep in conversation with an elderly "Professional Hunter" of Kenyan stock.

We deliberated on the futures surrounding our chosen profession and he nonchalantly requested I not refer to us as Professional Hunters, but that we were in fact the last of the true White Hunters.

Never forgotten that evening.