Wow! What an interesting read. This guy shows up in South Africa in the 1840's, outfits himself with guns, wagons and several tons of supplies and hikes off into the wilds of South Africa to hunt and have an adventure.

He spends five years wandering in the Karoo and around the Graff Renet/Grahamstown area hunting elephant, lions, and all of the plains game we know about. He wounds a tremendous amount of game but also takes a bunch. I lost count at 50 lions and 100 elephants.

He tells his story much like Selous told his - very well written and well told. He describes his daily struggles with oxen, with his black guys and with the terrain. He comes in contact with a variety of tribes and Boers. He stops at several farms that sound very primitive.

His writing style is very good and this is a fun book to read. I have read over 100 books on Africa and I would put this on in the top 15 easily. It is educational and thought provoking.

I recommend this book and would rate it a 9 on the dogcat scale.

Mr. Ross,
Thanks for sharing. I need to get that one. I have Selous' book about his time hunting the Southern Africa interior and he mentioned Cumming several times.

It reads much like Selous' book - same general style and some similar adventures! I enjoyed this one and Selous's book very much.

Thanks Ross
On its way

Adding this to my must-read list. Thanks friend!

Just arrived and it is a great read. Cumming is a very accessible writer and not nearly as stiff and humorless as his contemporary, Samuel Baker.

What version are you guys purchasing (publisher, etc.).

It seems there is a Vol. 1 and Vol. 2?? It looks like the Vol. 2 was published about 10 years after the first one?

Heeler, the copy I found used on Amazon is a hard-back facsimile of the 1857 edition, published by Galago in the Republic of South Africa in 1986.

I didn't care for the book at first. In my mind with today's ethical considerations in the forefront it was just constant blazing away at hundreds of elephants and camel leopards while on horseback with a win some lose some attitude - kind of like Teddy Roosevelt's American hunting books. Looking at it again and putting it in the proper period context I find it to be a fascinating account of one man's adventure in facing the perils of the untamed continent while in search of riches. With no Global Rescue or Sat phones to rely on he was self reliant in the truest form and one spill from his horse or bad encounter with game would have ended poorly. Definitely worth reading in my opinion.

I have 1911 copy
Awesome book
Almost done with it
Last two nights reading it while listening to elk bugles outside my camp
Priceless

Fun seeing those old spellings, too -- gnoos, koodoos and sassabies. And let us not forget the cameleopard -- aka, giraffe.