Daren
From the end of the Preface I thought the humour in this book would fit me perfectly.
"My immediate relations have been of enormous assistance in compiling this volume; without their help it would probably have been published six months sooner."
Also worth mentioning from the Preface is a note as follows: "I am not an authority of anything. This little book is not the history of a life-work in Africa, not is it the diary of an expensive shooting expedition. It is just a simple record of things that actually happened to a casual young man who absentmindedly wandered into Central Africa, travelling very much 'on the cheap' unhampered by friends 'influence,' or letter of introduction."
And the first 20-30 pages of the book lives up to this. Mason is self deprecating and amusing. He is no glory seeker, or seeker of trophies. I marked a few more quotes in the first 20 or so pages - some examples:
P10 "It was very hot, both on body and feet. We walked many miles, but made no secret of preferring to ride. George, in mistaken compassion for his small donkey, used to get off its back and cadge rides on my camel. I would wait until he was out of sight, and, bestriding the pampered moke, smite it firmly down the girth with the ropes end; realising that it must make the best of things, the foxy little brute would trot merrily along with no signs of tiring under my fourteen stone odd, though it had drooped and stumbled beneath George's twelve stone of misguided sympathy."
P18 "Some people will wait till they have measured the horns of some slaughtered creature and compared them to the record book before they decide they have enjoyed their day. The difficulties surmounted, the craft brought into play, the wariness and beauty of the quarry, the long waits while it feeds and moves about unaware of danger - surely these things are worth more than the triumph of its being an inch larger in size than the one killed by So-and-so."
P20 "That country is full of the giant baobab trees... One of these struct me as unusually large, so I measured its girth scientifically. I was checking my result by pacing around its bole when I stepped in a nest of furious wild bees... Wishing to photograph it, I told Ibrahim to go and stand against the trunk to make a contrast. He objected that he would be stung by the bees. In a foolish moment I said, "Very well, Ibrahim, I will give you one piastre for every sting you get." The words were barely out of my mouth before he rushed at the tree and , leaping in the middle of the bees did his upmost to provoke their wrath by stirring them up with both his feet and a spear handle. When I had taken the picture I had to call him away twice, and he came up, covered in stings and smiles to collect about seven shillings for what, I really believe, afforded him no physical discomfort whatever."
But it wasn't too long before the amusing asides fell away and the casual racism (typical of the era) came to the fore. Mason repeats his view that negroes are lesser beings, lack intelligence etc etc. I can separate the views of the time from the author, but this is very repetitive. That aside, the book rolls out to describe his time in Africa (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika (Tanzania now)) undertaking general travel and hunting expeditions. For the Sudanese journey he accompanies a Colonel he meets by chance on a train, in other places he hunts alone or joins up with other white men he encounters.
He shares an interpretation of the different tribes, some of their cultural beliefs and way of life. He explains about the animals he tracks and often shoots, but not always, sometimes being content to stalk and just watch, or take photographs, which is not so common of the era.
Mason is quick to shares his errors and faults, but also equally quick to expose others mistakes, but not in a vindictive way, just to move the narrative along.
The casual racism did drop away about 2/3 of the way through, but the humour didn't really return. In the end I did enjoy the read as a detailed description of his travels and hunting, he told interesting asides and anecdotes about animals and African tribes, taking in a wide array of detail. Overall the rating was tainted by the unnecessary repetition of some of the generalisations and comments on Africans.
There were plenty of decent (for the time) black and white photographs throughout the book. There was also a pocket for a large map, which sadly was missing in my copy. The appendices contained an explanation of the Rift Valley and Volcanoes; a detailed comparative table for the native languages the author collected (very impressive to me at least); and a list of points for others to consider with regard to equipment to take or not take to Africa!
3.5 stars.
From the end of the Preface I thought the humour in this book would fit me perfectly.
"My immediate relations have been of enormous assistance in compiling this volume; without their help it would probably have been published six months sooner."
Also worth mentioning from the Preface is a note as follows: "I am not an authority of anything. This little book is not the history of a life-work in Africa, not is it the diary of an expensive shooting expedition. It is just a simple record of things that actually happened to a casual young man who absentmindedly wandered into Central Africa, travelling very much 'on the cheap' unhampered by friends 'influence,' or letter of introduction."
And the first 20-30 pages of the book lives up to this. Mason is self deprecating and amusing. He is no glory seeker, or seeker of trophies. I marked a few more quotes in the first 20 or so pages - some examples:
P10 "It was very hot, both on body and feet. We walked many miles, but made no secret of preferring to ride. George, in mistaken compassion for his small donkey, used to get off its back and cadge rides on my camel. I would wait until he was out of sight, and, bestriding the pampered moke, smite it firmly down the girth with the ropes end; realising that it must make the best of things, the foxy little brute would trot merrily along with no signs of tiring under my fourteen stone odd, though it had drooped and stumbled beneath George's twelve stone of misguided sympathy."
P18 "Some people will wait till they have measured the horns of some slaughtered creature and compared them to the record book before they decide they have enjoyed their day. The difficulties surmounted, the craft brought into play, the wariness and beauty of the quarry, the long waits while it feeds and moves about unaware of danger - surely these things are worth more than the triumph of its being an inch larger in size than the one killed by So-and-so."
P20 "That country is full of the giant baobab trees... One of these struct me as unusually large, so I measured its girth scientifically. I was checking my result by pacing around its bole when I stepped in a nest of furious wild bees... Wishing to photograph it, I told Ibrahim to go and stand against the trunk to make a contrast. He objected that he would be stung by the bees. In a foolish moment I said, "Very well, Ibrahim, I will give you one piastre for every sting you get." The words were barely out of my mouth before he rushed at the tree and , leaping in the middle of the bees did his upmost to provoke their wrath by stirring them up with both his feet and a spear handle. When I had taken the picture I had to call him away twice, and he came up, covered in stings and smiles to collect about seven shillings for what, I really believe, afforded him no physical discomfort whatever."
But it wasn't too long before the amusing asides fell away and the casual racism (typical of the era) came to the fore. Mason repeats his view that negroes are lesser beings, lack intelligence etc etc. I can separate the views of the time from the author, but this is very repetitive. That aside, the book rolls out to describe his time in Africa (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika (Tanzania now)) undertaking general travel and hunting expeditions. For the Sudanese journey he accompanies a Colonel he meets by chance on a train, in other places he hunts alone or joins up with other white men he encounters.
He shares an interpretation of the different tribes, some of their cultural beliefs and way of life. He explains about the animals he tracks and often shoots, but not always, sometimes being content to stalk and just watch, or take photographs, which is not so common of the era.
Mason is quick to shares his errors and faults, but also equally quick to expose others mistakes, but not in a vindictive way, just to move the narrative along.
The casual racism did drop away about 2/3 of the way through, but the humour didn't really return. In the end I did enjoy the read as a detailed description of his travels and hunting, he told interesting asides and anecdotes about animals and African tribes, taking in a wide array of detail. Overall the rating was tainted by the unnecessary repetition of some of the generalisations and comments on Africans.
There were plenty of decent (for the time) black and white photographs throughout the book. There was also a pocket for a large map, which sadly was missing in my copy. The appendices contained an explanation of the Rift Valley and Volcanoes; a detailed comparative table for the native languages the author collected (very impressive to me at least); and a list of points for others to consider with regard to equipment to take or not take to Africa!
3.5 stars.