Why did Scottish adventurer James Sutherland decide to give up the stuffiness and constraint of a modern city life and become an elephant hunter in the jungles of Africa-a life of weary days and restless nights, of fever, thirst, hunger, toil, and strife; but a life of wild, exhilarating excitement, of sunlight and air, vast spaces and solitude, of all things which seem to me to be so far removed from the restricting influences of a complex civilization?
James Sutherland 1872-1932 was a Scottish born professional elephant hunter. His book "The Adventures of an Elephant Hunter" is a classic elephant-hunting tale regarded as one of the best elephant hunting titles ever written. He is widely considered to be among the most successful professional elephant ivory hunters of the early 20th century. Along the way he also hunted lions when the opportunity presented itself, such as when they attacked him. Sutherland came to Africa from England with a questionable background and while looking for a livelihood fell into ivory hunting as a way to make a fortune. It is said he killed over a thousand elephants in his long spanning life as an elephant hunter. While hunting with natives he formed close relationships and affection for these bush people. The book reveals much about the Sutherland as a person as well as the sport. This great hunting classic has been in demand for over a hundred years!
In introducing his book, Sutherland writes:
"I have shot 447 bull elephants, thereby creating a world's record. I do not make this statement in any spirit of boasting: I merely wish to convey to the reader that the stories which follow are not fiction, but facts gleaned from a long and unique experience in one of the most exciting and dangerous sports that the world offers, and jotted down actually as they happened within a day or two of their occurrence. I should like to add, moreover, that I have not gone on safari with a large and well-armed expedition to lessen the risks of my calling, but have always hunted alone, with one or two trusted boys as trackers, and carriers."
