| The holy grail of African sporting books. |
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zimguy
Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 1
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The holy grail of African sporting books. |
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Hi Folks
I have what i believe to be a really rare book. I was wondering if you would have a look at it for me,would like to sell it, there is a description below....email me for pics at zermatt@mweb.co.zw , thanks Gordon
THE HOLY GRAIL OF AFRICAN SPORTING BOOKS
FINAUGHTY, William. The Recollections of William Finaughty, Elephant Hunter, 1864-1875. Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott, 1916.
8vo , paper title labels ot upper coard and spine; pp. 242.
FIRST EDITION. Limited to 250 copies only. This is an exceptionally rare item, which was edited and PRIVATELY PUBLISHED BY GEORGE L. HARRISON FOR "DISTRIBUTION TO NOTEWORTHY AFRICAN SPORTSMAN AND OTHER LUMINARIES, INCLUDING THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND SIR ALFRED PEASE ..." (CZECH). Finaughty made his first hunting trip into Matabeleland in 1864, at the age of twenty-one, at which time it was said that the “ELEPHANTS PRACTICALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A GUNSHOT WAS.” Two years later he began hunting for Ivory and over the next five years, Finaughty is known to have killed in excess of 500 elephants. However, by 1871, the Elephants themselves had taken refuge in tsetse fly areas which hunters such as Finaughty, who liked to go out on horseback, were less likely to enter.
"PREFACE. IN 1908 I HAD MY EMPLOY IN NORTHWESTERN RHODESIA, WILLIAM FINNAUGHTY, A SON OF WILLIAM FINNAUGHTY WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST WHITE MEN TO HUNT ELEPHANTS IN MATABELELAND. MR SELOUS SAYS IN ONE OF HIS BOOKS THAT FINNAUGHTY STOPPED HUNTING BECAUSE ELEPHANTS WERE BECOMING TOO SCARCE, BEFORE HE - SELOUS - FIRST WENT TO AFRICA. IN 1913 I HAPPENED TO BE IN BULAWAYO AND, HAVING A DAY TO SPARE, I VISITED FINNAUGHTY ON A FARM NEARBY. HE GAVE ME THE NUMBERS OF THE RHODESIAN JOURNAL CONTAINING HIS HUNTING EXPERIENCES. ONE OR TWO OF THE NUMBERS ARE MISSING AND AS THE JOURNAL HAS GONE OUT OF EXISTENCE, I CANNOT REPLACE THEM. HIS SON HAS TOLD ME OF HIS WONDERFUL MEMORY, AND THIS I FOUND CONFIRMED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM. I FOUND HIM A VERY SLIGHT OLD MAN WITH VERY WHITE HAIR, MUCH WEAKENED BY MANY ATTACKS OF FEVER. THE VALUE, IF ANY, IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES, LIES IN THE FACT THAT THEY GIVE A PICTURE OF A TIME NOW PASSED WHICH WILL NEVER RETURN. G.L.H. POPLAR HOUSE ST. DAVIDS' PENNSYLVANIA MAY 1916."
THE FADED AREAS OF THE SPINE ARE ACCENTUATED BY THE FLASH AND ARE NOT THAT PRONOUNCED. THERE IS BUMPING TO THE CORNERS. PAPER LABELS TO FRONT AND SPINE. NO BUMPING TO SPINE TO SPEAK OF. BINDING IS TIGHT.THERE IS LIGHT FOXING.
I look forward to hearing from u
kind rgds
Gordon Wallis |
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| 2009-09-23 14:48:11 |
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