In Africa: Hunting Adventures in the Big Game Country — Background and Themes

The Amateur's Lens

McCutcheon repeatedly emphasizes his status as an amateur, a stance that shapes both the voice and the content of the narrative. He dedicates the book to adventurous souls who resent the restraint of the beaten path, aligning himself with readers rather than with professional hunters. This perspective allows him to include details that a seasoned hunter might omit: the confusion of a first lion sighting, the uncertainty of identifying an elephant's sex by its breasts, and the candid admission that a wounded elephant got away. The amateur lens also extends to the book's illustrations, which McCutcheon produced himself as cartoons and photographs. The text thus becomes a hybrid record—part travelogue, part hunting log, part personal sketchbook—held together by the author's consistent voice of wonder and self-awareness.

Precision Under Pressure

Despite the amateur framing, the excerpts reveal a meticulous attention to the mechanics of hunting. McCutcheon records exact shot placements: a bullet between the eye and ear, another behind the orifice of the ear as the head swung. He notes the effects of heavy shells, the way an elephant dropped to its knees then sprang up, and the specific behavior of a cow elephant that returned to charge. The narrative also tracks the logistics of a safari—the retinue of more than one hundred natives, the roles of gunbearers like Hassan and Sulimani, and the constant assessment of wind direction. These details ground the adventure in practical reality, showing that the amateur's account is nonetheless built on careful observation and repeated action.

Encounters with Roosevelt

A significant portion of the excerpts concerns McCutcheon's meeting with Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in the uttermost outpost of semi-civilization. The encounter is presented as a series of specific, almost anecdotal details: Roosevelt talks of many things, hears that he has been reported dead, and promptly plans an elephant hunt. Later, the colonel reads Macaulay's Essays, discourses on many subjects with great frankness, declines a drink of Scotch whisky, and kills three elephants. The juxtaposition of intellectual and physical pursuits—essays and elephants—captures Roosevelt's persona while also reflecting McCutcheon's own blend of observation and action. The episode serves as a narrative hinge, connecting the amateur's journey to a larger historical figure without overshadowing McCutcheon's own experiences.

Readers should approach In Africa as a document of its time, one that records both the thrill of the hunt and the everyday realities of a safari. McCutcheon's illustrations—both cartoons and photographs—are integral to the text, offering a visual counterpart to his written observations. The book rewards those who read for specific detail: the weight of a rifle, the height of an elephant, the exact moment a charge begins. It is less a manual than a memoir, and its value lies in the particularity of its amateur gaze.