Arthur Henry Neumann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Henry Neumann
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Arthur Neumann in 1897
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| Born | 12 June 1850 Hockliffe, Bedfordshire, England |
| Died | 29 May 1907 (aged 56) Westminster, London, England |
| Occupation | Hunter, author, soldier, explorer, |
| Notable works | Elephant Hunting In East Equatorial Africa |
Arthur Henry Neumann (born June 12, 1850 – died May 29, 1907) was an English explorer, hunter, soldier, farmer, and writer. He became famous for his adventures in East Africa. In 1898, he wrote a book called Elephant Hunting In East Equatorial Africa.
Contents
Arthur Neumann's Early Life and Adventures
Arthur Neumann was born in Hockliffe, Bedfordshire, England. He was the youngest of seven children. His father was a church leader in a small village. Arthur often dreamed of being in wild, empty places. We don't know much about his schooling. He was likely taught at home.
In 1869, his father retired and moved to Italy. This was Arthur's chance to start his own adventures. He later said his real life began in 1868. He traveled to Durban, South Africa. It was a new town, like a frontier settlement.
Arthur first worked for a coffee farmer. But a beetle ruined the coffee crops. After a few months, he and his brother Charles moved north. They found land to grow tobacco and cotton. But Arthur couldn't stay in one place for long. In 1871, he went to a new goldfield in the eastern Transvaal Colony. The gold rush was encouraged, but it didn't make him rich. He returned to Natal by 1872.
Arthur bought some land in Natal, but he still felt restless. His friend, the artist John Guille Millais, said Arthur then settled in Swaziland. He started a trading business there. He drove his own wagons with goods between Swaziland and Natal. This work taught him how to drive wagons and survive in the wilderness. He also learned to speak several local languages.
Hunter and Soldier
In 1877, Arthur Neumann took a break from trading. He wanted to follow his passion for hunting. He went to Swaziland and the lowlands of eastern Transvaal. He enjoyed hunting big game alone. But too much hunting was already harming the wildlife. So, Neumann slowly moved further into East Africa.
As Neumann continued hunting, the political situation in Zululand became tense. There was a risk of war between the Zulus, the British, and their Swazi allies. Neumann knew the local language and the land well. He was also friends with Swazi leaders. So, the government asked him to join a scouting party. He became a captain and led a group of scouts.
During this time, Neumann met Norman Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod. They became very good friends. MacLeod was a former soldier and loved hunting big game. He had also explored South Africa. Neumann and MacLeod worked well together. In late 1878, they met with the Swazi king. They asked for his help against the Zulu King, Cetewayo.
The Anglo-Zulu War began in January 1879. British forces were defeated at Isandhlwana. They had to pull back but soon returned with more troops. Neumann showed great bravery during the short war. He helped the British in Transvaal and made alliances with the Swaziland kingdom.
For the next ten years, Neumann divided his time. He farmed, traded, and organized hunting trips. He traveled and hunted a lot around the Limpopo and Sabi rivers. He rented out his farm and leased land from the Swazi royal family. He used this land to raise cattle near the borders of Swaziland and Transvaal. In 1885, he had a disagreement with the Transvaal Government. They claimed his land was in Transvaal, not Swaziland. Neumann tried to avoid the issue, but the authorities didn't forget.
Adventures in East Africa
By 1890, Neumann was tired of the land disputes. He was in East Africa and needed money for an elephant-hunting trip. In May 1890, he joined the Imperial British East Africa Company. Neumann worked to open up the land for the British in East Africa. He worked under Frederick Lugard, but they often disagreed.
In his first four months, Neumann's team of fifty men built a road through the bush. This road helped open up the interior. It also gave Neumann easier access to hunting grounds.
At the end of 1890, Neumann joined an expedition. It was to explore a possible railway route to Lake Victoria. They left Mombasa on December 1. They traveled across the dry Taru Desert to a fort. Then they went to Dagoretti, near modern-day Nairobi. The rainy weather made the trip difficult. They hunted around Lake Victoria. In Samia, Neumann hunted five elephants and five hippos. He found this very exciting. This experience made him decide to become a professional elephant hunter.
On his way back to Mombasa in May 1891, his group was attacked by the Maasai people. This was revenge for a previous expedition that had taken Maasai cattle. Neumann was wounded in the wrist. Thirty-eight of his men died. Tired of his regular duties, he resigned. He then took a job as a judge in Zululand.
Becoming an Elephant Hunter
At the end of 1893, Neumann returned to Mombasa. He wanted to start a career as an ivory trader. His expedition of fifty people aimed to travel to Ndorobo. They believed there were many elephants there. In late December 1893, he began a slow, fourteen-month journey. He followed an old trade route. He crossed the Tana river valley. Then he went down the hills of the Nyambeni Range. This was about 450 miles from Mombasa and took nine weeks on foot.
Once he set up his base, Neumann began hunting. He used his special Gibbs-Farquharson rifles. For several months, he moved around the interior. He collected ivory, explored, and sometimes collected insects and butterflies.
In the late 1800s, there was a high demand for ivory from East Africa. This was very bad for elephants. But it brought a lot of money into the region. Men like Neumann helped meet this demand. In his writings, Neumann focused on the hard work of travel and long journeys. He didn't talk about the ethics of the ivory trade.
In August 1896, Neumann had a very successful hunting trip. He hunted fourteen elephants, his largest number ever. But he was still a bit disappointed. He felt he could have done better. He was more pleased with the total amount of ivory from the trip. He collected forty sets of tusks.
Neumann's long-term goal was to reach Lake Rudolf (now called Lake Turkana). He reached it on an expedition in 1895. However, hunting around Lake Rudolf was not easy. The land was difficult, and a strong wind blew. On New Year's Day 1896, his personal helper, Shebane, was killed by a crocodile. Many of his donkeys got sick from Tsetse fly bites. Neumann wrote that he hunted several large animals. But then his gun misfired, and an angry female elephant attacked him.
His injuries were serious. He couldn't eat solid food for several months. This stopped his hunting. But he used the time to collect animal specimens for the British Museum. He found a new type of hartebeest, which was named Bubalis Neumannii after him. He returned to Mombasa in October 1896. He was in poor health and had an injured arm.
Writing His Book
Neumann returned to Britain in 1897. He recovered and enjoyed being famous for two years. He visited Dunvegan Castle, where he wrote about his adventures. His book, Elephant Hunting in East Equatorial Africa, was published. People liked it very much. The Edinburgh Review said it was a very exciting story. They said his simple way of telling his adventures made them believe everything.
Neumann didn't hide his brave acts. His book was widely read by people who loved stories of adventure from the Empire. The book had beautiful drawings by three famous wildlife artists. These included his friend John Guille Millais. The book made Neumann well-known as an elephant hunter. He also became known for writing articles about wildlife. He was seen as an expert on the wildlife of Africa. His scientific studies in his book helped him be recognized as a serious zoologist.
Serving in the Boer War
In October 1899, the Boer War began. This was a war between the Boer Republics and Great Britain. Neumann returned to South Africa and joined the South African Light Horse. Because he knew Africa well and had fought in the Zulu War, he was made a lieutenant. He served under Colonel Julian Byng.
Neumann was part of the Mounted Brigade. He helped in the relief of the besieged town of Ladysmith. He was also at the Battle of the Tugela Heights. His friend J.G. Millais said Neumann was at the front of his troop during a fight on Bastion Hill. Neumann did not stay until the end of the war. He returned to Britain in 1901.
Last Years in East Africa
After the war, Neumann tried to get a government job in Transvaal, South Africa. But he was not successful. So, he returned to East Africa. He wanted to go back to hunting elephants. In August 1901, he visited his old friend Frederick John Jackson. Jackson was now the Acting Commissioner of Uganda. Neumann planned to go north to hunt near the Abyssinian border.
However, Neumann probably returned to Britain soon after. He bought a large rifle from a gunsmith in London. He also attended a shooting party in Norfolk. Many famous hunters were there, including Frederick Selous and J.G. Millais.
According to Millais, Neumann went back to East Africa in early 1902. He stayed in the Mount Kenya area for five years. He would sometimes go north to hunt male elephants. He traveled through the Lorian Swamp, Lake Rudolf, and northern Gwaso Nyiro in 1903 and 1904. But he found fewer elephants.
The ivory trade was still profitable, but it was declining. There was more competition from hunters from Abyssinia and Somalia. This made the political situation more difficult. Neumann was close to the Ndorobo people of East Africa. He was unwillingly drawn into political conflicts. These conflicts eventually weakened his position. By the end of 1905, his income from ivory was much lower. That year, he only hunted fifteen elephants. He also traded for a few more tusks from the Ndorobo and Sabur people.
Neumann was not in good health by this time. He also faced criticism from people who were against uncontrolled hunting of big game. Neumann felt attacked and bitter. He called his opponents the "Game Preserving Society." He wrote a pamphlet with his ideas on how to control the ivory trade and illegal elephant hunting. He also offered to work for the government again as a border agent. He wanted a salary that included his right to collect ivory. But it didn't work out. After a final hunting trip to Lake Rudolf in 1906, it was clear his days as an elephant hunter were over.
Death in London
In September 1906, Neumann sailed to the UK. He brought his collection of ivory with him. He sold it for a good amount of money. He kept a few special pieces for friends, including Millais. He stayed with Millais in April 1907. Millais' son, Raoul Millais, who later became an artist and hunter, remembered Neumann as "a jolly little man, lots of fun and very good with children."
Neumann was a solitary person. He planned to return to East Africa. He met with James Hayes Sadler in London. Sadler was a senior diplomat. Neumann wanted to get a grant of land and a government job in the Guaso Nyiro River area. This was agreed upon at the end of May. But the grant was never put into action. On May 29, Neumann died at his home in central London.
See Also
Elephant hunting Big-game hunting Exploration of Africa
Images for kids
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Arthur Neumann in 1897
