The Rifle And The Hound In Ceylon

by Samuel White Baker

The book, The Rifle And The Hound In Ceylon, has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

468 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1854

About the author

Sir Samuel White Baker of Britain founded a settlement at Ceylon in 1848, explored the region of the Blue Nile from 1861 to 1862, and as the first such European, reached Albert in 1864.

Baker served as an English officer, naturalist, big game hunter, engineer, writer, and abolitionist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_...

Reviews

[Ryan]

This book chronicles the wanton destruction and indiscriminate killing of wildlife, specifically of the large mammalian kind, and passes it off as 'sport'. I am not a sentimental animal lover, but I do have respect and love for nature in all its glory, blood, guts and all. And I am not even opposed to hunting for sport, but what Mr Baker did in Sri Lanka in the 19th C was nothing short of sheer massacre. For the selfish enjoyment of the few hunters, extensive areas of spectacular natural scenery teeming with abundant large fauna were cleared out in a matter of decades, I imagine. The author's self professed love of the outdoors failed to endow him with the foresight to save the wildlife for future generations to enjoy. Ironically he lamented himself on the decline in game animals even during his later visits, caused no doubt by trigger-happy 'sportsmen' like himself (he blames the locals)! One shudders at how much higher the death toll would be had he had access to modern firearms, when he was able to decimate hundreds of elephants, buffalo and deer with the early single shot rifles.

The only reason this book got 2 stars from me is for the description of the rugged beauty of those once pristine wilderness areas of the country. Thankfully some of it still can be glimpsed in protected reserves, although sadly these are but pockets of what once covered the land.

[Rajiv]

A rare book on hunting in Srilanka

This is one of those rare book on hunting in Srilanka. William Baker tells you stories about the inhabitants, wild life, his encounters with rogue elephants, deer hunting with hounds, boars, buffaloes etc. He makes elephant hunting look deceptively easy with heavy bore guns bearing half a pound balls instead of rifles ! Remember this book was lived in the 1820 to 1850s.
Enjoyable couple of days read. Refreshingly simple and easy read.