THE LATE CAPTAIN SELOUS

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13388, 16 January 1917, Page 4

THE LATE CAPTAIN SELOUS

AN ADVENTUROUS LIFE

ENDED ON BATTLEFIELD,

Captain Frederick C. Selous, reported to Jiave been killed in action in South Africa, was the hero of innumerable ta.es of stirring adventure in wildest Africa, and the author of numerous works on'travel and big-game hunting. He joined the South A mean lorces fighting in East Arr.ca, and held the rank 01 captain in the Legion, ol Front ersmen. He was just over sixiy-nvo years of age. His father was Huguenot extraction, and on bis mother's side he was descended from the Bruces of Clackmannan. Captain Selous was educated at Bruce Ca.stie and at Rugby, where he was famous for his high spirit, his love of violent mischief, and his personal courage. iiis sciioohellow.s snowed their apprcciat.on of bis charaeur by converting his name of Selous into "Zealous," which became bis nickname. When sixteen yeai.-, oi age he kit Rugby and spent a couple oi years in Swnzerland and Germany, where he learnt French and German. Whilst in Germany he attracted some notice in the papers i,y jumping into the Rhine during winter after a wild duck which he had shot. He had on a great coal and top-boots, which filled with water, and tnough a splendid swimmer he lounu great difficulty in getting to shore with his game. Wiiilst stiil quite a youth he had determined to cast his lot in South Africa. At nineteen he sailed from England, and in 1871 lust set foot upon the shores of Algoa Bay. In 1881 he 1 published his first work > "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa." Tins won instant recognition, but its author received more credit from the critics and the general public for his wonderful piowess as a hunter than for what he nad done as a naturalist and an explorer. From the Royal Geographical Society, however, he received successively the Cuthbert Peak grant, the Black premium, add finally, in the Founders' Gold Medal, the highest honour which it is in the power of the soiiety to bestow. Such honours are net gained by hunting, and the map of Africa, to which he has so largely contributed, shows how Mr Selous won them. Hk services to natural history also received recognition form the Zoological Society, which made him one of its corresponding members. In 1893 Mr Selous published his second work. "Travel and Adventure in South-East Africa." Amongst other matters of varied and often of thrilling interest, it contains an account of the historic p'oneer expedition, which its author so successfully led. During the first Matabele campaign Selous fought with great gal antry on the side of the colonists, and was wounded whilst bravely protecting some waggons which had been surprised by the enemy. On his retun to England after the campaign he characterishcafiy defended his fellows-in-arms--from charges of blood-thirsti-*ness and cruelty brought against them by Mr Labourchere. The controversy ran for some months in the columns of the Times during 1894. Mr SeloUs returned to Matabeleland in 1895, raised a troop when the native rebellion broke out in March, 1896, and served throughout the campaign until the disbandment of the Buluwayo Field Force. Afterwards he wrote an account of the outbreak of the rebellion in a book entitled, "Sunshine and Storm in Rhodesia." Soon after the East African campaign began he offered his services to the authorities, although well advanced in years, and his effer was gladly accepted, because of his great experience as a guide and a fighter in the jungle and bush.