Chumamaboko First Of The Central African Professional Hunters

monish

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Chumamaboko, First of the Central African Professional Hunters

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Chumamaboko, First of the Central African Professional Hunters.

At the time that F. H. Melland - a nephew of Prime Minister Asquith, arrived in 1901 on foot at Mpika, North-Eastern Rhodesia in order to take up his post with the British South Africa Company as assistant native collector, Chumamaboko (arms of iron) had for some time been a leading member of the elite elephant-hunting achiwinda clan. Famous in that part of the world for his hunting prowess, he soon attracted the attention of Melland, who wanted to spend as much time as possible on his favourite pastime, hunting. They were to stay together until Chuma’s death shortly before Melland’s departure for England in 1924 when Northern Rhodesia was removed from BSA Company control and administered by the Imperial Government.

Chuma became Melland’s professional hunter at the same time that the pioneer professional white hunters, the Hill brothers, Clifford and Harold, began conducting lion hunting parties on their ranch in the Machakos area of Kenya. Arguably, therefore, Chuma was the first professional hunter in what is now constitutes Zambia.

While at Mpika until about 1912, he guided Melland all around the district, venturing far into the Bangweulu swamps and the nearby Luangwa Valley. On the Lwitikila River, which has its headwaters near Mpika, they shot a 116 pounder which today can be seen in the Thring Museum in England, one of the biggest elephant ever taken in Zambia, the record being a 130 pounder with one tusk.

Chuma followed Melland from Mpika to Solwezi, thence to Kasempa, Kafue and finally, to Mazabuka. And all the time they hunted together. Melland wrote three books, one on elephant hunting, one on the anthropology of the Kaonde in Kasempa district, and one recounting his journey with Chuma and a friend, from Bangweulu to Cairo, hunting elephant on the way.

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Chumamaboko standing by a Jackson's Hartebeest

There are a number of fish named after Melland as a result of his Bangweulu fish collections and he made valuable contributions in anthropology and what is now termed development studies. His friends were people like Mickey Norton, perhaps the greatest of all elephant hunters, and J.E. Hughes who operated the first professionally conducted safaris in the Bangweulu and whose classic book, ‘Eighteen Years in the Bangweulu’ is still much in demand.

Chuma was remarkable in every way. Melland recounts the tale of how Chuma, a man revered by his fellow Zambians, once personally cleaned up the latrines in the labour lines at Kasempa during an outbreak of dysentery, hubris being absent from his character.


Monish
 
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Interesting - I am Frank Melland's grandson
Could you recall the story or your grand father 116 pounder, could you please share a bit?
 
I've got frank melland's gun

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
I've got frank melland's gun

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Please do share with us more info on this gun as well as some pictures.
 
Chumamaboko, First of the Central African Professional Hunters

watermark.php

Chumamaboko, First of the Central African Professional Hunters.

At the time that F. H. Melland - a nephew of Prime Minister Asquith, arrived in 1901 on foot at Mpika, North-Eastern Rhodesia in order to take up his post with the British South Africa Company as assistant native collector, Chumamaboko (arms of iron) had for some time been a leading member of the elite elephant-hunting achiwinda clan. Famous in that part of the world for his hunting prowess, he soon attracted the attention of Melland, who wanted to spend as much time as possible on his favourite pastime, hunting. They were to stay together until Chuma’s death shortly before Melland’s departure for England in 1924 when Northern Rhodesia was removed from BSA Company control and administered by the Imperial Government.

Chuma became Melland’s professional hunter at the same time that the pioneer professional white hunters, the Hill brothers, Clifford and Harold, began conducting lion hunting parties on their ranch in the Machakos area of Kenya. Arguably, therefore, Chuma was the first professional hunter in what is now constitutes Zambia.

While at Mpika until about 1912, he guided Melland all around the district, venturing far into the Bangweulu swamps and the nearby Luangwa Valley. On the Lwitikila River, which has its headwaters near Mpika, they shot a 116 pounder which today can be seen in the Thring Museum in England, one of the biggest elephant ever taken in Zambia, the record being a 130 pounder with one tusk.

Chuma followed Melland from Mpika to Solwezi, thence to Kasempa, Kafue and finally, to Mazabuka. And all the time they hunted together. Melland wrote three books, one on elephant hunting, one on the anthropology of the Kaonde in Kasempa district, and one recounting his journey with Chuma and a friend, from Bangweulu to Cairo, hunting elephant on the way.

watermark.php

Chumamaboko standing by a Jackson's Hartebeest

There are a number of fish named after Melland as a result of his Bangweulu fish collections and he made valuable contributions in anthropology and what is now termed development studies. His friends were people like Mickey Norton, perhaps the greatest of all elephant hunters, and J.E. Hughes who operated the first professionally conducted safaris in the Bangweulu and whose classic book, ‘Eighteen Years in the Bangweulu’ is still much in demand.

Chuma was remarkable in every way. Melland recounts the tale of how Chuma, a man revered by his fellow Zambians, once personally cleaned up the latrines in the labour lines at Kasempa during an outbreak of dysentery, hubris being absent from his character.


Monish
 
I wrote this piece on Chumamaboko - this should have been acknowledged!

But I was not responsible for including a pic of Chuma (if that is him?) with a "Jackson's hartebeest". This should read Lichtenstein's hartebeest - certainly now.
 
Could you recall the story or your grand father 116 pounder, could you please share a bit?
The elephant was shot on the Luitikila River west of the Great North Road in what is now called Zambia. I have a picture of the tusks with Melland and Chuma.
Interesting - I am Frank Melland's grandson
Amicia Young (nee Melland), daughter of Frank, was a friend of mine. Let me know if it was her...by PM.
 
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I wrote this piece on Chumamaboko - this should have been acknowledged!

But I was not responsible for including a pic of Chuma (if that is him?) with a "Jackson's hartebeest". This should read Lichtenstein's hartebeest - certainly now.

Horn shape is not right for a Lichtensteins I presume Jacksons or Lelwel is correct going by that shape

220px-Male_Jackson%27s_hartebeest.jpg

Lelwel

108021507_8ac3c6be82_z.jpg

Jacksons
24726433818_1184c4eacf_b.jpg

Jacksons

upload_2020-4-13_12-55-2.jpeg

Lichtenstein
 

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I have a chapter on F.H. Melland in my book Where the Water Meets the Sky.

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Melland (Chumamaboko behind him) and the 116 pounder (pic provided by Amicia Melland)

Melland was a nephew of Prime Minister Asquith and a prominent Manchester family member whose contributions to ethnography and natural history were considerable. Melland became a Native Collector and Commissioner in the British South Africa Chartered Company. He wrote five books: 1) Elephants in Africa; 2) on the anthropology of the Kaonde in Kasempa district- In Witch Bound Africa; 3) on his journey with Chuma and his fellow BSA Company friend E.H. Cholmeley (Chimbelani) from Bangweulu to Cairo - Through the Heart of Africa; 4) as co-author of a book on Indirect Rule - African Dilemma; and 5) Lord Hailey’s African Survey.


Melland was first stationed at Mpika in 1902-1910 as Native Collector, then at Solwezi (there named Milandu), followed by Kasempa, Kafue and finally, Mazabuka. In the Mpika District Notebook, a log kept by successive heads of administration over the years until Britain took over, a fascinating picture is drawn of the colonization of the district, an event mirrored to a great extent by the new boma’s (administrative HQs) of Serenje, Fort Roseberry, Kasama, Mporokoso and to a lesser extent, Sakania, and Luena.

His report on visits to Nsalushi island reveals colonial invasion’s spectre with villagers forced to give their labour and the ultra-colonial Hut Tax imposed.

On the Luitikila River, which has its headwaters near Mpika, Melland shot the 116 pounder (the heaviest tusk weighing 116 lbs), which today can be seen in the Thring Museum in England, one of the biggest elephant ever taken in the territory, the record being a 130-pound single tusker.

ee218a7c-90f2-4386-8610-2ce6c5dda631.jpg

Back in England with his family (Amicia on the left) (pic provided by Amicia Melland)

Melland was killed in England at the outbreak of World War II when he fell between a train and the platform. He had just been appointed Secretary to the Royal Africa Society. His eldest daughter, Amicia Young (1914-2004), I met a few times when I lived in England. She had left Northern Rhodesia with her family in 1924.
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Amicia and I became friendly when I lived in England. She died on 3 November 2004. I have been in touch with her son, Simon.

In 1910 Melland went on a long foot safari across Africa with a friend, Edward Cholmeley - also in the BSA Company. The book about that journey, Through the Heart of Africa,
Horn shape is not right for a Lichtensteins I presume Jacksons or Lelwel is correct going by that shape

220px-Male_Jackson%27s_hartebeest.jpg

Lelwel

108021507_8ac3c6be82_z.jpg

Jacksons
24726433818_1184c4eacf_b.jpg

Jacksons

View attachment 341707
Lichtenstein

IvW,


Sorry for the long delay. I am now looking for my pics of hartebeest. Will stick them on when successful.
 
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Through the Heart of Africa by Melland and Cholmeley can be downloaded
here at Archive.org
 

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