Alfred Wilks Drayson Books

Alfred Wilks Drayson (1827 - 1901) was British military man who rose through the ranks of the Royal Artillery to colonel in 1874, retiring from the army as a major-general in 1883. He served in the Boer War in South Africa, was in India around 1877 and at Halifax, Nova Scotia for five years. He was also an astronomer and a prolific author. His books about South Africa are tales he heard rather like oral stories, while he was there. He had extensive experience of life in South Africa but the adventures are narrations from others.

Among The Zulus: The Adventures Of Hans Sterk, South African Hunter And Pioneer by Alfred Wilks Drayson (1869) includes some elephant hunting with chapters, 'Introduction to the Hunters'; 'Following the Elephants'; 'The Bull Elephant' and 'Seeking the Dead Elephants'. Free eBook

Early Days Among The Boers: Or The Diamond Hunters Of South Africa by A W Drayson (1889) relates various Boer and native South African hunting stories.

Tales At The Outspan: Or Adventures In The Wild Regions Of Southern Africa by A W Drayson (1862) is a collection of tales in the form of a travelogue. Setting off by ship from London and the arrival at the Cape, where the journey continues by ox-wagon into the hinterland. There are then further stories about wildlife and hunting.

Sporting Scenes: Amongst The Kaffirs Of South Africa by A W Drayson (1858) is an account of hunting and sporting experiences in Kaffraria (the descriptive name given to the southeast part of what is today the Eastern Cape) and Natal. The describes Boer hunters who were making an excursion near the Drakensberg mountains at Mooi river. He remarks on the wonderful eyesight possessed by these people and their contempt for the English as sportsmen. Free eBook

Page Updated: Aug 2020