A forgotten hunter

In the early 19th century there were two German naturalists, Robert, 1804 – 1865, and Richard Schomburgk, 1811 -1891. In British service, both explored Guyana from 1835 to 1844. Robert stayed in British service and was knighted “Sir Robert” by queen Victoria. Later he served as British consul in Siam. Several plants and animals are named for him, among them the now extinct Schomburgk’s Deer. Richard returned to Germany first, but emigrated to South Australia in 1849. In 1850 he planted the first vineyard in Down Under near Gawler and founded the Gawler Museum. Later he became director of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
Their great nephew Hans Schomburgk, 1880 – 1967, born in Hamburg, wanted to go to the African wilderness. In1898 his family sent him to South Africa to learn farming at a distant relative. Aged 17, he did not care much about farming. Pennieless, he joined the British Natal Mounted Police instead. In Natal he made his first small hunting trips and shot his first buffalo there, besides various plains game. He fought during the 2nd Boer War on the British side.
After the end of hostilities he had himself transferred to the Barotse Police in Rhodesia, right into the then wild Africa. As an officer he took part in some expeditions into the unknown to put the Zambezi – Congo watershed on the map as a possible border between Portuguese Angola and British Rhodesia. His hunting rifle from Natal to Rhodesia was a .303 Martini action single shot by W.W.Greener. Apparently he lost the foreend somewhere in the bush.

(All Photos are from his even dozen books, published in German only afaik)
The European outposts in that part of Africa were connected by oxen drawn express mail:

After their contracts expired by 1906 Hans and his friend McNeil decided to wander through uncharted parts of Africa and live as hunters on their own. First they ventured into Angola, still unoccupied by the Portuguese. His battery then consisted of his Greener .303 and a Westley Richards single shot in .450-400. (photo taken May 30, 1906, near Kafue river)

A photo shows one of his camps there with two buffalo and a giant sable skull:

A closeup of a 44” sable:

(to be continued)