Gordon Cumming - The Lion Hunter
Some thirty years ago, in conversation with an old sea
captain who had visited or voyaged to all quarters of the
globe, he was denouncing fiercely the degeneracy of these
costermonger times. He said there was a book in our
town library which was a tissue of falsehood from begin-
ning to end, and that there never existed such a man as
Gordon Cumming, the Lion Hunter. I told the old gen-
tleman that I had seen the Lion Hunter hundreds of
times and conversed with him in the woods of Aylter,
and that be was a descendant of the Royal Comyn, one
of whom was killed by King Robert the Bruce, and that
I had seen the magnificent person of Gordon Cumming in
the garb of old Gaul, successfully punish a huge prize
fighter who kept grossly insulting him during the excite-
ment of a general election-when Cumming's uncle,
Major Cumming Bruce, was running for member, this
Major being father-in-law to Lord Elgin, formerly Gov-
ernor of Canada. I also told him that Hugh Millar was
a warm friend of the Lion Hunter's mother, as she was
distinguished both as a geologist and a botanist, and that
Livingstone, the great traveller, was a great admirer and
intimate friend of the Hunter. After his return to
Britain he exhibited himself and his magnificent trophies
throughout all the cities and towns of Britain and Ireland.
His own noble figure in full Highland costume was perhaps no
insignificant part of the exhibition. Barnum afterwards
secured the noble specimens of hides and horns and monstrous
tusks for his New York museum.
Now the youth in fertile Moray
Do in Gordon Cumming glory,
Bold lion hunter-first who made
With Africa tribes successful trade ;
First in those wilds to fire a gun,
While he the mighty trophies won.
The moat celebrated lady traveller in Britain is Miss
Cumming, a niece of the Lion Hunter. She has written
several volumes of her travels in distant lands.
poem by James McIntyre
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