"Death
in the Grass"
Acrylic on panel, 18"x36"
SOLD
Determined to reach Fort Portal at the
base of the fabled Mountains of the Moon in Western
Uganda, the footsore safari pressed on. Their guide was Ugandas
chief game warden, Samaki Salmon, who had confidently told his
royal hunting party that it would be a simple trek in the relatively
cool air, and that they would be in camp before nightfall. This
was not to be the case.
The year is 1930 and His Royal Highness,
Edward, Prince of Wales, was making his second visit to East
Africa. Scandalized by his abdication of the British Throne and
his love affair with Wallace Simpson, he was nonetheless an avid
outdoorsman and respected hunter. On both his visits to Africa,
he has impressed his white hunter, The Honorable Denys Finch
Hatton (made famous through Isak Dinesens Out of
Africa). Finch Hatton was perhaps chosen to lead the Princes
safari because he was an Old Etonian and had the right British
accent and social breeding.
However, Finch Hatton was skeptical from
the outset that the party could complete the trek in one day.
Perhaps the Prince also had his doubts, because he gave his bearer
a bottle of whiskey to put in his rucksack and bring along just
in case. Salmon said there would be no need to bring along whiskey
as there would be plenty at Fort Portal.
The Prince ignored the reassurances and
took it along anyway. He was determined to see the view hed
been told about from the top of the Bondibugyo Escarpment. The
party trudged on as the weather took a turn for the worse. It
was now getting very cold and it had started to rain. The fine
misty rain didnt faze the Prince, it probably reminded
him of the Scottish highlands; gleefully he pressed on through
the tall grass.
Then, to the astonishment of them all,
Salmon the guide, announced that he was lost! It was now going
dark and they were totally unprepared for the conditions. They
had no tent, no shelter, no blankets and were now looking at
the ordeal of spending a long night at over 5,000 feet in the
rain and cold. The bearers cleared a small circle in the grass
and the party sat on the ground with their backs to each other.
They were grateful to see the princes bottle of whiskey
and listen to his interesting tales from Pattersons Man
Eaters of Tsavo. To add to their discomfort, a nearby lion could
be heard roaring over and over again all night. A somewhat fitting
backdrop to the Princes stories. Obviously no one slept,
and it was a night to remember.
In my painting Finch Hatton leads the
way with the Prince behind him, just before they call it a day
and succumb to the elements, lost in the grass.
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