My Encounters with JIM CORBETT & PERCY WYNDHAM by P.R. Sherred of Allens Orchards, Kumaon. I first met Jim Corbett in 1922 when he was accompanied by then Commissioner of Kumaon, Percy Wyndham, on a walking tour round the Bhabar area. Both were bachelors in Khaki shorts (the Commissioners much patched), both hunters, having much in common they were very good friends. Wyndham had dome much tiger shooting in the Mirzapur district while Corbett had a fund of knowledge of tigers in Kumaon. There were then rumors of man eaters in the Mukteshwar locality, near Ramgarh, and at this time both men stayed at Ramgarh with Herbert Gill of the Allen Orchard Estate. Conversation was about man eaters with very little being said by Corbett, As a young assistant, I had been at the Orchards only a few years, and this talk lessened my worries about the tigers as we had an orchard at 8200 feet, near Mukteshwar, and it was my duty to visit the area regularly. Both Corbett and Wyndham carried no rifles, just cameras. I specially noticed that Corbett continually handled his camera as if to make it part of himself and I noticed this with his rifle later when he was in Jeolkote. Again I felt he was making it a part of himself. He had large hands and I well remember his shikari telling me that he could climb up a tree ek dum when he had to locate an animal calling nearby. Later there were days in Jeolkote, residing at Douglas Dale with Norman Gill (then Supdt. of Gardens in Kumaon). Here we played bowls on a wonderful green lawn. Here I had my first and last taste of bear steak, from a bear shot by Corbett which raided the madwa or the makka in the fields nearby. Then there was a story about a loop snake, Hamadryads (King Cbra) at Bhim tal, tail in mouth, would chase one down in loop fashion! During his stay in Kenya, Corbett would visit UK and meet up with Charlie Milne who served as a doctor in Kanpur, and they would fish the Spey in Scotland just below the reach reserved for H.M. the Queen and for H.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. WE valued Corbetts friendship exceedingly, as he was very content to make himself available to his friends for happy companionship and to give help. A while ago, a senior school girl in Naini Tal told me thet Jim Corbett one day walked away into the jungle in Africa and he was not heard of again. I too like this story. I hope he was searching for the fabulous Elephant Graveyard in Kenya, even though much of him must be in Kumaon. ((From Corbett Centenery Souvenir 1875-1975, published in Naini Tal 1976) **photographs from the Jim Corbett Foundation Archives, Canada.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 04:01:02 +0000
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