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The Out-station, Or Jaunts in the Jungle
by James Willyams Grylls
James Willyams Grylls
The Out-station, Or Jaunts in the Jungle
by James Willyams Grylls
James Willyams Grylls
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Overview
"A nice racy zest. Grylls naturally lived a sort of curried life, everlastingly in high-seasoned adventure—now with wild men; anon with bears, and boars, and elks, and elephants." -The Sporting Review, 1847
"James Willyams Grylls has embodied his spirited sketches of tropical sports and amusements in a little volume, with the old title of The Out-Station; or, Jaunts in the Jungle." - The New Monthly Magazine (1848)
Whether he is a progenitor of the modern day wilderness adventurer "Bear" Grylls is unknown, but the harrowing hunting adventures of William James Grylls while stationed in the jungles of Ceylon during the 1840s likely far surpass those of the modern-day TV survivalist.
Carrying a double-barrelled gun, his Malay follower armed with another, more for the sake of protection than aggression, Grylls trekked into the mountainous wild jungles of Ceylon where he would face off with elephants, long-clawed moon bears, water buffalo, and wild boars. These harrowing incidents make for exciting reading in his 1847 book "The Out-station, Or Jaunts in the Jungle."
In describing one terrifying elephant hunt gone wrong, Grylls writes that:
"Away rattled the whole herd with the exception of one, which rushed straight at the captain of the frigate, and, seizing him in its trunk, made off round the plain! It was the work of a moment; and had any one attempted to fire, the chances were greater in favour of his killing the man than the elephant. All looked on in dismay and horror, as they saw the old elephant pull up in its course every now and then, and seemingly attempt to crush its victim by kneeling on him; then holding him up in mid-air again, it would apparently exult in its conquest...."
He also recounts his face off with what he referred to as the "wild man of the jungle" which he described as living "principally on wild honey and raw deer-flesh, " commenting that "whether it really is a human being, or not, is with many an open question to the present time." When he suddenly came upon a party of these "wild men of the jungle," he describes the panic that ensued:
"Some began to jabber and screech, others to bury their faces in the grass, whilst one or two stared stupidly at us, thinking, no doubt, that their hour was come, and possibly the arch-enemy also to square accounts with them."
In describing a run-in with a bear in the heavy jungle, Grylls writes:
"What should I see standing directly in my way home, but a huge brute of a bear! half as big as an elephant, and black as the devil himself! Before I had time to run, or to plan any mode of attack, he was upon me! I had no weapon of any kind near me except my fists, so I was obliged to grapple him by the snout with one hand, and punch him in the ribs with the other...."
While in Ceylon, Grylls would also engage in the lucrative pursuit of pearls, which he describes as " a very amusing part of the business it constituted, being a complete lottery, as one might purchase five pounds' worth of oysters without being recompensed by a single pearl, whilst the private soldier investing his penny or twopence in the purchase of half a dozen, might find a prize valuable enough to purchase his discharge, and keep him in clover for the remainder of his existence."
In the end, the jungle would gain the upper hand over Grylls, as he found himself eventually being "carried over the waves in one of the native catamarans in the direction of home, with as respectable a specimen of a jungle-fever on me as one might be contented with for the remainder of his life; and after having undergone three months' suspension between two worlds, my ghost was at length allowed to revisit the mess-room of the regiment."
"James Willyams Grylls has embodied his spirited sketches of tropical sports and amusements in a little volume, with the old title of The Out-Station; or, Jaunts in the Jungle." - The New Monthly Magazine (1848)
Whether he is a progenitor of the modern day wilderness adventurer "Bear" Grylls is unknown, but the harrowing hunting adventures of William James Grylls while stationed in the jungles of Ceylon during the 1840s likely far surpass those of the modern-day TV survivalist.
Carrying a double-barrelled gun, his Malay follower armed with another, more for the sake of protection than aggression, Grylls trekked into the mountainous wild jungles of Ceylon where he would face off with elephants, long-clawed moon bears, water buffalo, and wild boars. These harrowing incidents make for exciting reading in his 1847 book "The Out-station, Or Jaunts in the Jungle."
In describing one terrifying elephant hunt gone wrong, Grylls writes that:
"Away rattled the whole herd with the exception of one, which rushed straight at the captain of the frigate, and, seizing him in its trunk, made off round the plain! It was the work of a moment; and had any one attempted to fire, the chances were greater in favour of his killing the man than the elephant. All looked on in dismay and horror, as they saw the old elephant pull up in its course every now and then, and seemingly attempt to crush its victim by kneeling on him; then holding him up in mid-air again, it would apparently exult in its conquest...."
He also recounts his face off with what he referred to as the "wild man of the jungle" which he described as living "principally on wild honey and raw deer-flesh, " commenting that "whether it really is a human being, or not, is with many an open question to the present time." When he suddenly came upon a party of these "wild men of the jungle," he describes the panic that ensued:
"Some began to jabber and screech, others to bury their faces in the grass, whilst one or two stared stupidly at us, thinking, no doubt, that their hour was come, and possibly the arch-enemy also to square accounts with them."
In describing a run-in with a bear in the heavy jungle, Grylls writes:
"What should I see standing directly in my way home, but a huge brute of a bear! half as big as an elephant, and black as the devil himself! Before I had time to run, or to plan any mode of attack, he was upon me! I had no weapon of any kind near me except my fists, so I was obliged to grapple him by the snout with one hand, and punch him in the ribs with the other...."
While in Ceylon, Grylls would also engage in the lucrative pursuit of pearls, which he describes as " a very amusing part of the business it constituted, being a complete lottery, as one might purchase five pounds' worth of oysters without being recompensed by a single pearl, whilst the private soldier investing his penny or twopence in the purchase of half a dozen, might find a prize valuable enough to purchase his discharge, and keep him in clover for the remainder of his existence."
In the end, the jungle would gain the upper hand over Grylls, as he found himself eventually being "carried over the waves in one of the native catamarans in the direction of home, with as respectable a specimen of a jungle-fever on me as one might be contented with for the remainder of his life; and after having undergone three months' suspension between two worlds, my ghost was at length allowed to revisit the mess-room of the regiment."
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940186350019 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Far West Travel Adventure |
| Publication date: | 07/17/2022 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 356 KB |
About the Author
Whether he is a progenitor of the modern day wilderness adventurer "Bear" Grylls is unknown, but the harrowing hunting adventures of William James Grylls (1816-1861) while stationed in the jungles of Ceylon during the 1840s likely far surpass those of the modern-day TV survivalist.
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