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S. E. Hibbert Travel Diary

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: -
Date: circa 1970

Biographical History

Nothing is known of S. E. Hibbert beyond the information given in the collection. He was apparently a British army officer.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The S. E. Hibbert Travel Diary is a two-volume journal of a 1909 hunting trip south on the White Nile, from Khartoum to near Nimule, by a British army officer and three companions.

In 1909 Captain Hibbert of the British Army set out on a steamship voyage down the White Nile with three companions: Darell, Dawson and Lane. The four men worked their way south by steamship or on foot, from Khartoum to Gondokoro on the Nimule Road. Each stop allowed them to hunt, moving inland on foot, camping and following game. Elephants were the principle quarry. Leaving Gondokoro on May 12, 1909 they returned, partially over the same route, to Omdurman, arriving on June 24. Capt. Hibbert's diary details the successes, failures and frustrations of this safari in British Africa, reflecting many of the contemporary attitudes towards wildlife and native tribes. Hazard encountered on the trip include storms, poisonous reptiles, crocodiles, fever, infection, and a wounded elephant. Lack of potable water was also a problem on occasion. The many photographs show natives, British administrators, the hunters and their quarry. None of the photographs are labeled, and a reading of the adjacent text indicates the photographs are unrelated to the event discussed. Some of the photographs are also duplicates.

Also included in the volume is an enlarged photograph of donkeys or mules, plus a 1913 letter to Capt. Hibbert, then at Sheerness (a British military installation on the Isle of Sheppay, at the mouth of the Thames). The letter is in response to Hibbert's query to the Steamer Department of the Sudan Government for current fares. Whether Hibbert made another journey is unknown.

Arrangement of the Collection

Chronological.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Hibbert, S. E.

Subjects

Hunting -- Africa, Central.
Safaris.
Travelers -- Africa -- Diaries.

Places

Africa, Central -- Description and travel.
Bahr al-Abyad (Sudan : Province) -- Description and travel.
Nile River -- Description and travel.

Genres and Forms

Diaries.
Photographs.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

S. E. Hibbert Travel Diary,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transfer from Rare Books, 1969.

Table of Contents

Diaries

Inventory