William Hichens

William Hichens (1893-1944) was a British political officer and civil servant, noted for his service on behalf of colonial authorities in British East Africa (East Africa Protectorate and the later Colony of Kenya) and Tanganyika, during the course of which he would become acquainted with the local stories of many African practices and regional cryptids, including the crypto-hominid Agogwe, the Nandi Bear, the khodumodumo, mysterious big cats, sea serpents, and relict dinosaurs (such as the African Brontosaurus), that he would later in his life write about for popular magazines, both under his own name and the pseudonym Fulahn. In addition to his cryptozoological connections, Hichens was also noted for his study of East African history and Swahili poetry, which he translated and published for English-speaking audiences.

Resources

 * &mdash; including an index of Hichens's collection of Swahili poetry, correspondence, etc., donated to the SOAS by his estate