Rumuruti,
Laikipia, B.E.A. Nov. 20 1906.
My
dear dear Mama:
Merry
Christmas & Happy New Year but I fear ‘twill be nearer the
latter than the former when you receive this but we had a
general
house cleaning when we got home and were entirely torn up for
several
days. Our house is so large, you know that it takes a long
time to
get it cleaned and we have such a lot of furniture that it
makes an
awful mixup when we get things together. But I must not forget
my
native habits so I’ll start where I left off in the last
letter.
Our
stay at Kijabe was so pleasant. When we got onto the train at
Nairobi just after mailing your last letter, Mr. & Mrs
Johnston
from Machakos and Mr. Hoffman from the German Mission were on
and you
may know Mrs. J. & I chattered for further orders for we
hadn’t
seen one another since we separated very unceremoniously in
London. She is such a dear fine girl every one likes her so
much. Kathryn
Brown before she was married, a daughter of one of the leaders
in the
Bible Institute in Phila. when it was going & now lives in
Cleveland I believe, is a Y.M. worker. He knows Tom Keenan
very
well. When we got back from Nairobi, Hurlburts insisted on our
eating in the house. they had three tables agoing so as the 3rd
wasn’t quite full J. took the head & I the foot - the only
married folks at the table and all the N.W.C. people at it so
sometimes we went by the name of N.W.C. table & other
times they
called us the nursery. We had a lovely time all the time. I
was
loathe to leave but J. was very anxious. The crowd was too
large for
him to enjoy himself. I tell him he’s getting just awful, by
the
time we go home he’ll not care for civilized people any more.
The
entire Conf. was splendid. Mr. Hurlburt attended all meetings
&
superintended all. Sun. was a day of good things. A meeting at
9
for all converted natives, at 10 our English service at which
Mr. H.
spoke so splendid. Communion services at close for
English &
Native converts. Then the native service at 1:30 was good too.
Mulungit did the talking there. There were four violins beside
the
little organ for music. and a male quartet of native boys.
After
this meeting Miss Gam. and we had a good talk about things in
general. Sun. we all met in H’s sitting room & had sort of
a
song & praise meeting each telling what they got from the
Conf. Four Americans from the Friends Mission at the Lake were
with us and
we liked them so much. Mon. morning we sent the porters off
with
everything we possessed but what we had on. Then on Tues. we
took
the train to Naivasha about 20 miles from Kijabe. Mr &
Mrs.
Reese - two from the lake - were on the train with us. Just
before
getting to Naivasha a large herd of Masai cattle were crossing
the
track and one was knocked down & another was cut straight
in two
just behind the front legs. You should have heard the
exclamations
from the old man who owned them. John said he would likely
much
rather have seen the boy, who was herding them, run over than
one of
his cattle. We supposed they’d have a good feast that night
anyway. We found our tent up & every thing ready for us.
We had
a good nights rest and next morning started on our tramp home.
Had a good path all the way. Gov’t road and most of the time
it
was very good. Crossed a large plain & camped near the
foot of
the mountain. Next day went up & across & started down
then
camped. We found a large plain on top of the mountain where
the wind
was awful biting cold. We said it certainly seemed like Nov.
in
America. No vegetation but a little plant like the ice plant
only
different, not so juicy but shiny like Holly. We passed a
house or
shack where a white man lives whose business it is to stock
the
streams with fish. We saw fish in the stream by his place but
we
didn’t see him. We camped in the Bamboo, a regular camping
place
of the Kikuyu. We couldn’t stop any place we pleased for the
forest was so dense we couldn’t leave the path and we couldn’t
pitch our tent in the path. It was terribly cold tho. There
was a
heavy frost during the night. The porters didn’t sleep at all
said
they were kept busy keeping up a fire. We made a long march
the next
day down the mountain and to Nyeri. Got there Fri. night &
camped ‘til Mon. morning. We weren’t successful in getting
either little folks nor a whole family to come with us but we
got
some chickens, 15 big ones & 4 little chicks. They’ll give
us
a start. Another thing we got that we were glad for was a
start -
about 100 plants of Rahme Fiber. Every body is trying it. It’s
quite a fad again and we think ‘twill do well here and we can
get a
fairly good price for it. Sat. night while camped there a
rhino came
around the tents and frightened the boys awfully. We made home
in 2
½ days. 60 miles. It’s a record breaker. It took us 3 ½ before
and we said we’d never do it in less than 4. We’ve never gone
any place yet that we didn’t get there several days before we
intended to. And when we left Kijabe we didn’t expect to get
here
until Sat. & instead got here on Wed. P.M. We were pulling
for
home. We found everything all right. Mr. Ridler had a lame
back
which is almost alright again. We found lots of mail waiting
for us. Couldn’t read it all that P.M. for we had to get
things fixed up a
little. But it was all good. How J. laughed & settled down
into
his chair when I announced “26 pages from mama”. O it was good
and I’m going to look it all over again also the one in Cora’s
of
a little later and answer all. I want to and am going to
explain all
the pictures I send if I must put double price on here. Isn’t
it
for a Xmas present? The first thing J. did was to make a bed.
We
found none that we knew was ours at Kijabe so we just said
we’d let
it go until Miss Doehring gets here and we’ll have to have one
for
in the spare room any way so make one using the webbing we
bo’t
before we were married, and you’d be surprised what a splendid
bed
it makes. The mattress does feel so splendid too. J. declares
it’s
the finest bed he’s slept in since in this country. then we
set up
the bureau and say it’s a beauty. You never could have done a
finer thing for us. J. says lets go to bed.
Thur.
eve. Just came up from the garden where J. trimmed up &
rooted
up around the sugar cane & I pulled the runners from the
strawberries & bro’t up the onions. The only time I get to
the
garden is in the evening. Most always go down just before J.
comes
up for supper just to see what they do in a day then we go for
a walk
after supper and the last few nights we’ve gone to the garden
to
take a general look at things then walk around to the
eucalyptus
trees. They grow so fast several are almost as tall as J. is
and
when we sent you that leaf they were just planted none more
than a
foot or 1 ½ high. We have four started well up here also one
fig
and wanted to put several others up here but when we got back
from K.
we found them burned. Ridler had started fire in the swamp
& it
caught in some dry brush we had piled along to keep the cattle
out.
but others are starting so we can soon set out others. The
things in
the garden are growing so fast now. We’ve been having so much
rain. The corn is as tall as J. and monstrous leaves. The
sugar
cane seed is some his father sent him. It’s coming fine. We
think
the natives will like it better than their own. Theirs is 3
times as
large around and takes awful long to grow and isn’t nearly so
sweet
as ours. They can’t make good sugar nor syrup either of
theirs. The big Kikuyu chief has a sugar mill but the sugar is
very dark
brown and no one but natives like it. We bro’t a new kind of
strawberry from Kijabe - runnerless. They are growing nicely.
The
old kind is a terror for runners
Ridler
just came in from shooting & has a paa & hare. He got
a hare
this morning & gave it to us. He’ll give us of the paa
too. It’s of the antelope family - has two little straight
slender horns
about 5 inches long. Stands about as high as a common sized
dog. Are a buff color or tan. They look awfully pretty among
the bushes
and trees of our little park but they come into the garden and
eat
off all the beans. We’ve not had green beans for a long time
just
because they get about ready to flower then are eaten off. and
a
little striped rat eats the peas. So you see we are not
without our
troubles. But the flowers do splendid anyway. The first canna
is
budded from the seed I bro’t. And I wish you could see my row
of
zinnias. O it’s gorgeous. the daisies are all one kind: those
with part yellow petals just around the centre. Wish you could
send
some seed of those hardy daisies near the lily of the valley.
Asters
& salvia & phlox & could you send me a little tame
dandelion seed? The asters from Mother Staff never grew. I’ll
try
to draw a little outline of our place here to give you some
little
idea of things. Wish I were an artist. Cora will criticize
this I
know. [outline missing] Can you get any idea? Now more about
the
things you sent. Miss Gam. told us that Mr. Adams told her to
tell
us people not to get angry with him for mixing things up so.
He said
some boxes were broken and from some molasses & sauce were
running & those had to be taken apart. I judge our box
must have
been broken some for we had nothing ‘spilly’ in it. But I find
looking over the list that we got every thing but Mrs.
Landwehrs
spoon & 5 lbs. gloss starch & I’ve written the girls
who
had things in our box & they’ll likely send them and
perhaps
the reason you’ve not heard from Alma D. is because she was so
bad
for awhile. Miss Schneider said she just sorta’ lost her mind.
Didn’t seem to be able to recall anything so Miss S. couldn’t
bring much of a report but among other things she said that
Miss D.
said she’d straighten up money matters when she got here. We
can
do it by correspondence. I’m quite sure we’ll get several more
things when she gets here. All we got from Tuckers was the
chest or
bureau. But it’s so splendid it’s well we didn’t get any more
just then. We have no catalogue but think of sending for one.
The
papers and little books are all appreciated very much. and the
dried
fruit is so splendid. Think we’ll have a pull at the dried
peaches
a week from today. We must have something special. Wish we
could be
with you but since we can’t we’ll eat what you send us. Dried
fruit is so nice to send too. No fear of spilling. We haven’t
the
key to the square tin box. Didn’t you put it in or was it lost
on
the way. J. looked carefully in the big box for it but found
nothing. The sugar bowl is much appreciated because it has a
lid. I
did hope you’d send the lid to the set butter dish which I
have. Don’t use it for butter but for vegetables. Lids come
very handy
here. Ants get into things so. The cups & saucers will
come
very handy too. The boys broke one of the two we had before.
These
nice ones you sent I keep on the upper shelf for company. The
sprinkling can is just what we needed so much - and the other
things
will all come so handy. But the mattress is so fine we can
never
thank you enough for that. The comfort too is splendid. One of
J’s
is coming all to pieces - which I had some dark tennis flannel
or
outing flannel to cover it. All sorts & kinds & colors
of
outing flannel or French flannel or whatever you call it are
always
gladly accepted for we can’t get it here at all. Sometime too
put
in a pair of those $1 slippers. Wish mine were with Grandpa a
few
days. The soles are going so fast. and don’t forget to put
into
one of your letters some of those rings for my piece of
battenburg I
haven’t finished. I think I need two. They are the common size
we
had lots of them in your black fancy work box. my little
butterfly
piece disappeared somehow. I think it must have been on the
boat
coming out. Some one may have fancied it. The old round yellow
glass dish & the little ones like it are used whenever we
have
sauce. Good durable articles - those are. We use the goldband
pie
plates for bread & butter plates. J. had 4 others he got
from
Miss Compton when she left. Another thing we’d be very glad
for is
a few yards of wire screening. We can’t get it here
and its
so nice to put back of cupboards, food & books, to keep
rats out. We always have rats here because we’re near the
swamp. While
speaking of dried fruits I wondered how cherries & berries
would
dry. Mrs. H. had sauce of dried black raspberries & every
one
tho’t they were fresh canned. Don’t know where she got them,
but
they were fine. Should think if cherries could be dried they’d
be
splendid. If ever in our reading you run across anything about
the
treatment for California grapes please send it. We have ½ doz.
splendid ones of seed which grandpa gave me. The nuts you sent
we’ll
plant but the hickory nuts never did much. They need the cold
winters. Wish we had another try of chestnuts. The others were
up
but the caterpillars ate them off. An old flea just sat here
on the
paper but I was too slow to catch him. Some days they are
awful some
I don’t notice them at all. Tonight I had a bite and found 3
in a
bunch. J. always laughs when he sees me start to find one. He
never
catches one. I’ll bet he would if they bothered him as they do
me.
We
found out while at Kijabe that parcels under 11 lbs. can be
sent from
here to you but all charges must be paid here and you could
send us
anything under that by sending to Canada & having them
send them
on. Thanks for the German Bible now we’d like our church
hymnals
Engl. & Ger. & some of the Ger. S.S. song books.
There’s
no hurry about those but we’d like them sometime. Did I tell
you
what we paid for the chickens? Got the whole “Kerplotch” for
less than Rs. 10 about $3. For roosters - we got a good one -
large
brown. Gave a Rupee $.32. The hens some for Rupee & some 2
for
a Rupee. We got some eggs too at a cent apiece which is very
cheap
for here. I paid four cents for one while J was sick. Sometime
when
you want to do a specially good turn get me two pans for
baking
cookies or coffee cakes. I’ll measure the oven & give
dimensions. It’s quite small but bakes splendid. I’ve used
biscuit tins so far. they do but are small too about 4 in. X 4
in.
by 10 in. Another thing is a bread pan with a lid for mixing
bread. These I can get along without but would be nice to
have. The old
mattress cover makes fine bandages. I washed & boiled it
&
the shades. What shall I say about them. Well just come &
see
for yourself. Fleas are awful so will go to bed. It’s after 9.
Sat.
morning. Now must hurry and finish this for it must be mailed
this
P.M. A mail in yesterday bro’t Cora’s post card of Rock river
and Rena’s of Uncle Phil & aunt A. also Chas’s bunch &
letter. Those are very nice - and a letter from Father Staff
telling
all about their Hooppole visit. they certainly appreciated and
enjoyed it. Lora was certainly well remembered by the friends
and
relatives around there. It’s really too bad that you have such
expensive daughters. If you don’t have a Kans. farm to visit
and
receive income from you have property in China & Africa
and I do
hope you may some day visit it. How nice ‘twould be to have
you
and Father Staffs here for 9 months or a year. I know you’d
think
and feel quite different about the work and its remarkable how
much
better one understands the Bible after living here awhile.
It’s
surprising to see how much like the old Jews these people are.
Some
writers believe they are one of the lost tribes. We don’t,
tho:
however that may be they certainly have many of the customs
that the
early Jews had. While at Nyeri a settler offered J. some pigs
for 6
Rs. = $2 apiece. J. didn’t take them. On the way home Mulungit
said that was one thing he never wanted J. to have. He said he
couldn’t work among the Masai if he kept pigs. They have an
awful
aversion for them.
I
wonder how you felt when you found a band playing &
streets
decorated when you arrived at Sterling. J. always talks about
how
when we go home to Monroe the band will meet us & there
will be a
big platform up where we’ll have to sit & the Mayor will
announce that “this is the man from that dangerous part of
Africa
where lions come to the door and elephants are in the woods by
the
100s. He has seen rhinos & hippos and shot at (but missed)
the
largest elephant for miles around etc etc”. I just wish you
could
hear him when he gets started.
How
we’d enjoy a little of the fruit that has gone to waste with
you. But we may have some nice trees some day. We have apricot
cuttings
in now from trees that have splendid fruit. John ate some at
Machakos. There is a fruit farm there but I’ve never had very
good fruit. The lemons and oranges are all peeling and the
apples
are small & hard. Thanks for the thorn apple seed. we’ll
know
better how to do it now. It takes 18 months for them to start
to
grow and J. didn’t know it and spoiled the others by digging
them
up after they had been in for a few months.
You
wouldn’t wonder that we want a smaller house if you’d been at
Kijabe & seen the jam there. Excuse me from a large house
when
there are apt to be lots of people around. How nice that you
could
attend campm’t’g. and have a little visit at Monroe. I know
you
enjoyed it and I know you’d like J’s folks. Now if only you
knew
J. But he is much like his father. Sometimes I can scarcely
wait
until we can go home then again I wouldn’t go now if someone
paid
my way. I’ve so often said we are both so well and fat that
I’m
afraid it will be many years before we can go but it doesn’t
take
long out here to run down. Fever for a week or ten days leaves
J.
nothing but bones. I’ve not had any fever yet so don’t know
how
‘twill affect me. I don’t have cankers near as much as I used
to. I bit my lip 3 or 4 times in the same place & tho’t of
course I have a big canker but it’s healed and hasn’t troubled
me
a bit. How busy Alice keeps all the time. Am glad her course
is no
longer than it is. She says she stands it well but she
certainly
would not very many years. Suppose she’ll wish too she could
be
home for Thanksgiving and Xmas. She can think of how I felt
last
year on Thanksgiving day in London Hospital only I was sick -
or
supposed to be - and among strangers. I shall never forget how
I
felt. I don’t believe I could take it so cool now.
Well,
isn’t Ida Solidays wedding a surprise. I wrote the leather
card to
Flossie. Al sent me one also Clarence Zeller & both had 3
annas
due or 6 cents - 12 in all. You must put letter postage on
leather
cards. It didn’t break us by any means, but we’ve never been
so
near broke as now. We have been living form J’s allowance all
the
time and hiring all our workmen too. It seems that the money
Mrs.
Owen gave for Miss R. & I was to be used as far as it
would go &
Miss R. used half of hers for her outfit. I used none so had
half
left when I got here which is a years allowance but we spent
much
when we were married so I have had nothing since. But suppose
my
allowance will come in now too. We’ve gotten along fine but
spent
a little too much at Nyeri. We never like to have the
workmen’s
wages unpaid but like to pay at the end of every month &
have
always done so but this time. We will likely get some in a few
weeks. Chas. says something again about sending $25.- How
handy
they do come. I know about what it will go for this time. Not
to
pay workers either. We are still intending to get a cow with
the
other but cattle are so high here. J. looked at some at Nyeri
&
they want over $40.- for a poor skinny little cow & a
little
calf. Mulungit says he can get one for us for $20 or $25. so
we’ll
just wait.
You
find it rather convenient to be alone, no doubt, when people
come you
can run around with them. What a nice time you must have had
toting
Father’s around & visiting wherever they visited. I’ll bet
it was the very restaurant that Mother took me when I made my
last
visit. Monroe is a pretty town isn’t it? Father’s place is
neat
& pretty not?
Yes
I received the recipe for mildewed roses. Thanks. I copied it
&
sent to Mrs. Hurlburt. I have my dress piece book. Just a few
weeks
ago I sat down & finished pasting & writing; for many
of the
last dresses were just lying in it. Yes a native of India has
grocery & general shop. You’ll see by one of the cards I
send
you what an Indian shop is like. All open in front &
little
boxes with the stuff in standing all over & they go
barefoot and
walk across these boxes to get something on the other side of
the
room, they catch their toes on the edge of the boxes & if
they
are very full - boxes I mean - they run their toes right thro’
it
but it is mostly native stuff. Most Indians in shops talk
& read
English so I send notes for anything I want & he sends in
his
bill at the end of each month. Our flour sacks are gunny
bags. The flour is put into them with nothing else
around nor
no protection inside but they are woven more firm than those
you
have. Your flour sacks are very acceptable out here.
I
can’t imagine Warren shaving. He’ll be big & O so smart or
wise ‘til I see him next time. I shall write you just as soon
as I
hear from Alma D. about money etc. Miss Gam. Miss Simpson
& Mr.
Sywolke came together and Mr. Haigh, Miss Boehning & Miss
Schneider a little later. How nice that Lora’s wedding day was
so
near yours too and that it couldn’t be on it. What
neat
announcements they had. Last I heard they were on their way up
the
river. I’ll bet Albert is a happy boy. When you say you just
shook the peach trees a little & bro’t in 3 pails it makes
me
think of how Doc. used to give the plum trees “one little
tremendous jerk”. You ask about papyrus. It’s of the reed
family & grows in the swamp but gets 15 ft. high and has a
bushy
top the stem is 3 cornered and 1 to 2 inches each side so we
sew them
together - |||| so fashion alternating thick & thin ends
& it
makes a good mat for the floor & we also use them for a
ceiling
instead of cloth for the roof leaks when it rains very hard
&
would ruin the cloth. O O O for some of those splendid
peaches. Some say peaches will not grow here. Well I shall try
them if I ever
get any more seeds.
We
must have license for shooting birds or any animals and
besides you
must have a shot gun. J. has a rifle which is the gun for
larger
animals but no good for birds. We did go fishing one
day &
got 3 little fellows a few inches long so no wonder we never
said
anything about it. Father wrote of your success in the fishing
line. Good come out here & try. I have made
several coffee
cakes but have no place to keep them and the ants get in them
in the
cupboard. We were so anxious for those tin boxes from Tuckers
for
bread & things but it will not be long now before we hear
from
Miss D. They expect her early next month. One stalk of what I
think
is lima beans grew. The water got so high just after putting
in the
seed I bro’t with me that much was killed. Send some please.
Thanks for the beans etc in the box. We do enjoy both the Mess
&
Miss. Meso. so much. You’ll please send us another almanac
wont
you? If you get that money from the R.R. Co. how would it be
if
you’d get us the Ladies Home Journal for next year. J. enjoys
the
music so much. You likely know by this time why nothing is
sent to
Culley - He left. Forged or borrowed much money & couldn’t
pay
it. So ran away. No one knew where. Mrs. C. was at a
Conference at
the time. We know nothing more yet. That in part caused Mr
Hurlburts sickness. Sometime when you send a roll of things
put in
that Temp. Songster from Fillmores. All those things are nice
to
have when you haven’t anything better. For where does Grandpa
Spath leave? and who is they you mention? Have you gotten the
Electric appliance for your ears? and do you suppose it will
cure or
only help. And now for the pictures. Shall try to group them
in
order. We have only one mail a week now. Thank Ed. for the
pictures
he’s sent. They are all so nice & clear. Find numbers on
the
back.
No.
1. is the Indian shop at Machakos but all are alike. Notice
the
little boxes on the floor and the white marks on the wall
behind are
labels on other stuff. All is shipped from England. 2. is Mr.
Rhoad
pulling a tooth for a native woman. Notice her girdle of beads
and
the arm ornaments. 3. Wood sawing in Nairobi. Sawing planks.
4.
Lucile Downing & Grace McKenrick. 5. Herd of native cattle
with
the huts of the village in the rear. 6. Sacred tree near
Machakos
under which the natives place their sacrifice. 7. The
sacrifice. The long sticks with rings around is their sugar
cane. Near the top
of the pile is a goat’s head. This is a custom of the Wakamba.
Mr. R. said he was going to write up their sacrifices &
send to
Hearing & Doing. 8. Two natives with their digging sticks.
These are all pictures Mr. R. took and I printed from them.
Where
there are two of a kind you take the one you want & send
Alice
the other. 9. The ladies in 2nd. class on the way
out. Miss R to left. behind me, Miss Flanders who has been
married
recently too. Mrs. Wallace & Dorothy. They live in Uganda.
10.
Taken at Mombasa. Shows one of the little cars pushed by
natives
that we rode in from Kilindina to Mombasa. 11. Mombasa. Miss
R. &
I & ruins of an old Fort. Very pretty. 12. Among straw
flowers
the day we visited the Bamboo forest & the Wandorobo
village
there. 13. A Wandorobo hut. We had to do lots of talking
before we
got the woman & boy to stand still. In this you get a good
view
of Bamboo. The hut is made of it. The flat slabs are a husk
that
comes off the bottom of bamboo. 14. 3rd from the
left end
is Masai. Others are Wandorobo. In this too you get splendid
idea
of Bamboo. Notice big shields & long spears. 15. Another
view
of Bamboo. Notice how dense it grows. One of the long sticks
lying
over in front of picture is split & shows the comparative
thickness of wood. 16. A valley back of Kijabe R.R. Sta. Very
fine. Taken from same position as 17. Hermits cave. Mr. R
& J. 18.
Mr. R & J above a little falls on way to big falls in
Thunga
Tunga at Kijabe. Sorry it’s so poor ‘twas such a pretty place.
19. Lunch at the falls. 20. A shauri or consultation or trial.
The
native way of settling disputes. 2nd from right
standing
in back is the chief at Kijabe. The one to the right sitting
with
white shirt on is Kamau one of the Christian boys at Kijabe
& to
the left of him with striped sweater is Wanguhu another Xian
there. And now I’ll send all I have of the wedding pictures.
Rhoads have
a number & I haven’t the plates but will get them send one
or
two more. 21. Chapel decorations. J. sat to the right I next.
Mr.
R. & Miss R then Mr & Mrs Evans. 22. The little
quartet that
sang as we went in & came out Agnes to the right. Nthoki -
Mutono & Kameni. 23. Alta H. & Miss Hope, the
waitresses. 24 The table. Sorry it’s so poor. 25. an awful
picture of the
group. Please don’t put it into your album. ‘Twas a long
exposure & we couldn’t hold still our hearts were beating
so. I think that was it. 26. J & F. on the oxcart just
coming from
the chapel. It’s an oxsled rather. Have ridden on it often
since
then but never experienced the same feelings. 27. Our camp on
way
from Nakuru. See the chair to the right that stood on our
veranda so
long. Notice the baskets near the tent they are called
Kikabos. See
the organ inside. J. had just been playing. The natives about
the
fire are very natural all they take with them in traveling
from place
to place you see on this side of them - a kettle or “soufaria”
called here, an umbrella if they are fortunate enough to own
one, a
knob stick and a road pass. Notice the paper in a split stick.
Usually a small bag of food is tied to the umbrella or rather
stick. Makau a Kijabe orphan boy belonging to Mr Ridler stands
by the tree. 28 is the Thompson Falls in the Guaso Narok which
we’ve written you
so often about. 200 ft. to where it strikes the stones. You
notice
the water among the stones at the bottom. 29 is a little
further
down the river taken in a valley where perhaps only one white
person
ever was before. You can get some idea of the Falls if you
notice
the trees at the top which are medium sized. 30 our first home
after
we were married. In this you see papyrus in front. I had been
making a mat & it’s rolled up to the right. Notice the
stove &
pipe where X is. The farther tent is our large one where we
slept &
the middle one where we ate. The little one with cloth on top
was
stove tent. 31 J’s grass hut. 32 our home. This is to the
right
of the old one only a few yds. The white back of J is the
window &
to the left of that is the door. I’m sitting just inside now
&
writing. Near the first side window. If you look I’ll look out
of
the window & see you. The boy is Berthoili. In 31. Ridler
is in
the window & J. outside. Am sending a p.c. too of the
house. The rest of the pictures will explain themselves. Those
are the
films I took along. I wanted to print from them & then
send
films but I don’t suppose you have any material to print any
now so
I’ll send one of each and perhaps later send films. I have
another
of Tonkinsons house but I neglected to print any. I’ll send
Lora
some of the home ones & what she wants of others. Al shall
say
what she wants but please don’t want many for my paper is
almost
gone. The one of our house is the best we’ve ever had I think.
Chas. may want the films. if he does he should say so. You
& the
chicks is good too. If there’s more you want of any kind let
me
know & I’ll send them. I’ve written Libbie Schaeffer &
sent her a little one of J & I on oxsled. I hope you don’t
get
these too awful late for Xmas. How we’d enjoy being with you.
We
will some Xmas. May you have a very joyful & peaceful
holiday
season if not quite so merry as some have been. Last Xmas I
spent at
Naples. With lots & lots of love to you all we are your
African
Kids.
John
& Floss.
Dont
think we have the blues just because we happen to have a blue
envelope.
|