Kilometer
25 on way to Irumu -
from
Bells Station
Tues.
Feb. 20. 1934.
Dear
Ones:
You
couldn’t guess where we are nor what we are doing just now. As
we
were coming along the road we saw bananas broken over across
the road
& also fresh elephant dung in the road so we stopt at a
village &
asked where the elephants were. They said there were very many
&
they were very near. So we came on a bit til we found some
nice
shade & sat down & ate our lunch while a man went to
call
another man. Now Mr. Devitt, Claudon & John have gone with
the
men. Jno wont go into the forest but will return but the boys
will
go on at least for a bit to see if they can see any thing of
them. The native is to get some francs if he really shows the
boys the
elephants - otherwise, if they don’t see them they get
nothing for their trouble. I don’t think the natives care much
about the francs, it’s the elephant meat they hope to get that
attracts them but they’ll be fooled this time for tho Mr
Devitt
carries a gun he has no right, nor any intention of shooting
any.
There
are just now 8 natives standing near watching my manouvers on
this
paper. It’s hot! We are just about out of the big forest,
&
there are banana groves on all sides. We have been at Bells
(inserted: “Agnes Hurlburt”) for a week and had such a nice
time. Claudon goes with us to get his trunks thro customs and
arrange to
have them delivered at Bells. That’s what we do at the place
we go
tonight - Mr. & Mrs. Senff at Bogoro. Do you remember my
writing
about a year ago, about a newly wed couple staying at our
place for a
couple of nights on their way to Congo in a truck? These are
the
people. I think this is their wedding day - or tomorrow, so we
can
help them to celebrate.
Jno
is back & says the tracks are very fresh but the woods is
very
dense so he doubts if they will go very far. They’ll get a
thrill
out of it any way. Claudon will go with us to visit a few of
the
A.I.M. stations for the boat doesn’t come across the lake til
Mar.
3 - a week from next Sat. Mr. Bell is coming to one of the
central
stations on his motor cycle & will then take Claudon back
&
we’ll cross the Lake & hike for home.
I’m
hoping John will write up our trip & then I’ll send you a
copy
& also pictures. We didn’t bring enuf films for my camera
but
are hoping to get some at Irumu - the town we are getting to -
it is
about 15 mi. yet. and from there it must be ab’t 30 miles to
Bogoro
but the roads are good & we can spin along. These Congo
roads as
well as the Uganda roads, are fine but Kenya roads are awful.
However, we’ve had such a good time & gone so far &
seen so
much that we will surely feel like “sitting still” when we get
home.
(pg.
3) We left home for Conf. on Jan. 22. and went to Barnetts the
day
after Conf. closed. We spent one day there waiting for Mr.
Devitt to
come. Then we went to Kaimosi & spent a day with Hoyts
&
then on to Kitale & spent Sun. with Housdens. & then
came on
across Uganda to Fort Portal on the east slopes of Ruenzori
Mts. and
then down to Lake Kivu & into Congo. We spent Sun. at Paul
Hurlburts station [Kitsambiro] - also Mon. & then Tues
came on to
Bells [Oicha]. We visited some pigmy villages & got some
pictures which I hope will be good. Claudon looks such a giant
among
them. We had planned a 6 day safari to the station where
Claudon is
to be [Biasiko] - it has been given by Gov’t but no one has
settled
there yet. Bells want it for sort of a center for the
Westervelt
boys. We wanted much to go but were limited as to time &
money
and so feared it would not be very satisfactory and ‘twas just
as
well we gave it up for Mr. Bell has not been feeling well
&
yesterday finally had to stay in bed. & was there yet this
morning. They are just at the edge of the big Congo forest
&
we’ve been driving thro it for a couple of hrs. this A.M.
There
are wonderful big trees - so queerly shaped - tall with no
branches
til the very top & the bottom spreads out in sort of slabs
- like
the tree had to be propped well at the bottom. I hope some of
our
pictures will be good so you can see how odd they are.
We’ve
had such a nice time with Claudon here & are loathe to
leave him
as we return but I really believe he is eager to get settled
at his
work & I don’t blame him a bit. Bells will be lovely to
him. They are going with him to his new site & help him
get up a
school & house. Then we hope Eric Barnett and wife will
soon be
out & go there at least for a while.
Bells
are not alone on their station as they were for so long; but
now Dr.
Becker & wife & 2 children & nurse Smith are in
half of
Bells house and a Mr & Mrs. Keisling are in another small
house. These Mr & Mrs. Keisling visit the pigmy villages
near by. They
left this morning for a short safari. They walk as it’s mostly
in
the forest.
All
the country we have come thro - right from our own door, is so
dry. One day spent at Paul H’s it rained - and we had gone out
on a
picnic - but otherwise roads have been dusty all along and
places
like Bells are complaining that there has been no rain. We
hope
rains will be on in Masai country for I hate to think what
things
will be like with a months more drought than there was when we
were
there.
These
people here are spatling themselves all the time & I’ve
wondered whether there are tsetse flies here - I’ve seen
nothing
different.
Guess
I’ll knit awhile but I wish they’d return. I fear their trip
will be for nothing.
(pg.
3) Bogoro Station. Thur. the 22nd. We had thot to
be
moving on today to the next place but Senffs wanted us to stay
&
so he said he’d take the boys for a buffalo hunt if we’d stay
over today so they were up by 3:30 this morn & left before
5 &
we hope they’ll get one tho it’s rather dangerous business.
They
saw the elephants the other day - were within 25 ft. of 2
large ones.
& tho they were in the thick bush they got a good view of
them. They were gone a bit over 2 hrs. so we got here before
dark. They
were expecting us most any time and have shown us a fine time.
Their
station is much like Kacengu - where we lived when in Congo.
We can
see the Lake & when clear can see the hills in Uganda -
but it is
very hazy. Yesterday we went down to the Lake - 15 mi. and got
the
trunks thro customs. He paid about $12. customs and must pay
another
$3. to have them delivered at Bells. which is not at all bad,
for
there is one big trunk, 2 steamer trunks and a tin box. The
things
that were highest were, shaving soap & tooth paste &
some
such things - clothing etc was nothing.
He
hasn’t his tools here yet. We’ll likely find them at Kijabe
when
we get there. They cone from Wards by freight. We have a few
things
with them so will have to repack. While at the Lake yesterday
we got
a huge fish from a friend of Senffs. so we had a lovely fish
supper
last eve.
They
have such a lot of fruit here - of some kinds - pineapples and
oranges and papai - and they have some water melons too. Had a
picnic lunch at the lake yesterday & had quite a large
water
melon then. We had just finished eating when a sand storm
worked up.
a regular Santa Ana. We got into the veranda of an unoccupied
house
for shelter. At first we thot it was rain coming but it didn’t
rain a bit. There just blew dust - but on the way home we
drove thro
a strip where it had rained very hard but here there was only
a
sprinkle.
John
didn’t go with the hunters. Some days he doesn’t feel so well.
I fear he has picked up some fever. At Paul Hurlburts he felt
very
much like a go of fever but had no temp. I thot maybe he had
taken
cold for we were in the rain so much that day or that perhaps
he had
eaten too many strawberries. I never saw so many. They
couldn’t
use a tenth of them. They were rotting on the plants. If we’d
have had time & jars I’d have made a few qts of jam. They
were
so delicious - more like home ones than any I’ve seen out
here. We
are taking some plants along.
Here
we are in the hills but there is a bit plain to be crossed
before
reaching the Lake & it’s down in this plain that the
buffalo
are. Mr. Senff always gets one at least when he goes
down so
we are hoping they’ll get one today. They use every scrap for
food
for the native boys food - as well as their own for they never
get
any beef. They have some pigs so have pork some but nothing
else
much unless they get wild meat sometimes. If they get one then
I
hope Mr. Devitt will be satisfied he has seen enuf animals.
(pg.
4) As we came from Rutchuru to Pauls we saw a couple of hippo
in a
river. The boys went close up & threw stones at them. They
wanted to see gorillas or chimpanzee for there were both in
Pauls
district but they are very hard to find. Last eve Mr. Senff
led them
to a certain ravine where chimpanzees are sometimes seen - but
the
natives are very much afraid as they are really vicious. so
it’s
hard to get any native guides & the men came back last eve
all
tired out. Claudon has rather a bad cold & he was sweating
awful
as they hurried for it got dark before they got in. He had a
hot
bath so guess he feels better or they wouldn’t have gone again
today.
We
have about decided to go back by another route & not cross
the
Lake. They charge so much for car that we can go quite a bit
further
around & still be money ahead. Aba is our central Congo
station
- like Kijabe is in Kenya & we’d like to go there altho
that is
the farthest north. so if we go there we may go back thro Ango
Egyptian Sudan & Uganda. That is a regular tourist route
------ Here they come. They saw a big herd & Mr Devitt
wounded one but
it got away, so they are quite happy at having seen them even
tho
they didn’t get any. We may go on after lunch. It isn’t yet
decided but it looks like we may get to Kacengu for Sun. as
John had
hoped to do.
Kacengu,
Sun. Feb. 25.
We
got here yesterday - walked 12 miles so were rather tired. We
did
leave Bogoro by 3 P.M. on Thur. and got to Blukwa by 7. It had
rained, much of the way was rather muddy so we couldn’t make
it
very fast. We staid there til Fri. P.M. about 3 when we came
on to
Rethi. There there is Dr. Trout & a large hospital - very
well
equipped and a school for white children - tho it isn’t
finished
yet. Prof. & Mrs. Earl Winsor are there to teach and there
is
also a large native girls work. This station as well as Blukwa
are
in the Balendu tribe. There are such a lot of native people at
both
stations. Blukwa has 2000 at services often - & sometimes
more.
Mr.
Devitt staid at Rethi. He didn’t care about walking. It is
only
about 18 miles straight walking but the road is up & down
hill &
very stoney - but by driving about 45 miles we had only 12
miles of
fairly level walking. We 3 came on by ourselves. Took almost 6
hrs.
to come the 12 miles so you see we didn’t rush. but we came
thro
the heat of the day which makes it slow going. Mr. & Mrs.
Lasse
& 2 children & Mrs King & little 3 yrs old
Virginia May
are here. Mr King died about 2 yrs. ago. & she has just
returned
from furlo. Miss Levy was on this station too but she took
sick the
first of the month & was taken to Rethi where she died
Feb. 6
(pg. 5) of malaria, it is said, but she would not take
quinine.
It
is just about 20 yrs. since we left here. and as we came along
yesterday & the people along the path greeted us there
were not
very many that didn’t exclaim & shout to others “Jalmoro
has
come”. They acted so delighted & asked about the children
and
about Mr. Gribble that we knew they really remembered. Lassies
have
only been here for a mo. they had been at a much lower place -
down
near the Lake called Ara. which has no white worker now.
We
just soaked up the tea & water when we got in - and had
lovely
hot baths and then supper & a chat & by 9:30 were in
very
comfy beds & slept fine. John isn’t very stiff at all
&
I’m fine. Claudon helped me up the hills so I didn’t need to
be
on so much of a strain. [writing fading] pen is dry & my
ink is
at Rethi for we left most every thing there. This is a “Minch
Hatchery” pencil. It is just about breakfast time so I’ll
continue later.
[different
ink] Attended a general meeting and now the men are at the
evangelists meeting. Then we go to dinner at Lasses. We had
breakfast with Mrs. King. Virginia has taken up so with
Claudon. she
wont look at the rest of us.
There
were quite a number of older fellows out this morning all
declaring
they worked for us & some of their main teachers &
evangelists are boys who washed for us. and cooked and came to
our
first school - much against the wishes of their fathers. They
said
this morning how the older folks told them we eat children so
that
they wouldn’t come to school.
Mr.
Leonard Buyse is the builder up here & they were on this
station
for awhile & took down some of the buildings & put up
burned
brick buildings as the ants had come up thro the walls. He
used the
same foundations we had put down so the house is just where we
had it
but has an extra veranda to the front & seems a bit wider
- but
the rooms arranged much as we had them. and the trees we
planted make
fine wind brake now. Some fruit trees are most too old to
bear. The
garden has been moved - but there are still rows of pineapples
growing in the grass.
It
is so hazy we can’t see the Lake. Mrs. Kings house is a bit
lower
than ours & has a lovely sheltered corner on the veranda
where
Jno thinks we get the best view of any place. They all
remember
Claudon so well. They said this morning they were going to
gather
all the people who remember us to come & greet us
tomorrow. I’m
so sorry I haven’t any films for my camera. I brot the little
camera along & will take what I can & then hope I can
get
them enlarged a bit. Guess I better not take another sheet or
‘twill
be too full.
These
clippings are some Becca Fehlman sent me. & I thot you’d
like
to see them too. Now we are at Aru Mar. 1. & I must post
this &
continue in our next. We left Cl. yesterday. ‘Twasn’t any fun
either, but guess he will soon be hard at it. Will get home
next
week some time.
Much
love to all
Flo
S.
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