Sunday July 3rd
1910. On Uganda Road.
My dearest Bbibi.
We are camped today on mile 83. Every mile
is marked along the road. Tomorrow we expect to reach the Kafu
River a large River which you can find on the map. We may stop
a day there for a wash up and fishing, and then one day will
take us to Hoima a large Gov. station and another day on to
Lake Albert. It wont be very long now before we begin to turn
back towards home, but I guess I will begin where I left off.
We did not leave the boat at Entebbe but went on farther North
to a place called Kampala Port which is only seven miles from
Mengo. We landed there Friday night and reached Mengo Sat.
fore noon. My spell of sickness on the boat left me pretty
weak so I stayed in the tent all day Sat. Sunday morning we
climbed the hill to the C.M.S. Cathedral to attend the
services there. After the services we went to Mr Hatterly’s
and he took us to Bishop Tuckers house. Our tent was about a
mile away as Mengo is very much scattered and we expected to
go back for dinner but the Bishop would not let us. He sent
Gribble to Hatterly’s and I had dinner at the Bishops. There
was one other man there a Mr Fisher who is the husband of Ruth
Fisher the lady who wrote the book called “On the borders of
Pigmy Land”. Mr Hurlburt has the book. They are related in
some way to Dr Kumm. So you see I was quite an honored guest.
In the afternoon the Bishop took us all around. We saw the
hospital the Boys high school the cathedral and all the
missionaries houses. It was dark before we got back to the
tent and we had just a dandy time only I was quite tired. The
next morning we hunted up Mr Moses. He said we would have no
trouble whatever in reaching the country we wanted and thought
we ought to be back in six weeks. He said we could take
anything we wanted and pay when we got back. We left a bill of
Rs. 16 but have Rs. 60 with us to pay boat expenses on Lake
Albert. When he gets the letter with the money you send us he
will send it on to us in case we have extra expenses. He told
us Wadelai was abandoned and moved to a place farther south 20
miles and is now called Koba. He showed us maps which makes
the Kibali River entirely different from what we thought with
two main branches at the beginning the larger one much farther
South than we planned. He suggested that we go straight across
Lake Albert to a place called Mahagi on the North West border
of the Lake and from there go West about 40 miles to Mt Speke
and then we are close to the Southern branch of the River.
This we will likely do as he told us all the Nile to the North
of the Lake has sleeping sickness while Mahagi has little or
none. Besides Mahagi is a Belgian Gov. station in Belgian
territory and we would have to get permission to go through
the British territory from the Soudan Gov. which would delay
us for a long time. He says the country about Mt Speke is the
finest he has seen in Africa and says it is a regular health
resort. That is where I hope to open the first station and
make our home. I am exceedingly happy over prospects. The trip
across Uganda is a regular picnic. They have jinrickshaws at
Mengo like carriages at home. If we go you and I and Raymond
could all ride in one and I dont think it would cost more than
railroad fare and the road is good and the scenery fine. We
got off on Monday noon but went only 5 miles the first day.
Gribble said he was’nt feeling well and I took his temperature
and he had fever with a temp of 104. I was much afraid that
would knock us out for a few days but he was better next
morning and we made 13 miles. He had a little fever for four
days but has had none since. Friday we passed one camping
place thinking the next was near by but it was’nt and we had
to go 25 miles to find water - or I mean we found water sooner
since at four o’clock it began to rain and just poured until
we got into camp at six. We were soaking wet. We are camped
now on a beautiful spot on a high hill with beautiful trees
but this is Sunday and oh I wish it was’nt. Sunday is a hard
day for me. I thought yesterday I would write you and say I
dont get homesick any more but oh I did have the blues this
forenoon. Not like I used to have at Kijabe though, before I
left. You dont know how much good this trip is doing me in
that respect. To think that I am actually on the way to the
North West country drives away all discouragements. I have not
had a spell of discouragement since I left Kijabe. There now!
dont you think you only get fat and beautiful, when I leave
you, I get sweet and happy. I cant say fat, but anyhow you
are’nt the only one who is benefited when I go away. I am glad
though you dont know how much I wanted to be back with you
this morning and all day today. I get on alright during the
week but Sunday is so dreadfully long and I just cant keep
from thinking of you and Raymond. Next week will be so
interesting. Kafu River first then Hoima and then the Lake. Do
you remember when I read the description of Sir Samuel Baker
seeing the lake for the first time. They passed through Hoima
on the way there. And then it will be so interesting to cross
the Lake and go on to Mt Speke. I think we will climb the
mountain to see the country beyond, choose a site for a
station and then come back. Two weeks from today I expect to
be on this side of the Lake again ready to start for home.
Wont I be a happy boy then. Have you got the phonograph yet?
so many of the old times came to my mind today. It is
thundering so I guess we will get a rain again. Gribble has
just bought a chicken but you cant have any. Serves you right
I guess next time you will come along. Oh Bibi you dont know
how sorry I am you are not along this time. Its nothing to go
across here and it seems a waste of time to come back again
and we could have such fine times if you and Raymond were
here, but never mind good times are coming. This going to Lake
Albert is play compared with what I thought it was going to be
and we have had rain every day in the bargain. I am so glad to
find it is much better than I expected, and then it is so much
cheaper. Hurlburt spoke of $2000 for each one going. Gribble
and I landed at Mengo with Rs. 60. I dont think the whole
business from Mengo on will cost us more than Rs. 200. One
hundred Rupees for each one. Food is very cheap here and
plenty of it. The natives have little shops all along the road
so we can buy any kind of native food.
Hoima July 7th. Well here we are
at last and what do you think. Our mail was to go on to Koba
but to pass through here. I went to the post office to ask if
we could get it here because I knew the mail would go through
today and they said we could and I got your nice big fat
letter in answer to my letter from Entebbe. I dont see how it
possibly got through so soon and you cant realize how glad I
was to get it. Oh I was so anxious to hear from you. Your next
one I will get at Kaba. We leave here tomorrow going by foot
round the South end of the Lake up the West Coast. We find
things so different from what we expected. Mr Loyd a C.M.S.
missionary here has gone that way and he says we ought to see
all the West Coast of Lake Albert since from Mahagi North it
is so very unhealthy and may be closed entirely in a short
time while the West Coast south is mountainous and will always
be healthy. Besides we can make no connections with steamers
for two weeks but if we go around south we can get up to Koba
in three weeks and reach a steamer coming back to Butiaba and
giving us time from there for a four day journey straight east
to Mruli on the Nile between Lake Albert and Victoria where we
can take another steamer to Jinja connecting with the steamer
to Kisumu making a four days walk only all the way from Koba
to Kisumu. We didn’t know about the steamer to Jinja. What do
you think. When we move up, we can book all our freight at
Kisumu straight to Mahagi West of Lake Albert and never have
anything to do with it. Even our big organ would go straight
through, and from Kijabe to Mahagi we will need to walk only
four days.
We are making wonderful discoveries and I
feel our trip up here is going to be exceedingly useful. All
we want now is to have you send us money to Koba so we can
come straight through and see what the time is like. If you
have’nt sent the money yet send it at once to my address at
Koba Uganda Protectorate in care of District Commissioner. If
you have already sent it Mr Moses will send it on to us. If we
get through without any delays we will start from Mrooli to
Jinja Aug. 1st and reach Kisumu about Aug 7th
or 8th and Kijabe on the early morning train the
second Monday in Aug. If I do, dont come down to the train and
I will catch you and Raymond in your room where I have
imagined you a thousand times. Now cheer up only about five
weeks more and the work is done and I will come back as proud
as a rooster. Maybe a peculiar old duck at times but you can
be sure of one thing he loves his little girl as nothing else
in this world and feels proud of her as the pluckiest little
woman in all this world. I am sorry I cant write a longer
letter this time but it is nearly 12 oclock at night and I
must get to bed and we start away early in the morning. Wish I
could warm your feet tonight. I am feeling just dandy. I am
sorry you are having such a time to know what to think about
yourself but glad you show such a fine spirit about it all.
Some men would like to have wives who could avoid having
children. I prefer for my part a wife who is glad to be a
mother. Florence do forgive all my unkind acts. I believe you
have forgotten them. I am feeling more and more that you are a
better woman than I deserve and I am going to try to show you
that I can be a man. You cant be looking forward to the time
when you and I and Raymond are going to be together all alone
again more than I am and I think we deserve it after this
tussle. Tell Raymond daddy pr’soon come back. If you see me
coming up the hill take Raymond in your room. I want to meet
you two all alone and I dont want people to see how silly I
am. If you are having school you just close up at least for an
hour or so. If you must be so busy that you cant meet me when
I am dying to see you then I will make trouble. For once you
just let your old school go and remember you must make
arrangements for some one else to take the school the second
term. We go to Rumuruti then. I want to get a new tent before
we start. We will have plenty left for that so of course will
go to Nairobi. Now good bye I almost said dearie while I feel
it I dont like that word but I will say my dearest little
darling now I never said that before. I believe I am really
falling in love with you
Mrs. John
[Written in margin] When you finish Isaiah
begin with Jeremiah. On July 8th I am reading
Isaiah 22 so you can know if we are still together.
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