Thursday August 10, 1922

Matadi

Luggage just before leaving Matadi.

We have secured seats on tomorrows train and therefore spent morning and afternoon reorganising our luggage and getting it conveyed by the mission boys from the store shed to the railway station. 

Only a minimum is allowed in the limited accommodation of passengers carriages – all the big luggage has to go in the luggage van either of our train or the one before – or after: sometimes very much after! Regulations on baggage are just now going through a transition period: the freight for stuff going with the passenger is much more expensive than before, but what is left may not be delivered for 6 weeks or 2 months. Thus we were in somewhat of a dilemma between the calls of economy and of convenience.

Some of our luggage at Matadi station.

We finally compromised; taking 87 packages with us and leaving 28 unessential ones to follow. Even so the nett weight was 3,200 kilos (2kilos – 1lb approx) which filled a whole luggage van (as high as an English rail average size luggage van) and part of one other. If a firm engages a whole van they pay £80. We however, by not asking for a van paid less than £40 for a van and a bit! But that’s what happens out here!

The mission site at Matadi is just outside, but in fill view of the town a little further down the Congo and has a river frontage (except that the state claim 15 yards from the waters edge for itself if necessary.)

The river spears out of Matadi into a kind of lake surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery. 

Just opposite this is a little native village with a native path going away over the hill into the interior. In the distance looking up river we can just see the hill on which H.M Stanley camped before his great march into the interior. The road-way he made up from the beach to the top of the hill – though overgrown – can still be made out, even in the distance.

In the foreground is the modern town of Matadi which has arisen since Stanley’s time.

It has a good sized landing stage where ocean ships can berth. The river here widens out into a kind of pool and gives plenty of room for ships to turn under their own steam. Standing on the ship coming up the river she seemed to fill most of the space between the banks – yet as we look at her now lying close up to the side she seems a mere speck: quite insignificant and puny to how she appeared in the early hours of yesterday morning