Monday August 14, 1922

Our mealtimes now conform to tropical custom: we have breakfast at 7 AM, chop (lunch) at 12 noon, then rest till 2pm when we have tea, ending with the evening chop at 7 PM. We retire much earlier than at home. Most of the day was spent on necessary attention to the arranging of our baggage however in the evening we got in some tennis at the Hardcourts of the mission. It is possible to discard...

Sunday August 13, 1922

Our first Sunday in Congo. Kinshasa being a cosmopolitan city there are many services in the church in different languages for various classes of people Thus one of my earliest experiences this morning was hearing lusty singing from the chapel near our hostel. The words were in a strange language...

Saturday August 12, 1922

We reached Thysville last night at around 6:00 pm - Just in time to get settled in before dark which falls soon after. The last part of the line before Thysville is again through mountainous country but very wooded and thus contrasts with the ruggedness of those along Matadi. We saw some wonderful expanses...

Friday August 11, 1922

We rose this morning at an unearthly hour before it was light in order to get ourselves and our hand luggage to the station by 6.30 am. As we retired last night at a correspondingly early hour, our rest was not shortened - but this way of living is new and strange to me!! We reached the station in...

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...

Wednesday August 9, 1922

A lovely moon tonight on Congo waters: just ahead, low – almost over the boat. Waters are all lit up – banks shadowed in dark. Bush fires here and there, in the east a lurid red light but alone all the soft light speaks of calm and peace. Chirps and squeaks of animals on the bank. Tonight is our last...

Tuesday August 8, 1922

Chapter 2. The river journey. The ship was moored at Boma pier by the time we had breakfast and it was not long after that meal that we set foot for the first time in Congo.  Boma is the present capital (Kinshasa is to be the new capital city) and the boat stays here for 24 hours which gave...