Thursday August 3, 1922

Lat: 5° 2’ N. Long: 3° 32’ W. 276 Miles travelled.  We reached Grand Bassam this morning. Far away from the coast earlier in the day we passed a little tiny canoe with one occupant – an African. The canoe must have been about 10 feet long and yet I am told they go up to 10 miles from land into...

Wednesday August 2, 1922

Lat: 4° 20' Long: 7° 59'. 360 miles travelled. We have now finished sailing west and have begun going east. We are therefore now meeting the sun and it necessary to put clocks and watches on. Thus today the interval between breakfast and lunch was shortened by half an hour. It is interesting how large an importance is given to meals when activity in other respects is curtailed as it must be to...

Tuesday August 1, 1922

Lat: 7°13” N. Long 13°16”W. 157m to noon. We are at sea again and out of sight of land. It is necessary for ships to keep fairly far out even when “coasting” as the currents in this region are strong and variable in their direction. With a light one can actually see the course of some of the currents. Watching the waves formed by the ships bows cutting the water is an endless fascination....

Monday July 31, 1922

Lat: 10.8N, Long 15.29W. 342 Miles travelled. A dull, rainy day – quite a new experience for us! But it makes the weather quite cool – remarkably so for our position and the time of year. We were about 3 hours late in leaving Dakar. But with increased speed we have made up a good deal of our delay to reach Conakry by 8.0pm tonight thus keeping up to our time table. It was interesting to...

Sunday July 30, 1922

At Dakar. Till noon: 207 miles. We reached here something after 5.0am. I, of course, was where all respectable people should be at that hour, but the slowing down of the ship roused me. I looked through my porthole and had my first view of Africa. Just opposite was the small rocky island...

Saturday July 29, 1922

Lat: 17.57 N. Long: 17.30W. 308 miles. A perfect summer day – and hot! A blue sky, hardly any cloud and a smooth blue sea. We saw shoals of flying fish today leaping from the water and skimming along its surface in groups and singly for quite considerable distances. To the unaided eye they look almost like sparrows flying until the little streak of white foam marks the spot where they dived again...

Friday July 28, 1922

Lat: 23.05 N Long: 17.21 W. Distance: 326 miles to noon There is much about Tenerife which did not come under yesterday’s date which I am gradually recalling. So many fresh scenes and experiences makes it very difficult to give a complete description in any sense of the word. The variety of animals...

Thursday July 27, 1922

Tenerife. Distance travelled 174 miles. The sky last evening was grey and the sea an unbroken stretch of water. This morning I was roused from bed by the stopping of the propeller. It was 6.0 am. A week ago today we were conscious of its action: now we have become so accustomed to it that its...

Wednesday July 26, 1922

Self 'Port'rait Lat: 31° 05' N. Long: 14° 49' W. Distance travelled: 280 miles. - The ship is a place of many sounds. The vessel speaks officially with its hooter - with this it warns passengers, salutes passing ships and announces its presence in fog. Time of day is declared by bells, meals are...

Tuesday July 25, 1922

Tuesday July 25 Lat: 35° 28’ N. Long 12° 54’ W. Distance from Noon to Noon: 289 miles. We passed today with our normal routine: after breakfast all sat in a row on the promenade deck and diligently studied our respective languages. At 11.15 we formed two groups for a language lesson under –two...

Monday July 24, 1922

Monday July 24. Lat 39° 59’ N. Long 10° 47’ W. 306 miles travelled during 24 hours till noon today. Today has been a day of cause and effect. After rounding Cape Finisterre we have been sailing practically due south. This means that the waves strike us now broadside on – causing the ship to roll from side to side instead of the usual pitching and tossing. This is cause 1. Suggestion from stories,...

Sunday July 23. 1922

Sunday July 23 Today they have started posting up our position so we have an address to put at the head of letters and correspondence, perpetual motion has its inconveniences however, and our address only remains accurate for one moment of time. Anyway it was as follows for an instant today: S.S Albertville Lat. 43.55 N. Long. 7.18 W. In the last 24 hours we have covered 291 miles. All clocks...

Saturday July 22, 1922

Saturday July 22. We made our first call today at La Pallice which we reached about 10.30 am. We did not go into the harbour (apparently this was to save the heavy port duties) but remained outside (consequently only having to pay the deep water fees which are much more economical!). A small steamer...

Friday July 21, 1922

Friday July 21. We have been at sea now for over 24 hours and therefore feel like experienced sailors having all knowledge of “things nautical”!! For have we not been already many hours in the Bay of Biscay with none of our party “down”? Still with the sea like a mill pond one couldn't expect...

Thursday July 20, 1922 - Part 2

Gradually we gain speed. The two tugs are together now – in fact touching one another as they steam side by side pulling the ropes attached to our ship. We glide for two hours down the river – then one tug suddenly turns away & sails for home, followed a little later by the other. We are under...

Thursday July 20, 1922 - Part 1

Thursday July 20. Called at 6.0am. Dressed and visited the S.S Albertville and had our cabins allotted. Returned to the Queens Hotel for breakfast. About 8.30am we collected our remaining kit and crossed the road to the wharf and went on board. A Large number gathered on the wharf to bid us Bon Voyage from the distance; a lesser and more favoured company – armed with special permits, came on...

The Voyage to Congo: 1922

In 1922 My Great-Grandfather Frederick Gordon Spear travelled to Yakusu, deep in the Belgian Congo where he spent time at the Baptist Mission Hospital. This is his account of that time taken directly from his journals. Where I'm not sure of his handwriting I'll do my best guess. Monday July 17. Left Woolacombe 9.15. Took through coach on 24hrs combe train from Mortehoe to Paddington then on to...