Stanleyville, C.B.
March 14, 1924
Dear Folks,
Just a few lines before we leave here for the bush. We
arrived here on the 11th, everyone well and all baggage in good
condition. But before long a man came along with a letter saying that Mr.
Jenkinson would be here in a few days to meet us so we just went to a hotel and
sat tight. Next morning I sent a runner to Yakusa[1],
about 8 miles downriver, to arrange a visit with Dr. Chesterman[2].
The same afternoon Mr. Jenkinson [3]arrived
with 130 porters, and said that Mr. Tatt would be along in a few days with 70
more.
Later in the afternoon I was told a motor boat was about to
leave for Yakusa and so I grabbed my hat and coat and went down just as I was.
Had a most pleasant visit with Dr. Chesterman and the other missionaries,
staying overnight. Saw quite a number of interesting cases in the hospital and
how the dispensary was run. Saw some cases of sleeping sickness, some of yaws and
some lepers. There are many lepers here and the government has given Dr. C. an island
in the river for a leper camp. Made arrangements for getting some tuparsamide [4]from
Dr. C. in case I needed it, but as far as we can find out now there is very
little sleeping sickness in our field.
In the afternoon Dr. Chesterman took me back to Stanleyville
in a native canoe. We had a fine ride in the moonlight and I nearly went to
sleep in spite of the terribly loud singing of the paddlers, 18 of them.
While I was at Yakusa Mr. Jenkinson had sent most of the
porters on ahead with nearly all the boxes. We had found three new bicycles in
our outfit, which we had thought before were old ones belonging to some men on
the field, but now we are not sure but what they are own. At any rate we
uncrated them and assembled them for use on the trip. We will have to take
turns using them as there are five men including the two who have come to meet
us.
This afternoon Coralee and I, with Dr. Chesterman, had
dinner with the government doctor of the local district here. I was glad to
meet him as it will undoubtedly be useful to know him in the future. He treated us very kindly as he has other
H.A.M. people before. I was to have met the doctor who is the medical
administrator of a very large area with headquarters here, but he was not in
the city. We may, however, still meet him on the road.
Tomorrow morning we shall start for Ibambi, our party being
divided into two because it is too difficult to get food enough on the road for
200 porters at once. Coralee and I, and Mr. and Mrs. Kiessling will leave
tomorrow with Mr. Jenkinson and the rest will leave four or five days later
with Mr. Tatt. Our route is as follows: Stanleyville to Banalia, 7 days walk; Banalia to Panga, 8 or 9 days by canoes on the Aruwimi
River; then 8 days more by canoe to another stream, and finally 3 more days
walk to Ibambi. Each day’s trip however
means only from 3 to 6 or 7 hours travelling, averaging probably 4 ½ hours. Mr.
J. bought chairs called “mandalas”
for the women. These are made chiefly of bamboo poles about 20 feet long. Four
men at a time carry one chair and 4 more are kept in reserve to relieve them,
so that 32 men are required to carry the 4 women.
Our trekking outfit is fairly elaborate, and consists of
folding cots, chairs, tables and a stand – which is so arranged that it will hold
either a canvas wash bowl or a canvas bath tub – besides bedding and mosquito
nets. I will wear khaki shorts and puttees with knees sticking out, woolen
socks and woolen army shirt.
I turned over all funds to Mr. Jenkinson and was mighty glad
to get rid of it. Most of it had to be changed into small coins; the porters
are paid along the road. We have in nickel coins 2000 francs, each about the
size of a half dollar, and 6000 ten-centime pieces or “makutas[5]”,
each about as big as a quarter. It will require an extra porter just to carry
the money. A special steel box had to
bought to carry the money in. The rest of the money is in paper.
Drugs are extremely scarce up here. I told the government
doctor that I was able to get only 5 quarts of alcohol at Kinshasa and he told
me I was very fortunate, that he had absolutely none and had stopped operating
on that account.
It is definitely decided that Coralee and I will be
stationed at Ibambi. Mr. J. told us our house is practically completed, and
should be ready for occupancy when we reach there. Ibambi is the most centrally
located station on our field and is where Mr. Studd [6]is. We don’t know as yet where the rest will be
stationed, though all will go to Ibambi first. The language at Ibambi is
Kingwana, very different from the Bangala, which is used in the Welle[7].
Mr. J. will give us daily lessons in Kingwana on the way. If I could speak
fluently in Bangala,
Kingwana, and
French now, I would be fairly well fixed for this neck of the woods.
Well, bye-bye – we will probably have mail from you before
you get this, and oh boy! How we are looking forward to it!
Coralee and Ralph
[1]
Yakusu.
[2]
Dr. Clement Clapton Chesterman (later Sir Clement) 1894-1983, author of the
Tropical Dispensary Handbook, a classic and invaluable aid to identifying and
treating tropical disease. The first edition was published in 1928. He was a
member of the Baptist Missionary Society. Tropical
Dispensary Handbook abstract
[3]
H.A.M. missionary, early on the field. I have not been able to further identify
him.
[4]
Probably tryparasamide, a drug used in the treatment of trypanosomiasis
(sleeping sickness). This is described
as a “new arsenic compound” in Time June 11, 1923. Medicine:
Tryparasamide note in TIME magazine
[5] Makutas were still a unit of currency in
Congo/Zaire when the Meyers family left in 1973.
No comments:
Post a Comment