Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Congo (47) Luebo, Congo 10/9/1921 [DCS]

Luebo, Oct. 9, 1921

My dear, dear homefolks:

Oh! we have had such a good time this weekend. Mr. Martin, Miss Black, B.M. and I went out to a village about two hours ride in a hammock, away from here Friday morning and came back yesterday, Saturday, at noon. B. M. and Mr. Martin went to hunt while Miss Black and I went to have a good time. We prepared our dinner and supper before we left, which consisted of a cake & a loaf of bread, some potato salad, hard boiled eggs, goat meat, lettuce & chow-chow sandwiches, peanuts, plantain chips, very much like our potato chips, pickles, olives, pineapples, and bananas, besides coffee and tea. And for breakfast a can of bacon and eggs and pancakes and syrup; so you see we fared well as far as eating was concerned. We left about nine-thirty, crossed the river and arrived at our village about eleven-thirty after a very pleasant ride; you know when there are very steep hills, we have to walk so much we are tired out when we get to our destination, but this time, we were not tired but very hot. Soon we ate our lunch then put up our beds and took a nap, "Congo style." About two o'clock, the men prepared to go on their hunt for monkeys, but they didn’t get to stay long as a rain was threatening, and it did rain a little after they got there, but after tea, they started out again, this time to hunt guineas. They came back again about dark empty-handed. Then we ate supper and Mr. Martin talked to a chief about a man from his village having sold his daughter into child marriage, which has lately become a state law against this, and I think they were going to send a soldier to arrest this man, but I can't understand the language well yet, so I may be wrong. We went to bed early as the men wanted to go hunting early next morning, but were awakened about ten o'clock by it raining in our room. My! It did rain and it did leak, but my bed had a top to it, so I was all right, but Miss Black had to sleep under two umbrellas all night, and B.M. in the next room had to move his bed several times. Mr. Martin had a bed like mine. Of course, they couldn't go next morning until after breakfast in account of the rain, as it continued raining until after daylight. We, Miss Black and I, left about eight and stopped in another village till about eleven waiting for the men. Mr. Martin killed one monkey and B.M. killed or wounded one, but he never found it. Found everything all right when we got back and the little monkeys were so glad to see us. While I was out there I took down my hair a half dozen times, and they wanted more, each time seemed just as interesting as the last. Miss Black also had to take down her hair many times, she even went to far as to let them touch hers, but I objected to her doing it, as there is no telling how many diseases could be spread in this way. So much for our trip; it seems very scattering and uninteresting to me, but I hope you don't find it so.

I'm going to cut this letter short this time as B.M. complains that he never has enough room.

My little table boy's mother died the other day with sleeping sickness, and we have been trying to convince them that they should not go in "mourning" for her, which generally lasts a month or more. This seems to be the hardest time to stick to the religion we are trying to teach.

Your names were in the prayer calendar for last Sunday, but we pray for you every day.

I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.

Dorothy

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