Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-01-19
A MISSIONARY'S JOURNEY
Letter of Rev. John E. Cell Returned Missionary De-
scribing Long Journey from Soma Bata Congo
Beige w. C. Africa to- Granville, Ohio,
United States of America

The following letter will be of in
terest to all our readers and especially
those who have had the pleasure OF
meeting Rev. Cell, who is a nephew
of Mrs B. G Bowman of this city:
"The trip indicated above has just
been made by Mrs. Cell and myself
and perhaps a little informal account
of it might be of some interest.
We left Soma Bata, Congo Beige,
w. C. Africa at midday on October
18th From the outset the effects of
the war were apparent. From Soma
Bata to Matadi, a distance of 180
miles, we were obliged to travel in a
third-class coach, a sort of sim
crow car. Before the war there
were three express trains, socalled,
each way per week carrying 1st, End
and third class coaches. Many Eu-
ropeans we're called from the country
to the war and consequently there
were fewer passengers on the trains,
and besides there was a scarcity Of
coal and oil which necessitated the
use of wood in the engines and so the
midweek express trains were discon-
tinued. This makes it necessary for
those who travel between times to
travel on a freight train which car
ries one third class coach primarily
for natives. The car is open and
has hard wooden benches arranged
in groups of twos facing in opposite
directions. In the center of the car
there is a space reserved for bag
gage The natives are not given to
carrying baggage, as they have little
or nothing which might properly be
classified as such, but they carry a
liberal allowance of live stock provi-
sions and household furnishings.
Certainly if they are to be away for
any time they must carry their beds
and bedding. We managed to get
on board with our bags and baggage
and in the course of a day and a
half we arrived in Matadi which is
100 miles up the Congo river and the
terminus of ocean travel and traffic
We expected to leave Matadi on the
14th but steamers are not running on
schedule these days. Passengers
must simply report at the expected
time and wait patiently. In one or
two instances have known OF
steamers leaving before the appoint
ed time and before the passengers
were on board. Our steamer, a
French one called the Europe" did
not leave Matadi until the morning OF
the 10Th In the meantime we dis
pensed with formalities such as the
procuring of passports and tickets
and sighed and longed for relief from
the sweltering heat. The procuring
of passports from the French consul
was interesting in that it called for
photos, genealogy, family history, etc
and ended with nominal fee of for
ty francs which is about eight dollars
In the states we get one passport fol
a man and his wife but the French in
sist on issuing one for each person.
Our steamer made a number OF
stops along the coast beginning with
Banana in Congo Beige and ending
with Dakar in Senegal. At the va
riOus points the steamer took on mai
and much cargo, which consisted
principally of palm kernels, rubber
cocoa, and cotton. At Cape Lope,
and Libreville about 200 large saw
logs were put on board and l wal
told that they were to be used in thu
manufacture of gun stocks. Abou
500 Senegalese soldiers were carries
back to Dakar from the French Con
go and the Kameruns. Most of then
if not all were disqualified for furthe1
service because of wounds or diseases
l happened to see one who had die,
on the steamer. How many NOR
there may have been | do not know.
The steamer coaled in Dakar whic
is in Senegal, 10 degrees north of tn
Equator. At Dakar the Captain re
ceived orders for the remainder O
the voyage. The orders were seal
ed and not to be opened until tn
steamer was three hours out fror
the shore. 1t seems that no tw
steamers travel in the same course
Instead of passing along the coas
as formerly to the Canary Island,
where a number Of German steamer
are interned our steamer went far ou
to sea and remained there until
had passed along up the coast {
Portugal and Spain and then turne
southwest and ran directly into th
Bay of Biscay. For several houl
we kept within the three mile limit O
the coast of Spain whose snow
capped mountains assured us that "
were no longer within the vicinity {
the tropics. Finally our steamt
cut across the bay to the mouth {
Garonne River which leads up
Bordeaux. our landing place
France. This part of the journey too
"a days.
Inc most anxious part of the vo
age was from DaKar to BOrdeal
and covered a period of ~ ia,
shortly after leaving Dakar the Ia
boats were lowered co the secoI
deck and put IN complete readlne
tor use, even to the extent that pr
visions ana water were stored
them. Eaeh me boat was put
charge OF one of the SHIPS office
with certain members Oh the ere