The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-03
TRIP IN EAST AFRICA
RELATED BY BEEDE IN
LETTER TO FRIENDS

Huh III fkIENUS
B.. Willis Beede, Friends missionary
In Africa, has sent a letter telling his
experiences to the Friends central Of
fices. Mr.. Beede was formerly of this
city and well known. The letter fol-
lows:
Malava Station,
Kisumu via Mombasa,
British East Africa.
August %, 1920.
Dear Friend:
have had my first "safari" and
think you may be interested in some
of the experiences which came to me
on the trip. For several weeks word
has been coming in from Udombilis
people that hippos were in the Nzoia
river. (Udombi Is chief over one OF
the districts some IS miles west of
here.) Wednesday another message
came telling of the presence of hippos
and urging Arthur Chilson to come
and shoot them for the people are
very fond of hippo flesh. Arthur sent
word to Udombi that we would go
out If he would send porters for the
camp outfit. We began to get camp
chairs, cots, bedding. mosquito nets,
clothing, dishes and food ready for
safari. At one o'clock Thursday the
boys came and loaded up with the
things. Each boy tried to get the
lightest load. 1t was interesting to
see the look of surprise on boys
face when he found he had misjudged
the load and had a heavy one instead
of light one. Bach boy put his pack
on his head and started down the road
to the school house which stands some
three miles northwest OF Udombi' s
village A little later DR.. Bond, Ar
thur Chilson and l started on motor
cycles. We reached the village about
o'clock and started on foot over a
native trail for the river. Up and
down hill, then kaffricorn and sweet
potato gardens, by banana groves,
across streams and swamps our wind
ing trail led us. About 4 o'clock a
heavy rain which had been forming
east of us began to fall. We hurried
to cluster of huts and crawled into
one before we were soaked through.
In the hut we found four men, one
woman with a nursing babe, two chill.
dren, two calves, an old setting hen
and several chicks, three cows, fire
wood, cooking utensils, and hide
used as a bed. The woman was seated
on tho ground beside smouldering
fire. The hut was so gloomy that it
was several minutes before I could
see the woman and her babe. One
of the men was smoking an old pipe.
After enjoying it for time he passed
it to his neighbor who enjoyed 1t un-
til the tobacco was all gone. l have
noticed that, as a rule, the women
smoke more than do the men.
When the rain eased up we sailed
forth again for the river which was
still a good hours walk away. AS the
sun was setting we reached the east
hank Of the Nzoia and got our guns
ready for hippo. Then we made our
way along the bank watching the river
for signs of game. We were doomed
to disappointment, however, and had
to turn back on account of darkness
without sighting a hippo. We were
seven miles from our safari outfit,
soaked through with rain and hungry.
The long walk back over the winding
trails and across marches was not in
viting. Finally we decided to spend
the night in nearby hut which was
offered to us. AS soon as we were
inside we stirred up fire and, incl
dentally, lot of smoke which made
our eyes burn until we cried. Then
we set to work to dry out clothing.
While this operation was being carried
on the natives kept bringing in eggs
Until we had IS. They also brought
two chickens and several cooked sweet
potatoes. We peeled some of the pota-
toes and ate them. Eleven of the
eggs went into a pan of water and
were boiled. We had to be careful
about eating them for although the
people assured us that they had all
been laid that day, we were not sure
that they were strictly fresh. No dis
coveries were made, however, and we
enjoyed them very much.
When our clothing was almost dry
we invited the men. women and chill
dren who had collected in the hut to
see us, to withdraw so that we might
retire for the night. Going to bed
proved to be a simple undertaking :;
all that we did was to stretch out on
some cowhides which had been spread
on the ground, and cover our heads
with our coats to keep off the mos
quitos. The novelty Of the experience
coupled with the music of the mos