The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1946-11-21
August %, 1916
Ippy, Oubangui-Chari
French Equatorial Africa
Dear Friends:


Dear Friends:
This letter should have been sent
long ago, but our baggage is still
On the way with mimeograph and
typewriter ribbons and our last
terms 'left-over's" are ragged and
dry.
We sailed from New York on
April Is, and after travelling for
about two months and one week, we
arrived. It was a real thrill to pull
in and to see again all those we had
learned to love during our last term.
The first 10 days of our trip was
by boat from New York to Cape
town. The sea was rough all the
way and especially so just out of
New York. Even the Captain was
sick so don't ask us how we felt.
Our boat rolled like a barrel, caught
On fire twice, served much greasy
food and very ancient ice cream;
however, it landed US safely in
CapetoWn after making only one
stop ,and that for fuel oil just off
the north coast of South America,
at Trinidad, a busy, hot and sticky
island.
We spent ten days in CapetoWn,
q beautiful city surrounded by
mountains. There winter was just
beginning in May and the leaves
were falling. The ten days were
spent unwinding "red tape" with
cars and baggage and preparing for
the 5000 mile journey north. While
there we met some fine Christians
who were very kind to us. They are
doing a fine work for Christ.
Finally our trucks and car with
trailer were ready to leave, so on
Wednesday, May %, we pulled out,
driving on the left or British side
of the road. Our friends from Cape
town led the way for about IS miles
ard then we had prayer together,
committing the long trip ahead to
Him. We were a little fearful, but
His Grace as always proved Suffi-
cIent On the first day out, we
crossed the mountain range which
surrounds the Cape and found on
the other side desert country with
400 miles of 'WaShbOard" roads and
an abundance of dust all the way
10 ColeSburg. At CoIeSburg we hit
a nice maCadam road to Johannes
burg, which was another 400 miles.
From there it was 900 miles to Vic
toria Falls. We broke the monotony
occasionally by picking up pieces of
wire in our tires. This was sheep
country and the fences were built
across the roads so often we had
to stop to open and close gates be
fore and after our caravan.
At Victoria Falls we were brought
face to face with our great GREAT
OR. Some of us had seen Niagara
Falls and all agreed that there was
no compariSOn-tWiCe as high and
l5 times as wide as Niagara with
deep chasms, SWirling pools, clouds
of mist and sWamps-God's handi-
work magnified. We stayed there
four days, checking cars, washing,
resting, and seeing natures beaut-
les. Our water supply was from the
generous Zambesi river.
From Victoria Falls to Elizabeth
vile in the Belgian Congo the roads
were terrible and it is hard to
understand how the cars stood it,
to say nothing of the five couples,
seven children-2 of them babies, in
arms. The women and children did
not get to fly the $500 miles as it
was hoped they would Day after
day there was deep sand and ruts
hut we kept on and finally came
to the beautiful but treacherous
mountains of the Congo. For five
days we climbed and circled on
mountain peaks-no ranges, just a
multitude of enormous peaks with
an altitude reaching to 5000 feet
The roads CriCled higher and higher
and then down, down to start up
again to meet another peak Twice
the curve was SO sharp with sheer
cliff on the outside that it was
necessary to back up around the
curve again to make the turn. Much
Of this road was cut into the noun
tain side with only few feet to
spare, so on some days traffic
travelled north and south on alter
nate days.
Part way through the mountains
we came to the beautiful lake Kivu.
On its north shore were water filled
volcanoes and craters. Our road
crossed over fields of lava, in some
places 80 feet deep (from the 1888