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1924-04-26: ​tour stops---images---audio---~TRANSCRIPT~---notes---pictures---links---site navigation
℅ Sociedade Biblica
Praca Luiz de Camoes, 20.
Lisbon, Portugal.
Apr. 26/24.

My dear friends,

I have thought of you all many times, and I regret very much that I have not written a letter to you before this.  I did appreciate so much the keen interest you showed in our work before I left home.

I wish to thank you also for the steamer letters I received as I was confined to my cabin during almost the entire trip.  I enjoyed them very much, as they were very bright and interesting, and I feel that I know you personally now.

I am anxious to let you know how fortunate I have been and how God provided for my needs and comforts as He promises to do for us all.

At Montreal I met two very fine ladies who I found were to be my companions while crossing the Atlantic.  Both of them are interested in our Angola work, and neither of us knew that the other ones were sailing on that date.

In Southampton I met Miss Mary Hurlbut, who is a teacher, being sent out by the American Cong. Board to Angola.  I love her so much.  She is a very bright, jolly girl and her merry laugh rings out so cheerily.  You may rest assured that I enjoy her company and am very thankful for Mary as my friend.  I enjoyed my boat trip from England to Portugal and saw many interesting things.

We spent one Sunday on board, which was a beautiful bright sunny day.  We docked for some hours at Coruna, and it was very fascinating to watch the small flat-bottomed boats come out from the coast of Spain, laden with orange, grapes, bananas, figs and nuts, which the women, who were very picturesque in their bright shawls, kerchiefs, dresses and aprons, tried to sell to the passengers at the back of our steamer.  There was so much noise and excitement over the sales that it did not seem very much like Sunday.  But Mary and I enjoyed the new scenes surrounding us, and we were very thankful for the beautiful day.  The bright blue sky removed any feelings of homesickness.

When we arrived in Lisbon, we were met by Mr. Swan, who was certainly very kind and willing to do all he could for us.  We had a very helpless feeling, when we landed among these strange people, because we could not understand them, and we were greatly relieved when Mr. Swan came up to us.  However our baggage came through the customs without any trouble whatever.

The very first evening had another great surprise in store for us.  Mrs. Simango heard we had arrived and called to see us.  To our great delight we found that Mrs. Simango and her mother were also here for some months to study before going out to Portuguese East Africa.

No doubt many of you met Dr. Aggrey.  Mr. and Mrs. Simango are very much like him, and we have many good times together.  Mary and I have been fortunate enough to get a very nice room in the same house with them, so we are all quite comfortable and happy at our new work.

We have made our room quite cosy and inviting with our own pictures and personal things.  Mr. Swan expressed such an exclamation of surprise and delight when we first showed him the results of our labours.  I have appreciated the two silver vases from the London Mission Board so much, because we have been able to have flowers in our room continually.  The roses in this country are so beautiful and you see them which ever way you turn.

No doubt you are wondering how we are getting along with the language.  It is quite difficult, and it keeps us very busy studying and doing the exercises the teacher gives us.  We have been very fortunate in finding a good teacher.  When possible we attend lectures at the Y.W.C.A. and services at the Mission, which are in Portugese.  We can understand some odd words, but we cannot yet follow the speaker and it does seem slow.  Just here, I would advise you, who are looking forward to taking up work in Angola as teachers, nurses etc. to become well grounded in French and Latin, and you will not have as much difficulty with the Portuguese.  I do hope you are praying that the way will be opened up for some of you to take up work for our Master in Africa.  You will find it very interesting and I am sure you will be happy and enjoy it.  Mr. Simango tells us many encouraging things about his country and people.

About two weeks ago, we went down to the warf and met Mr. + Mrs. Dart, and Mr. + Mrs. McDowell on their way back to America from Dondi.  We enjoyed the afternoon on board the steamer very much and they invited us to stay to dinner.  We had a very jolly time, and also heard about our home to be, which we are so anxious to reach.

Yesterday we had a holiday something like the 24th of May at home.  The Simangos, the secretary of the Y.W.C.A., Mary and I went to a place called Cintra, which used to be the summer home of the king and queen.  We took an early morning train and had about one hour’s ride.

When we reached our destination we had arrived at a small village.  We walked for about ten minutes along a beautiful winding road we until reached the Queen’s Palace.  The approach is rather nice, many wide white steps with a wide balcony at the top.  There we found a guide.

He took us first into the very spacious kitchen, where there are many fireplaces, and the outlets for smoke are two holes just at the top of two very high towers.  The table has a marble top with cupboards built in underneath.  The dining room is very nice, in which is shown many sets of dishes, very thin wine-glasses and punch-bowls.

In the smoking-room and sort of living-room we noticed that the ceiling was covered with magpies, and that each magpie had a white rose in one foot + from his mouth issued the words “Por bem”.  Our guide told us the legend about it.  It seems that one time the King happened to give a white rose to one of the court ladies.  This made the queen angry as she thought he ought to have given it to her.  So because of her jealousy she began to talk.  Then the court ladies began to talk.  It made her angry because the court ladies were gossiping about it.  So the King had the ceiling of this room painted with magpies - one magpie for each of the court ladies.  “Por bem” means “with good intent”, thus showing that he had given the rose with good intent.

The state ball-room is very spacious with a lofty ceiling, on which are painted a number of graceful white swans.  The story is that, once upon a time a beautiful white swan was given to the King’s daughter.  She used to play with it in the pond in the courtyard, which is just outside the dance-hall.  When she married and left home the king was very lonesome, so he had the swans painted on the ceiling.

I think the most interesting point about the castle is the court-yard with its large rectangular pond, and opposite the pond is the Moorish Bath, which is really a very cool room built in under the house but opening into the court.  The three walls and ceiling are lined with blue and white tiles.  The floor is of stone.  The guide told us not to step into this room.  To our surprise just the next minute, the water was turned on, and many small streams of water poured out from between the tiles in the walls + ceilings.  I am sure those royal people would enjoy their shower bath.

We then visited the Queen’s apartments, but I did not envy her in the least.  I thought we were much happier in our own homes which are really more comfortable and furnished with better taste.

We then engaged a carriage, something like an open cab drawn by a pair of fine horses to take us up the mountain to see the old fort, built in the eighth or ninth century by the Moors.  This defense is built on the top of a very peculiar rocky formation which looks as if the huge boulders had been thrown together by strong giants.  It took just a little over an hour for the horses to make the climb, and often we young people would relieve the willing animals by going on foot up through the cool woods, we surely had heaps of fun, going up two steps and slipping back one.

When we reached the steps of the fort we climbed until we found a comfortable spot, with a splendid view overlooking a vast expanse of country, the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean.

The fresh air and exercise had produced great appetites, so the lunch which we had prepared in Canadian style was enjoyed by all.  As the keen edge of hunger wore off we had time to imagine we were the Moors standing on the ramparts behind the walls which are built like this
and we threw our chicken bones down on the imaginary enemy approaching the fort.

After climbing many steps to the top of the fort we returned to our carriage and drove along to the king’s mountain castle which is very beautiful on the outside, but as we crossed the draw-bridge over the moat which used to be filled with water every evening when the late king was in residence there, we were rather disappointed to find how gloomy and dull everything on the inside seemed.

On the library table we found the books and magazine of 1910, just as the king had left them, before he and his sons were shot.

From the tower at the very top which is 528 meters or 1584 feet high we had a splendid view of the surrounding country.  We watched a ship just at the mouth of the Tagus as it was going out to sea.  On the highest point of the ridge which is 529 meters could be seen a cross placed there by the Catholics, in the days when these people still believed in their priests.

Just below around the castle lie the remains of the garden, which a few years ago was very beautiful.  The ride down the mountain-side was delightful.  I enjoy this country so much because there are so many wild flowers.  There were many huge clumps of honey-suckle growing around the stones.  The fields were dotted with bright red poppies, and over one wall hung masses of heliotrope.  The perfume was exquisite.  These last flowers were not growing wild.

We returned home about 9 P.M. this country has adopted Day-light saving time, and while on the train we watched a glorious sun-set, which was the ending of a perfect day.

In many ways Lisbon is a very interesting place.  I must give the Portuguese credit for the care they give their parks and gardens.  There are so many flowers, with many tropical trees and shrubs, that make the city very pretty in places.

About two weeks ago we went out for a short walk after dinner.  There was a full moon, and oh my, how much we did enjoy it, as it shone on the tall palm trees and struck the edges of the flat broad leaf, glistening like moonlight on water.  Mrs. Simango drew our attention to the fact that the sight was very typical of Africa.

We have noticed that some of the people keep up the quaint custom of serenading.  There are three beautiful daughters in the house across the street from us.  One evening two Portugese students came with a professional serenader and stood underneath the open window and sang from eleven P.M. until after 1 A.M. while the family sat in the room above.  Just a few evenings afterwards we noticed (because they left their windows wide open which are like French doors) that the students had been invited to enter the house.

We can always recognize the students from the university, because they dress in black, wearing long black, flowing robes, without hats most of the time.

On Sunday mornings we attend either the English or the Scotch church where we are all able to enjoy the entire service.  Sometimes in the evening and on Wednesday nights we go to the Portuguese Mission, which is very well attended, and the people seem to possess the true spirit of worship.  I enjoy the singing of hymns in Portuguese, the tunes at least are familiar.

I do hope you will receive this letter before you break up your meetings for the Summer, and that you will write sometimes, telling me of the good times you are having in the home-land.

I wish you all a very bright jolly vacation.  Aim high, while you are young.  Our life is like some beautiful tapestries we saw, that are woven at the back, and the weaver does not now how it looks until it is finished.  Our strength is in Jesus, and I do pray that each one of you accept him and make him the King, Ruler, Lord of your life; that you may receive many blessings and that His will be done; that Miss Jamieson may find the teachers and other new workers that are needed in Angola, where the harvest is ready and the labourers are few.

Mr. Simango is filled with enthusiasm for the future of his people, seeing many opportunities and possibilities in them.

With love for all,

I am,
 
Yours sincerely,

Sibyl Hosking
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1924-04-26​: ​​​tour stops---images---audio---transcript---~NOTES~---pictures---links---site navigation
1.
Is this the letter that was sent, or a copy of it?  AG got a bunch of letters from a friend of Sibyl’s, so this may be one of them.  But letters like these were always carefully written so as to present the best possible picture, so it could also be a draft - though not the first.

2.
I wish to thank you also for the steamer letters I received as I was confined to my cabin during almost the entire trip.
We have a first draft of this letter, in which Sibyl mentions that, as it turns out, she is not a good sailor.  And then a second draft, in which she waters it down a bit, and finally this letter, in which anything at all could have been the problem.  A year later, she once again was miserable, on the sea voyage to Africa.

3.
In Southampton I met Miss Mary Hurlbut, who is a teacher, being sent out by the American Cong. Board to Angola.
Mary was assigned to Dondi, where Fred was, and became a good friend of both Sibyl and Fred.
"American Cong. Board" must be "American Congregational Board".

4.
When we arrived in Lisbon, we were met by Mr. Swan,
At the moment I know nothing about Mr. Swan.

5.
The very first evening had another great surprise in store for us.  Mrs. Simango heard we had arrived and called to see us.
The Simangos have a Non-Family page on this website.  This Mrs. Simango was Kathleen, i.e. Kamba Simango's first wife, who died of appendicitis in July.  We have a postcard from Kathleen Simango, sent in June from England to Sibyl in Portugal:
6,
About two weeks ago, we went down to the warf and met Mr. + Mrs. Dart, and Mr. + Mrs. McDowell on their way back to America from Dondi.
The Darts and the McDowells later returned to Angola.  There's a Non-Family page on this website for the McDowells.

7.
Yesterday we had a holiday something like the 24th of May at home.
May 24 is Queen Victoria’s birthday, known as Victoria Day in Canada.

I looked up the April 25 holiday and found the following:

Freedom Day in Portugal takes place on April 25 to commemorate the Carnation Revolution that took place in the country. The day marks the beginning of a bloodless coup that ended the dictatorship in the country and honors the establishment of democracy in Portugal.

Here’s the problem: the Carnation Revolution didn't happen until 1974.

8.
The Simangos, the secretary of the Y.W.C.A., Mary and I went to a place called Cintra, which used to be the summer home of the king and queen.
Cintra must be Sintra.  Wikipedia says:
Sintra (/ˈsɪntrə, ˈsiːntrə/, Portuguese: [ˈsĩtɾɐ]) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. 

And:

Until the end of the 17th century, the royal palace constituted one of the principal residences and summer estates of the court: it was from here that John decided to conquer Ceuta (1415); King Afonso V was born and died at the palace (1433–1481); and here King John II (1481–1495) was acclaimed sovereign.

9.
On the library table we found the books and magazine of 1910, just as the king had left them, before he and his sons were shot.
Wikipedia says:
The Lisbon Regicide or Regicide of 1908 (Portuguese: Regicídio de 1908) was the assassination of King Carlos I of Portugal and the Algarves and his heir-apparent, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal, by assassins sympathetic to Republican interests and aided by elements within the Portuguese Carbonária, disenchanted politicians and anti-monarchists. The events occurred on 1 February 1908 at the Praça do Comércio along the banks of the Tagus River in Lisbon, commonly referred to by its antiquated name Terreiro do Paço.

10.
From the tower at the very top which is 528 meters or 1584 feet high
Google says one meter is 39.3701 inches, and 528 meters is 1732.28 feet.
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Despite what was written in the caption, I think the correct order is: Mrs. Dysart, Kamba Simango, Mary Hurlbut, Sibyl Hosking, and half of Mr. Dysart, with young Donald Dysart in front.
Here are some pictures of Sibyl's time in Portugal.  They weren't with her letter, but this seems like the right place to put them.

First, here's a picture taken in Mafra, Portugal, of Sibyl with her friends: Mrs. Dysart, Kamba Simango, Mary Hurlbut (who was on the ship to Portugal with Sibyl), most of Mr. Dysart, and little Donald Dysart.  Kamba and Mary are mentioned in Sibyl's letter.  I don't know anything about the Dysarts.  At the moment I don't have another picture of Mary Hurlbut, so I assume she is the woman standing next to Sibyl while Mrs. Dysart is on the left, but I'm not sure.
Here is the same picture again its source location, a page out of a photo album.  The pictures don't show the expedition that Sibyl was talking about in her letter.

Wikipedia says:
The Mafra carillons constitute the largest carillon ensemble in the world.

Spanning two 50-metre-high (160 ft) towers in the Palace of Mafra, it features 120 bells, divided into carillon (45 bells in north tower, 53 in the south tower), liturgical and clock bells.

Along with the entire Mafra Royal Building (Portuguese: Edifício Real de Mafra) the carillons were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2019.

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