Letter from Fred to Sibyl Hosking: 3/21/1927
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A letter from Fred in Dondi, Angola, to his fellow missionary Sibyl Hosking in Chissamba, Angola
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Everybody at the mission knows that Fred is interested in Sibyl.
And in other news, I can't keep track of Fred's cats.
And in other news, I can't keep track of Fred's cats.
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Dondi, March 21, 1927
Dear Miss Hosking,
On my arrival here at 4pm, I found Miss Hurlbut playing tennis so my new racket went into action at once. After the tennis and barber's session I went to kesinga for supper and stayed until there was moonlight for my motorcycle trip home. Billet or Billette as you prefer was ready for the milk I brought him about 8:30 p.m. His outline is much improved this morning. Incidentally, I removed about two dozen fleas from his densely populated hide and he seems much more cheerful.
Everlatery [???] missed a chance to catch the Union Castle boat which sails from Lobito today. The man at Chingua had all his baggage on the platform ready for the Friday train. I should not have held him up. When they offered to pay their share of the expense I referred them to Mr. Bell as you suggested.
They will probably be here on Monday to train. There is a Chissamba boy returning today and he will carry the letters.
Steed did not lose many chances to try to tease me about the attraction at Chissamba. However teasing me is rather profitless as I don't blush as readily as some people of my acquaintance.
There was letter here from Childs asking about the Surgical Clinic at Chissamba - they have some cases to send. An abdominal tumor - the new doctor at the fort said he would give her a permit to go to Chissamba for operations. I won't miss the next clinic if you let me know about it in time.
Childs said the sentiment there was against postponing the A.M. If the two Bail. members of the A.M. committee vote so, the present date will stand. There is much to be said for holding to the date.
1. It is wrong in principle to delay or advance an A.M. for the sake of anyone's attendance.
2. A.M. is the Mission's affair and should not be in any way interfered in by the Boards.
3. Dry season work and school openings require an early meeting.
4. Entertainment is difficult later as the milk supply decreases rapidly in the dry season and the garden stuff does not come on here during the cold weather.
We saw no game on the return trip. The roads were very sloppy from Chissamba to Silva Porto. From V.S.P. on to Chingua there had been very little rain since we passed on Thursday.
The kitten has just caught a lizard - he is going to be a hunter. He is now playing with the remains. I hope he is not going to be sick - he has just begun to eat it and lizard meat does not agree with kittens as a rule.
It is time to go to B.V. to the train so this will have to be cut short (?) The scale pan will have to wait another day.
yours
F.E.S.
This
Bill [splotch] ette
mark
Dear Miss Hosking,
On my arrival here at 4pm, I found Miss Hurlbut playing tennis so my new racket went into action at once. After the tennis and barber's session I went to kesinga for supper and stayed until there was moonlight for my motorcycle trip home. Billet or Billette as you prefer was ready for the milk I brought him about 8:30 p.m. His outline is much improved this morning. Incidentally, I removed about two dozen fleas from his densely populated hide and he seems much more cheerful.
Everlatery [???] missed a chance to catch the Union Castle boat which sails from Lobito today. The man at Chingua had all his baggage on the platform ready for the Friday train. I should not have held him up. When they offered to pay their share of the expense I referred them to Mr. Bell as you suggested.
They will probably be here on Monday to train. There is a Chissamba boy returning today and he will carry the letters.
Steed did not lose many chances to try to tease me about the attraction at Chissamba. However teasing me is rather profitless as I don't blush as readily as some people of my acquaintance.
There was letter here from Childs asking about the Surgical Clinic at Chissamba - they have some cases to send. An abdominal tumor - the new doctor at the fort said he would give her a permit to go to Chissamba for operations. I won't miss the next clinic if you let me know about it in time.
Childs said the sentiment there was against postponing the A.M. If the two Bail. members of the A.M. committee vote so, the present date will stand. There is much to be said for holding to the date.
1. It is wrong in principle to delay or advance an A.M. for the sake of anyone's attendance.
2. A.M. is the Mission's affair and should not be in any way interfered in by the Boards.
3. Dry season work and school openings require an early meeting.
4. Entertainment is difficult later as the milk supply decreases rapidly in the dry season and the garden stuff does not come on here during the cold weather.
We saw no game on the return trip. The roads were very sloppy from Chissamba to Silva Porto. From V.S.P. on to Chingua there had been very little rain since we passed on Thursday.
The kitten has just caught a lizard - he is going to be a hunter. He is now playing with the remains. I hope he is not going to be sick - he has just begun to eat it and lizard meat does not agree with kittens as a rule.
It is time to go to B.V. to the train so this will have to be cut short (?) The scale pan will have to wait another day.
yours
F.E.S.
This
Bill [splotch] ette
mark
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1.
Mission people in the letter who are listed in the Non-Family Mission folks page:
Miss Hurlbut - Mary Hurlbut, teacher
Mr. Bell - I still don't know much about him
Steed - Rev. Steed, stationed in Chissamba, I think.
Childs - stationed in Bailundo
2.
I went to kesinga for supper
As usual, I wish I had a good, solid translation, and as usual, I doubt that any translation would be solid and concrete. It's about gathering together, so this kesinga might be a mess hall sort of place.
3.
Billet or Billette as you prefer was ready for the milk I brought him about 8:30 p.m. His outline is much improved this morning. Incidentally, I removed about two dozen fleas from his densely populated hide and he seems much more cheerful.
This has to be a cat. Right?
4.
Everlatery [???] missed a chance to catch the Union Castle boat which sails from Lobito today.
Maybe I'll find out someday who Everlatery was. It would help if Fred's handwriting had been better, but that's a lost cause.
Lobito is the Angola port through which the missionaries entered and exited Angola.
Wikipedia says:
The Union-Castle Line was a British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line.
5.
There was letter here from Childs asking about the Surgical Clinic at Chissamba - they have some cases to send.
Why did they like to hold surgical clinics at Chissamba? There was no resident doctor there at the time, but maybe the facilities were better than in other places.
5.
Childs said the sentiment there was against postponing the A.M. If the two Bail. members of the A.M. committee vote so, the present date will stand.
The A.M. is the Annual Meeting of the missionaries in Angola. In 1927 it was held in May, so apparently it was not postponed.
Bail. is Bailundo, where Childs was stationed.
6.
Dry season work and school openings require an early meeting.
The World Bank website says:
The dry season, known as “Cacimbo,” occurs from June-September and is the coolest time of the year, with average temperatures between 18-20°C. Total rainfall decreases as you move from north to south and from east to west in Angola, with northeastern Angola receiving the most amount of rain.
18° Celsius is 64.4° Fahrenheit.
20° Celsius is 68° Fahrenheit.
7.
We saw no game on the return trip. The roads were very sloppy from Chissamba to Silva Porto. From V.S.P. on to Chingua there had been very little rain since we passed on Thursday.
This letter was written on Monday, March 21, 1927, so Thursday was March 17, the day after Sibyl wrote to Fred asking him to drive Mrs. Webster's car (and Sibyl and presumably Mrs. Webster, who was a fellow missionary) to Chissamba the following day:Would you be free to-morrow to take Mrs. Webster's car to Chisamba?
So Fred did drive Mrs. Webster's car, loading the motorcycle in it as well, because he mentioned the motorcycle earlier in the letter.
8.
The kitten has just caught a lizard - he is going to be a hunter. He is now playing with the remains. I hope he is not going to be sick - he has just begun to eat it and lizard meat does not agree with kittens as a rule.
This is a different cat from Billet/Billette, right? I'm so confused.
9.
It is time to go to B.V. to the train so this will have to be cut short
B.V. is Bela Vista, if I remember correctly.
Mission people in the letter who are listed in the Non-Family Mission folks page:
Miss Hurlbut - Mary Hurlbut, teacher
Mr. Bell - I still don't know much about him
Steed - Rev. Steed, stationed in Chissamba, I think.
Childs - stationed in Bailundo
2.
I went to kesinga for supper
As usual, I wish I had a good, solid translation, and as usual, I doubt that any translation would be solid and concrete. It's about gathering together, so this kesinga might be a mess hall sort of place.
3.
Billet or Billette as you prefer was ready for the milk I brought him about 8:30 p.m. His outline is much improved this morning. Incidentally, I removed about two dozen fleas from his densely populated hide and he seems much more cheerful.
This has to be a cat. Right?
4.
Everlatery [???] missed a chance to catch the Union Castle boat which sails from Lobito today.
Maybe I'll find out someday who Everlatery was. It would help if Fred's handwriting had been better, but that's a lost cause.
Lobito is the Angola port through which the missionaries entered and exited Angola.
Wikipedia says:
The Union-Castle Line was a British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line.
5.
There was letter here from Childs asking about the Surgical Clinic at Chissamba - they have some cases to send.
Why did they like to hold surgical clinics at Chissamba? There was no resident doctor there at the time, but maybe the facilities were better than in other places.
5.
Childs said the sentiment there was against postponing the A.M. If the two Bail. members of the A.M. committee vote so, the present date will stand.
The A.M. is the Annual Meeting of the missionaries in Angola. In 1927 it was held in May, so apparently it was not postponed.
Bail. is Bailundo, where Childs was stationed.
6.
Dry season work and school openings require an early meeting.
The World Bank website says:
The dry season, known as “Cacimbo,” occurs from June-September and is the coolest time of the year, with average temperatures between 18-20°C. Total rainfall decreases as you move from north to south and from east to west in Angola, with northeastern Angola receiving the most amount of rain.
18° Celsius is 64.4° Fahrenheit.
20° Celsius is 68° Fahrenheit.
7.
We saw no game on the return trip. The roads were very sloppy from Chissamba to Silva Porto. From V.S.P. on to Chingua there had been very little rain since we passed on Thursday.
This letter was written on Monday, March 21, 1927, so Thursday was March 17, the day after Sibyl wrote to Fred asking him to drive Mrs. Webster's car (and Sibyl and presumably Mrs. Webster, who was a fellow missionary) to Chissamba the following day:Would you be free to-morrow to take Mrs. Webster's car to Chisamba?
So Fred did drive Mrs. Webster's car, loading the motorcycle in it as well, because he mentioned the motorcycle earlier in the letter.
8.
The kitten has just caught a lizard - he is going to be a hunter. He is now playing with the remains. I hope he is not going to be sick - he has just begun to eat it and lizard meat does not agree with kittens as a rule.
This is a different cat from Billet/Billette, right? I'm so confused.
9.
It is time to go to B.V. to the train so this will have to be cut short
B.V. is Bela Vista, if I remember correctly.
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