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Traveling To The Interior

So we started in an afternoon early in July.

The last news we had from home before starting farther interior was a letter from my home written early in May. This contained the word that my father, who had long been ill, was very low, and could not possibly live many days. We heard no more till we had completed this journey and sent back to Lagos for mail. Perhaps once a month we sent a man to walk this two hundred miles and back with our mall. Dear old Aboderin was our faithful postman, and it was always a great day when we hailed his return. But it was not a happy day this time for when the mail came about the middle of August, it brought the news that my father had died on May 4th, the anniversary of our marriage.

But I started to tell the story of this journey.

Our method of travel was this, my husband rode on horseback and I was carried in a sort of hammock chair suspended from a lay pole, each end of which rested on the head of a man. One walked ahead of, and the other behind, I swung between them more or less comfortably. I could read or take a nap or do what I liked just so I kept still and trusted it all to them. They were very careful and dependable and I felt quite safe in their care. They were always cheerful and good natured, and trotted along hour after hour in the narrow foot path, much of the time laughing and talking good naturedly with each other or with me, never complaining. Always we had two extra men following with whom they exchanged now and then.

I think we traveled about three hours that first afternoon when we came tø a river and camped for the night. Our camping was very simple. We carried our own equipment, beds, food, and everything. Each had a canvas cot, a pillow and blanket.

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The people were very hospitable and always allowed us to put up our cots on their front verandahs. Perhaps we gave them a small present for the privilege. And the whole town, or all who would, had the privilege of standing around and staring at the strange ways of the white man. But we were free to stay there and eat and sleep as long as we needed. So we got through that first night all right.