They practice that every afternoon. Mr. Frank has been in Africa 6 years. I have not seen a man yet who lives in Africa except a few Missionaries who does not drink wine or gin with bitters. They say it is needful, but with God's help I am going to abstain from it. But all say "You'll come to it. The water is so bad you must drink something." We were invited over to "chop" with Mr. Frank and his fellow workers tomorrow at noon. So I guess we will go. Now, I'll say good-night with blessings to all.

Saturday, Jan. 9 - 97

A very nice cool cloudy a.m. Feeling well, thank God. Morrison is on his head to get to Matadi in order to find out about going to Tumba. He is the most impatient fellow I ever saw, at times, and when it seems to me to be foolishness to fret or think of things that can't be done at the time. He is a good sensible man and a learned man and a splendid preacher, but in practical things, sometimes, I almost feel like chastising him. He has his ideas and thinks things ought to go that way regardless of all other things or people. He don't look at things only at his own side and therefore things go wrong. We sit around until 11 o'clock and I propose going over to our friends to dinner, and he takes a notion at that time that he must write some as he had fooled away all the morning expecting every moment that Mr. Lagerin would summon him to go up to Matadi to see about the same thing that he saw about yesterday. I go over and request him to come at once and he said he would in about ½ an hour so I announce to my friends that Bro. M. would be over presently and at the proper time he came. We had quite a time looking at the goats, sheep (sheep have no wool in this country) trees flowers, &c. After dinner where only 5 were at the table and all new, it took us something like an hour and a half to get through dinner, regular Europeon style. I think we had 5 or 6 courses and of course the plates had to be cleared off and fresh ones after every course. We had roasting ears for dinner, and they were very fine but almost a little too ripe to be the best. After dinner we looked through the store and saw the ivory that they had bought by barter and saw the enormous quantity of rum that they had in 5 Gal. dimajohns for which they said the natives were very fond. Oh! what a curse to the poor natives but as long as it is allowed to be brought and sold to them they will drink it just
