Texas with the exeeption that here there are mountains
in the distance and in Tex. there are none. The country
is dotted with a scattered palm tree here and there - or
@ small tree of some kind about the size of a Moskite
which makes it resemble Tex very much. There is no other
timber. The town is a very pretty little place and seems
to be divided into 4 distinct parts. 18% the west part
whieh seeas to be of houses something like Missionaries
would build. Then the business part of the town with
its 2 story houses and no shade trees which makes it
look hot and drye Then comes ard part where. seexs to
be residences with nice trees and makes the place look
quite home-like. Then the 4th seems to be a cluster of
houses with a factory of some kind. As soon as we an=
chored here about a mile from the town a cannon was
fired off end in a short time a colored Dr. came over
end did some bus. with the Captain and some of the men
with the 19t officer went on shore - only about 4 however
ss the rest of us had no inelinations to go - the dis-—
tance in the hot sun seemed too far. After a while the
natives began to get on board with big boxes of tools,
for most of them were workmen who are going to the Congo
to work on the Re Re The number that we were to take on
here was two hundred but I don't think that there were
more than fifty. And sueh monkeyshines as they did eut =
sometimes fighting - they seemed to be afraid of getting
on board without their boxes, being afraid they might
not get on unless each one tied the rope around his own
particular box himself. However after a long time all
were on toard about 5 o'cloek and then we were off again.
We did not have a funeral to day as I thought we should -
but the captain and officers and even the passengers
treated it as a light thing. You ask what? You see at
Las Palmas we took on about 15 bulls and some sheep and
goats in order that we would have meat enough for all
hends - and last night one of the bulls died.

Now we have just hed prayers and efter a little rest
on deck and a pleasant chat in the moonshine I will
retire.

Dec. 25 - Friday

Very atrange indeed it seems to be on board a Steam ship
to spend Xmas. J had never had a of ever spending my
"thirty-fourth" birthday on the Atlantie Ocean. I'm told
