8 AFRICA SPEAKS 



tween the ship and pier was too great for voice to bridge. 

 Then "papa" heaved a heavy sigh and made for 

 the bar. 



The sky line of New York passed in parade for those 

 on deck as the huge sliip headed seaward. The boat 

 sped on, the time flew by, then at about the time 

 everybody knew the others by sight, and we had 

 discovered that the two young men at our table were 

 German salesmen who had just completed a tour of 

 the United States, the ship nosed into her berth at 

 Southampton. There was the usual excitement, the 

 passing of customs, the looking at passports and the 

 saying of farewells to new-found friends. Our affairs 

 being in proper order, we were allowed to step on the 

 soil of Olde England, and shortly the boat train was 

 pufiing and grunting on its way to London. 



Most of the baggage was left at Southampton in 

 bond, as we planned to call at tliis port again en route 

 to Africa, and would thus avoid the thing most dreaded 

 by all travelers — having one's carefully packed lug- 

 gage flung all over the place by customs men with 

 prying eyes and large hands. 



Upon arrival in London we were transported in one 

 of those ancient, high-backed taxicabs, wliich are 

 always a source of wonder to me — the wonder being 

 how they hold together. Our short stay was spent in 

 starting some official machinery into motion, for a 

 great deal of our work was to be done in British terri- 

 tory and the sooner they knew about it the better. 

 It rained all the time we were there, but I understand 

 that the sun does shine upon special occasions. 



On a dreary day we were dragged by a sluggish 

 train over a misty and gloomy landscape from Victoria 



