* 
it 
From Bukavu out we visited Lwiro, Dr. van den Berghe , and the 
IHSAC station and Dr. James P. Chapin. The latter I had not 3een for 
some years. He has a marvelous fund of Information regarding things 
Congo, and especially concerning the avifauna. After about four days 
in Bukavu, during which Dr. Bredo invited us to a cocktail party at 
which we met most of the local scientific fraternity, we headed for 
Uvira on May 18, The hydrobiclogical laboratory is a wonderful place 
in a beautiful setting between the hills (mountains?) and the lake. 
You feel you are at the sea-shore when you look over that vast expanse 
of water that is Lake Tanganyika. One forenoon we paid our respects 
to Dr., now Governor, H array. He is a charming man. Dr. George 
Marlier, and his small staff -vi doing good work and have a laboratory 
that will serve biologists and limnologists well if they will but seek 
the means to get there. 
; • . ‘ •' - • V - ' ' 
From Uvira we hastened on to Gabiro and the Kagera Park by way 
of Astrida. T*te arrived on May 23 a day earlier than anticipated, but 
we were trying to gain an extra day for packing up our collections in 
Entebbe for shipment by rail to Mombassa and home. 
The Kagera Park is a place to conjure with! When I enthuse about 
one of your parks I must enthuse about all of them. Each has its 
special appeal and all are among the most wonderful places in t he woi*ld . 
How fortunate and successful you were to get those magnificent Parks 
established. I cannot find the superlatives to express my admiration 
of the accomplishment. Yew, we did enjoy Mr. Haezaert and his family. 
Getting to know people like the Haesaerts, the MiscM6, the Clints, 
Kaert, and the Marliers makes one realize that the younger generation 
of Belgians are very wonderful people indeed. There is one thought 
that takes precedence over all others, when I look back over my Congo 
experiences and that is how well the merit system has operated in the 
Belgian scientific services; I never have seen a finer, more capable 
lot of men than I met on this trip directing, and indeed working, in 
the National Parks and the various research stations. One cannot help 
but admire the Belgians for what they are doing and how they are doing 
it. It is only because there are men like yourself at the helm per- 
forming in so outstanding a fashion. This, I assure you, is from the 
heart, and is the note upon which this letter perhaps should end. 
The Haesaerts entertained us twice in the two days we were at the 
Kagera Park. Mrs. Haezaert, moreover, prepared an appetizing lunch 
with a spice cake which she baked herself for our luncheon. I am glad 
that Mr. Haezaert could spare the time to show us around. Here, as in 
the other parks, I would have liked to linger longer, indeed I envy 
your Park superintendents their positions, for in the Parks one gets 
to live close to Nature, yet, in these days of air travel, is never too 
far from aid and the great cultural centers. 
